How Can I Make My Fleet More Fuel Efficient?
UK businesses are facing challenging conditions with ever-increasing fuel costs. This situation is amplified for businesses that are reliant on delivering a service through a fleet of vehicles. Improving fuel efficiency will have a significant impact on both how your fleet and business runs.
Fuel can be the number one running cost that fleets face.
A study in 2019 found that fuel costs make up 60% of a fleet’s average budget. And if your fleet isn’t running as effectively as it should, this can have a massive knock-on effect on the business.
But there are a few simple ways you can get your drivers back on track and keep costs low.
We’ve put together the top 5 best of the best ways to improve your fleet’s fuel efficiency.
1. Reduce Drag
One way to make your fleet drive smoother is to reduce the amount of drag on your vehicles. This means making your fleet more wind resistant, making it easier to get going. Taking off roof racks of any unnecessary loads can help your fleet become more wind resistant. A study from the Energy Saving Trust found that an empty roof box can add 39% drag to your vehicle.
2. Maintenance
Basic vehicle maintenance is an easy way to keep your fleet driving smoothly and safely. Regular under the bonnet checks can help detect a problem before it becomes a major issue. Overinflated or underinflated tyres can affect your fuel consumption by up to 4%. Making sure your tyres are in good shape and pumpedup to the right pressure can help keep you moving.
3. Stick to the limit
It’s very tempting to rush your journey, going over the limit to cut travel times. But sticking to the speed limit is important for your fleets and other road users’ safety. It can also help improve your overall fuel usage. A What Car? study founddoing 80mph uses around 20% more fuel than traveling at 70mph.
4. Plan your route
Planning your route is an easy way to keep your drivers on track and help bring your fuel usage down. Using a telematics device to get your most optimal route and avoid traffic blackspots can help you save time and fuel. Combining trips can also help your engine perform better and use less fuel.
5. Gently does it
Gentle driving can reduce wear and tear on your vehicle and help improve fuel efficiency. Having to slow down and then accelerate can lead to your engine using a lot of fuel. Anticipating the road ahead and keeping momentum is the best way to be more fuel-efficient.
How can we help?
With over 45 years in the industry, we have the experience and insight to enable your business to become more effective and efficient in its fleet operations. Through our fuel cards and telematics devices, we will provide your fleet with solutions to minimize vehicle downtime and inefficient driving whilst increasing productivity and positive customer service outcomes.
Our fuel cards offer a collective network of over 8000 sites nationwide. By partnering with industry giants such as Shell, Texaco, and Esso, we’re able to offer customers the highest quality fuel at the best possible price. To find out more click here – https://www.cambriancards.com/fuel-cards/
Our telematics solutions can help keep your drivers on the right track. The route optimization and live tracking features help you monitor your fleet’s safety and fuel usage.
For more information go to https://www.cambriancards.com/telematics/
How Can I Make My Fleet More Fuel Efficient?
