Many fleet managers have struggled with rising fuel costs in recent years. In this post we’ll discuss some strategies that could help reduce your fuel costs.
If you want to discuss any aspect of fleet management, our friendly team of commercial motor experts are here to help. Get in touch with us by emailing commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com, or call us on 020 8290 9099.
Reducing Fuel Costs by Managing Driver Behaviour
The way you drive can have a huge impact on the amount of fuel you use. Excessive speed, along with harsh acceleration and sudden braking, can all contribute to increased fuel consumption. Also, one study found HGVs can waste up to £348 of fuel over a six month period through idling in traffic for just one hour a day.
You can reduce fleet fuel costs through encouraging your drivers to adopt more fuel efficient driving practices. This could be something as simple as switching their engine off when they’re waiting in traffic, or always using the highest gear possible within the speed limit.
Certain tech allows you to monitor your drivers’ behaviour in real-time. You can get automated alerts for any inefficient driving practices, which could help you identify if any of your drivers need any additional training.
Read our full guide to managing your fleet drivers’ behaviour.
How Vehicle Maintenance Drives Efficiency
Regular servicing and maintenance can ensure that everything in your vehicles works exactly the way it should. If there’s anything wrong with any aspect of a vehicle – whether it’s the tyres or the transmission – the engine may have to work harder to compensate, which can burn more fuel than necessary.
All fleet managers should commit to ongoing servicing and maintenance as a matter of course. It’s an essential part of your duty of care to your drivers.
To help you stay on top of truck maintenance, take a look at our fleet servicing timing templates for a breakdown of your daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks.
Will Switching to Greener Vehicles Save in the Long Term?
Some vehicles are more fuel efficient than others. You won’t be able to swap every vehicle in your fleet overnight. But gradually switching to greener vehicles could form part of a long-term strategy to reduce your fleet fuel costs.
If you’re running a grey fleet, you can set guidelines for the types of vehicles your employees may drive for work purposes. Specify that you will only offer cash allowances for vehicles with low emissions and high MPGs, and you can significantly reduce your fuel costs. Read our full guide to managing grey fleets here.
And of course, if you switch to a fleet of electric vehicles, then you will never have to worry about fuel costs again. Read our guide to developing and implementing a fleet EV adoption strategy. We also have a guide to installing electric charge points for your fleet, which features some information on the various grants that are available.
Got Any Questions About Your Fleet Management?
If you want to discuss any aspect of fleet management, our friendly team of commercial motor specialists are here to help.
Our expert risk management advice can help you make significant savings on your ongoing running costs. To find out more, get in touch with us by emailing commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com, or call us on 020 8290 9099.
