5 Best Practices For Fleet Fuel Management

Do you manage a fleet of vehicles? If so, you probably know that fuel management is a key component to ensure your business runs efficiently. From fuel consumption tracking to cost management, fuel management practices can ensure your fleet runs smoothly and cost-effectively. Here are five best practices for fleet fuel management to help you optimize your fuel management approaches.

1. Cheaper Fuel

Cheaper fuel can reduce your operating expenses by lowering your fuel costs. More specifically, you can search for cheaper prices and use fuel cards and other discounts. Fuel cards can help you monitor fuel purchases and simplify expense tracking, which can allow you to identify trends and areas where you can save even more money.

Second, inexpensive fuel can simplify route planning, as you will have a better idea of how much fuel each route will require. If you can access mobile fueling, you can save time and money by reducing the number of fuel visits. Lastly, cheaper petroleum can help you meet your budgetary objectives since it frees up funds for other expenditures.

2. Regular Maintenance

Regular upkeep not only helps fleet owners save revenue on fuel but also extends the lifespan of their vehicles. Maintenance ensures that a vehicle operates at peak efficiency, which can reduce fuel consumption.

Scheduling regular service for each vehicle is one method to ensure a fleet remains well-maintained. This regular upkeep should consist of routine engine maintenance, oil changes, and tire alignment.

Regular tune-ups, including oil changes, can increase fuel economy and save your fleet up to 14 cents per gallon of fuel as it ensures that the engine operates feasibly. Lastly, proper tire inflation and alignment can increase fuel economy by up to 3%, saving you about 2 cents per gallon of fuel.

A fleet proprietor should also think about a preventative maintenance program in addition to regular maintenance. The regimen should include items such as proper maintenance of fleet vehicles, adequate tire inflation, and regular inspection and replacement of air filters.

3. Driver Tracking and Education

You can obtain an in-depth understanding of driver behavior and then apply the data to hold drivers liable for their driving habits if you monitor driver patterns with fleet management software.

You can also use this data to inform driver training and guidance to improve fuel economy. With tracking software, you can identify patterns of the times and places these behaviors occur and then resolve them with drivers.

Additional driver education and instruction can help promote fuel-efficient driving strategies and techniques, such as the reduction of reckless driving and excessive idling. Automated feedback and system-driven instruction on platforms can assist drivers in rapidly enhancing their driving skills, and gamification and reward features can encourage participation.

4. Route Optimization

Global positioning systems (GPS) can determine the optimal routes for their vehicles, as they can take into account traffic conditions, driver timelines, and other constraints. This optimization reduces fuel costs because the system chooses the most efficient routes, which eliminates the need for unnecessary visits. Additionally, route optimization tools can ensure drivers take the shortest routes to their destinations and avoid traffic.

5. Fleet Management Systems

Telematics technologies can provide precise information on the location, speed, distance traveled, and gasoline consumption of vehicles. With this information, fleet managers can rapidly identify vehicles with excessive fuel consumption and take corrective action.

Fleet managers can detect trends in fuel consumption over time with fuel usage information from telematics systems. They can then use this information to devise strategies that minimize fuel consumption and boost efficiency. For example, if one vehicle consistently uses more fuel than the others, the fleet manager can investigate the cause and implement corrective measures.