Fuel makes up approximately 25 percent of the operational costs for a commercial trucking fleet, meaning cost savings of only a few percentage points in this area can make a huge difference to the bottom line. Fuel-efficient driving is one way to combat the high costs of fuel.
Take these 5 Tips and save $ with fuel-efficient driving today
- Don’t engage in road rage! Aggressive driving is a bad practice for a multitude of reasons but it also has a negative effect on fuel usage. Avoiding erratic driving associated with road rage or aggressive driving styles can save you money on fuel (and keep you out of unwanted trouble).
- Avoid excessive idling! When do you get zero miles per gallon while still using up fuel? When you’re sitting idle, that’s when! For fuel-efficient driving best practices, don’t warm up your vehicle more than 30 seconds.
- Follow the speed limit rules! Speeding reduces your gas mileage. In fact, your miles per gallon decrease significantly at speeds above 60 mph.
- Use cruise control! For the same reason that fuel-efficient driving is affected by speeding, cruise control is a great way to manage fluctuating speeds as well as fluctuating costs of fuel.
- Keep your vehicle clean — Dirt and mud on the exterior of your fleet creates drag that over long distances hurts your MPG. Keeping your truck clean improves aerodynamics and, in turn, improves fuel efficiency.
Fuel efficiency depends on many factors but as noted above, a fuel-efficient driving style has an impact and even the smallest impact on fuel costs can dramatically affect your bottom line. Technology tools such as Telematics can help you, as a business owner, monitor your fleet even when it’s far away from you. In other words, it places you in control even when your trucks are out of your control. Here are only a few ways this technology can improve your operations:
- Track driving performance to reward drivers that are doing well and address issues with drivers who aren’t.
- Monitor maintenance needs and schedule routine maintenance to avoid problems before they arise.
- Digitize workflows, saving time, money and eliminating cumbersome “paper-pushing.”
- And so much more!
Wiers Fleet Partners has over 100 years of experience in the trucking business. In fact, Wiers is made up of a team of professionals that used to own trucking companies. In other words, they get what it takes to succeed in this challenging industry. And, they’re standing by to put all their know-how and experience to work for the success of your business today.
Start a partnership with Wiers today – the leader in sales, service and much more!
