Tips For Improving Your Commercial Fleet's Fuel Economy

When a business relies on a fleet of vehicles, fuel costs can quickly start to become a major part of the operating budget. This can make optimizing the fuel usage of the vehicles a primary concern. Despite the importance of keeping the fuel usage as low as possible, there are businesses that will fail to incorporate a few steps that can drastically improve fleet fuel economy.

Use Real-Time Route Planning Software

Spending time stuck in slowing moving or completely stalled traffic can be a major drain on fuel economy. With advances in technology, it is now possible to use route planning software and services that can track current traffic conditions. In the event that a new traffic jam is reported, the route will be updated to take the driver the shortest way around the slow moving traffic.

Incorporate Vehicle Tracking And Performance Logging

It can be almost impossible to make informed decisions about your company's fuel usage if you do not have enough data on your vehicles. Incorporating telematics fleet tracking and performance logging will provide you with this type of information. While it may not seem like this will be important to know, it will allow you to identify instances of anomalous fuel usage. This can indicate a developing problem with the vehicle that may need to be repaired. Being able to track the location of our vehicles can also help with ensuring that drivers stick to the routes that have been planned. Luckily, there are many services that are capable of adding these features to your vehicles. In addition to giving your current vehicles these capabilities, it is also important to add these features to any new vehicles before they start to see use.

Be Diligent With Vehicle Maintenance

Improperly maintained vehicles can suffer a gradual decline in their fuel economy. Small business leaders will often neglect to regularly service their fleet vehicles due to the costs. However, failing to do this can both increase the risks of needing expensive repairs while also potentially increasing the amount of fuel the vehicle will have to use. This is particularly relevant for vehicles that will need to regularly drive long distances or haul extremely heavy loads.

Incorporate Hybrid Vehicles

Over time, you will need to replace the vehicles that are in your fleet. Making it a point to opt for hybrid vehicles whenever this is practical can dramatically lower the fuel costs that you will have to pay. Individuals will often be hesitant about investing in this type of vehicle, but they have become far more reliant and powerful than when they were first introduced.

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