Fuel is one of the highest costs of managing a fleet of commercial trucks. This is why fleet managers are constantly searching for ways to lower fuel costs and improve fuel efficiencies. The cost of diesel is usually high for most businesses and managers find ways to reduce the cost. Let’s take a look at useful diesel management tips for your business.
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Having insights about the amount of diesel consumed by your mobile and stationary assets can help identify usage trends, reduce operational costs, and mitigate diesel theft/leakages in your organization.
To cut down on fuel costs, check out the following fuel management tips for your fleet. These tips are aimed at providing you with practical ways you can help cut down on this variable cost of doing business and raise profits.
Diesel Management Tips For Your Business
Proper Fleet Maintenance: Diesel Management
Fleet managers understand that fuel management begins with maintenance. When your fleet is not properly maintained, your fuel efficiency will suffer. In fact, just a few common maintenance services can go a long way in cutting down on fuel consumption.
Properly inflated tires can improve fuel efficiency between .6% – 3%, and using the right grade motor oil can improve fuel efficiency by 1%-2%. While each of these may seem small on its own, combined together and measured over time, maintenance can be a critical fuel saver.
To help elongate the lifespan of your mobile and stationary assets, it is important to have regular maintenance checks at least once every two months.
Have Smart Travel Strategies
The less time your truck drivers spend trapped in stop-and-go traffic or backtracking on their routes, the lower your fuel costs. This is one of the easiest diesel management tips for your business to implement.
So, it is important to analyze your current route strategies. Are you sending your truck drivers down the most efficient paths for their deliveries? Could you avoid traffic jams by taking alternate routes, or could you split up routes to create a more efficient flow?
Using GPS trackers like TIKON Tracking Solutions, gather data on the routes your drivers are taking each day. Over time, these work to optimize these routes to reduce fuel consumption.
Get a Fuel Control System
A fuel control system should be at the top of the list of diesel management tips for your business because of its efficiency. Track and manage your diesel with our economically-priced diesel management solution that offers cost-saving and diesel-auditing services to optimize business operations and improve your ROI. With this diesel management solution, you can detect leakage challenges due to perforations and faulty hardware; while monitoring, auditing, and reporting diesel usage trends for accountability purposes.
For more information on how you can get any of the solutions above, click here
Here are other tips for managing diesel fuel costs for businesses:
- Monitor fuel consumption: Regularly track and analyze fuel consumption data to identify patterns and areas for improvement. This could include monitoring the fuel efficiency of individual vehicles or equipment, as well as the overall fuel consumption of the business.
- Implement fuel-saving strategies: There are several strategies that businesses can implement to save on fuel costs. These may include optimizing routes to reduce the distance traveled, encouraging carpooling or the use of public transportation, and training employees on fuel-efficient driving techniques.
- Use fuel cards: Fuel cards can help businesses manage and track fuel purchases, as well as take advantage of discounts and rewards programs.
- Consider alternative fuels: Depending on the type of business, it may be possible to switch to alternative fuels such as natural gas or electric power, which can be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than diesel.
- Negotiate fuel contracts: For businesses that consume a large amount of fuel, it may be worth negotiating a fuel contract with a supplier to secure a fixed price or discounts on fuel purchases.
- Invest in fuel-efficient equipment: Consider upgrading to equipment that is more fuel-efficient. This can be a long-term investment, but it can also result in significant fuel cost savings over time.
Summary
In summary, there are several strategies that businesses can use to manage diesel fuel costs, including monitoring fuel consumption, implementing fuel-saving strategies, using fuel cards, considering alternative fuels, negotiating fuel contracts, and investing in fuel-efficient equipment. By implementing these diesel management tips for your business, you can reduce fuel costs and improve your bottom line.