Without trucking fleets, the North American economy would fall apart. The industry is worth an enormous $700 billion and transports 71% of America’s freight. As important as it is, the industry lags behind the automotive industry at large where fuel efficiency and, thus, fuel costs are concerned. A high fleet management fuel cost can bankrupt a growing freight shipping company.
If you don’t want to suffer this fate, you must know how to avoid it. Check out these handy tips on cutting fleet fuel costs.
1. Optimize Fleet Routes to Cut Fuel Costs
It might be hard to shake old habits, but changing fleet routes is one of the best ways to reduce fleet fuel costs. The most obvious method is using GPS technology to find shorter routes that take less gas to span. There are some other route features you may not have considered.
Apart from distance, roads’ textures, ups, downs, twists, and turns all impact how much fuel trucks use. Landscapes, landmarks, and manmade features such as windmills also affect the way winds whip through routes. Driving through a windy area can work for or against you. To reduce fuel costs, keep a plan B in your back pocket and whip it out when the winds blow the wrong way.
Additionally, it could be worthwhile installing a telematics device to your fleet of vehicles to help identify the inefficiencies in your route. A spike in acceleration could indicate an unwelcome gradient.
2. Keep Trucks in Prime Condition
As a fleet manager or trucker, “Keep your trucks in good shape!” is a sentence you’ve heard a billion times over. You might be sick of hearing it, but following that advice to the fullest extent possible cuts fleet fuel costs.
Slashing costs this way starts with a tire examination and alignment check-up. They’re some of the biggest factors with your mileage. Make sure each truck’s brakes are in perfect condition, too.
Then, check on the fuel tank, engine, and other internal parts. Those are the most important things to do but look at everything if you can. After that, top up fluids and be on your way.
3. Seek Out Fuel Bargains
You can cut fuel costs from the start if you seek out bargains. GasBuddy and other apps give rebates for buying gas, hiring a fleet fueling company committed to savings, and using technology to locate stations with the lowest costs.
Finding the cheapest fuel your trucks can take is also key to cutting fuel costs. Hybrid trucks, electric trucks, and trucks built to run on ethanol give you access to another kind of fuel bargain.
That technology isn’t available everywhere as it’s very new and still in the works. Keep an eye on the automotive tech news so you can jump onboard and save as soon as you can.
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These ingenious ways to cut your fleet’s fuel costs will help you save cash and make your business more eco-friendly. For more smart business tips for greater efficiency and profit, check out other articles on this site. We have all kinds of information to help you succeed in your industry and many others.
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Also read: How To Make Sure Your Car is Safe Before A Long Journey
