Top tips on how to save fuel in your Fleet

PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS FUEL 

 When it comes to costs within a fleet, most fleet managers understand that fuel is one of the most important factors.  If your drivers speed, spend too much time idling or just drive badly in general, they will waste precious fuel and negatively affect your bottom-line.  There is also the chance that your drivers or other parties are stealing fuel from your fleet of vehicles, which adds further to your costs and administrative hassles.

CHANGE BAD DRIVING BEHAVIOUR 

 In general, using the best practice implementation of strategies arising from fleet telematics data can help reduce labour costs by between 15% and 20%. Similarly, telematics data can help you save fuel, as you can monitor your drivers, and subsequently take action to correct bad or reckless driving habits. When drivers infringe on the road, fleet managers will be alerted to these, either instantly via push messages or SMS or through regular reports.

Cartrack offers our subscribers a comprehensive set of reports and alerts, including information on:

• Fuel cards
• Idling
• Speeding
• Car theft
• Geofences
• General driver performance

TOP WAYS TO SAVE FUEL IN YOUR FLEET

• MAKE SURE THAT VEHICLES IN YOUR FLEET ARE IN TIP-TOP SHAPE

 To improve the way that your vehicles consume fuel, it is advisable to maintain them. Getting them serviced regularly and using the correct oil helps maintain engine efficiency, which subsequently reduces fuel use. Cartrack’s Mi-Fleet will make this task that much easier for you. This administrative and vehicle cost accounting software will send alerts via the platform, e-mail or SMS, indicating when your vehicles are due for maintenance.

•  GET YOUR DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN

The role that speeding plays in increasing fuel use is often overlooked. It is therefore important that your drivers recognise this and don’t try to rush to their destination. They should try to reduce their speed as much as possible and ensure that they stay within or even well below the road speed limits for the type of vehicle being driven.

• UPSKILL YOUR DRIVERS

It is vital that your drivers develop good driving habits and begin to anticipate other drivers’ actions and potential hazards. This will reduce the amount of fuel they use as they will accelerate and brake less often.

It is also unnecessary for drivers to “rev” the car – some motorists let the Revolutions Per Minute (RPMs) run up to between 2,500 and 3,000 per minute before changing to a higher gear. Rather, don’t rev the car for too long before changing gears, and use the highest gears (fifth and sixth) sooner rather than later.

Cartrack lets you monitor your drivers 24/7 to see whether they are adhering to good behaviour on the road – all you have to do is log in to your profile on any platform (computer, tablet or smartphone). Our mobile app makes this task even easier, as you can get everything you need at the touch of a button, including vehicle tracking, logbooks and emergency services.

• GET THE BASICS RIGHT 

 Making sure that the vehicles in your fleet are roadworthy is a simple way to reduce fuel use. As such, tyres must be well maintained and their pressure checked regularly, which will lead to safer and more economical driving and maximised fuel use. You should also not overload vehicles as this will considerably increase fuel use – a lighter car will always use less fuel.

• CONSIDER SWITCHING TO A MANUAL 

On average, manual transmission vehicles tend to use 10% to 15% less fuel than automatic transmissions.  And while the gap is closing, as modern, efficient semi-automatics gain in popularity, it still might be worth your while to look into making the switch in your fleet in order to save on fuel.

LET CARTRACK BE YOUR FUEL SAVER

 As a trusted, world-class company that provides superior fleet management solutions, Cartrack is equipped to provide services that will help you drastically reduce fuel use within your fleet. Contact us today to get peace of mind that your fleet is performing optimally.