When it comes to running fleets, fuel costs are the biggest expense and make about 60% of a fleet’s total operating costs. Hence, it is essential for fleet managers to think about ways to reduce fuel consumption to keep the business profitable, especially when your business involves a fleet of vehicles. It is essential to take certain measures to keep fuel consumption under control.
Various ways to reduce fuel consumption
Initially, it is essential to have an efficient fleet management system like AutoMax, enabling fleet drivers to analyze various parameters and monitor the bottlenecks. Here are some of the ways to reduce fuel consumption with the help of fleet management technology.
Analyze driver behavior
Keeping an eye on driver behavior while he is on the road can help you in several ways. In fleet management software, a GPS tracking device can enable fleet managers to track driver behavior effortlessly. For instance, fleet managers can ask to take the most optimized routes if he is taking longer routes. Fleet managers get notifications when the vehicle is not in motion; hence the fleet drivers can be encouraged to turn off the engine when the vehicle is idle.
Moreover, fleet managers can keep drivers aware of how rash driving, over speeding, and hard brakes can negatively affect the fuel economy.
Regular fleet maintenance
Fleets should undergo regular maintenance as it helps to increase the lifespan of fleets. It is essential to check the air filters, parts health, and motor oil in a timely manner. Maintaining proper fleet maintenance with the help of fleet management software will enable you to keep your fleet in good condition and the fuel usage in check. AutoMax fleet management software can update fleet managers with timely and proper fleet maintenance.
Keep a tab of your fleets
When your fleets are always on the road, it is obvious that the fuel bill will also be high. Thus, keeping an eye on the vehicle’s activities and location is crucial. With fleet management software, fleet managers can get real-time updates and status regarding the fleet. Geo-fencing can also be set so that fleet managers are notified when the fleets exceed the geo-boundary.
Choose the most efficient and optimized routes
With AutoMax Fleet Management System, the drivers and fleet managers can access the most optimized routes. While taking the most optimized routes, road quality, speed limit, traffic conditions, etc., must be taken into concern.
Reduce idle fleet time
Vehicle idling over a long time can affect engine life and vehicle maintenance. On average, a fleet idles for roughly 1,000 hours a year, which is valuable downtime that may be eliminated to reduce fuel use and switch over to driving time. Reduced idling improves engine health and increases the work drivers can accomplish daily. This entails monitoring each of your trucks in real-time and making adjustments to increase efficiency.
To sum up
If you want to implement these changes in your company, you need to be able to spot incidences of prolonged idling, risky driving practices, and maintenance problems. Fleet managers use fleet management technologies to identify these areas for cost reductions and optimization.