We all want to save money when we can, and fleet companies are no different. We understand that thousands of dollars are used every year in fleet management. It’s important to know the ways that money can be saved so your hard-earned money is not going to waste.
Five Examples of How Fleet Management Can Save Money
- Vehicle Maintenance
Doing regular maintenance on your fleet vehicles can cut fuel consumption. Common things overlooked are replacing air filters and cleaning your fuel system. A clogged air filter can damage internal parts and an unclear fuel system can lead to poor engine performance and can use more fuel than needed.
- Driver Behavior
It’s hard for drivers to beat bad habits. Fleet management should train their drivers to take the extra steps to make sure they are following best practices while driving trucks to and from the work site. Here are some common examples of ways fleet drivers can make sure they are getting the biggest bang for their buck.
- Remove Excess Weight- We get that most fleet trucks are carrying heavy cargo. When it’s not necessary, remove it and save on fuel. Every 100 pounds increases fuel consumption by 2%.
- Avoid Idling- Shutting the vehicle off instead of idling can reduce gas usage.
- Keep Tires Correctly Inflated- Checking the truck’s tires regularly can increase fuel efficiency. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.
- Don’t Drive Aggressively- This kind of driving not only ends up adding additional maintenance cost but over-revving and speeding also wastes fuel.
- Navigation/Traffic Avoidance
GPS is a great tool for fleet drivers. Many navigation devices include traffic jams and construction, so they can be avoided. It’s important for the fleet management to provide this technology to their drivers so they can get their destination with no snags. This also helps save on fuel because less drivers are getting lost or taking a longer route. This also would help with repair cost since high traffic and construction zones are popular areas for accidents.
- Route Planning
Good questions to ask while managing your fleet are, do your fleet drivers take the best route to the destination? Do they take their fleet trucks home? Or do they take it out of their way for lunch? If you’re not watching your fleet closely, a lot of unnecessary drive time is used. If your route is planned, then it will reduce miles driven which will save you money in the end for fuel – smart fleet management.
- Rent Instead of Purchase
Many projects are not all year around. Renting can provide you with fleet trucks only when you need them. Renting can be a much cheaper alternative since a lot of companies have their fleet vehicles sitting for multiple months during the year – wise fleet management.
Follow these tips and make sure that your fleet is being utilized to its utmost potential. Check out Flexfleetrental.com to see how we can also help!
Sources:
https://www.chevinfleet.com/us/news/fuel-saving-tips-infographic/
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.jsp
