4 tips to save petrol and reduce car fleet’s fuel costs
Managing a company fleet consists of coordinating the flow of all vehicles, following maintenance, managing payments, monitoring routes, trying to reduce expenses while maintaining the efficiency of the service and respecting safety standards. This is a varied and complex activity which, if done well, can significantly increase the company’s profits.
To avoid the most common mistakes in fleet management, it is essential to keep the data under control. A problem cannot be solved if it is not visible and measurable. For company fleet coordinators, management analysis and direct cost control are therefore essential.
Here we will focus in particular on how to save on fuel costs.
4 tips to save fuel
1. Choose the right vehicle
Not all vehicles have the same consumption. When purchasing, the company should aim for the latest vehicles possible that do not exceed actual commercial needs, for example choosing a minivan instead of a truck, if the latter is not strictly necessary. We must not forget to pay attention, among other things, to the type of engine, tires and load capacity.
2. Plan routes
Prepare the routes in detail and in advance based on the distances to be covered and the refueling possibilities. The fleet manager will then have to use the data on the estimated total quantity and average price of fuel to his advantage, in order to calculate future consumption forecasts and detect if and in which cases a vehicle consumes too much compared to the km travelled. In this sense, satellite telematic devices are an indispensable tool.
3. Train drivers
Organize advanced safe driving courses to educate and raise awareness among fleet drivers and provide them with a list of activities to carry out before, during and after driving. To appropriately control fuel consumption, everyone’s collaboration is needed. As for the driving style, it is advisable to maintain a speed as constant as possible during the journey, avoiding sudden acceleration and braking, turning off the engine in case of long stops and not abusing the air conditioning (which can increase fuel consumption by 25%). of fuel on each trip).
4. Carry out adequate maintenance
Correct maintenance also plays a fundamental role in saving fuel. In this regard, it is advisable to carry out periodic engine checks, use lubricants and fuel recommended by the vehicle manufacturers and inflate the tires as per the manual, to ensure that they always have the optimal pressure.
Control expenses with fleet management software
To reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of vehicles and implement strategic fleet management, it is advisable to equip yourself with fleet management software that collects a large amount and variety of data relating to each vehicle in a single safe place.
The Fleet Manager software was born from years of collaboration with automotive headquarters, where it is used to control assignments and pay fines, organize marketing events and assign cars to employees and managers. Over time, the software has integrated satellite devices for geolocalization, tracking of the routes and stops of each vehicle, real-time detection of accidents and battery charge status.
If you are interested in seeing a demo of Fleet Manager, contact us without obligation!