Driving and Fleet Costs

With VAT and DUTY increases in 2011 the costs of running your fleet are on the rise again and there is little chance of a drop in fuel price, you have to ask yourself the question, where can I save money within my fleet?

Driver education and training have a key role to play here. Teaching drivers the basics of economical driving not only saves money but can save lives by reducing stress and cutting accident risk. One of our clients, through the use of TomTom Technology, has reduced costs throughout their fleet by identifying staff who display poor driving styles and in need of re-training. Efficient drivers, who stay within the Fleet KPi’s which the company has set, are appropriately rewarded. Since the introduction of TomTom Technology this company has seen a marked decrease in accidents, speeding, vehicles off the road for un-scheduled servicing and most of all in fuel savings.

Good planning of vehicle use and deployment of your staff are also paramount when it comes to saving fuel. This is due to the fact that most transport and movement by road involves a large amount of wasted mileage. Drivers do not travel from A to B by the shortest route and empty running has been endemic in the road haulage industry ever since the truck took over from the horse. Moreover, do you know if your staff driving for the sake of driving?

If this is the case, planning based on connected navigation technology from TomTom can really make a difference. It can show you where your vehicles and people are all times and provide historical information that allows you to plan collection or delivery rounds more effectively. It can also enable you to send the nearest person or vehicle to perform a task or pick up a consignment, cutting the amount of fuel used, increasing productivity and leading to happy customers! Having all vehicles in the fleet equipped with a navigation device can have an impact on your net profit and reduce driver stress. A survey commissioned by TomTom has shown that the use of a navigation device while driving in an unknown area can result in savings in mileage up to 16%. Naturally this has a positive effect on a company’s fuel costs as well as increasing the productivity of your mobile workforce.

Local Company McGimpsey Removals has invested in TomTom technology that now allows them to have more control over their vehicles and activities on the road, enabling their office staff to work at optimum efficiency. In turn they have seen a significant reduction in their annual insurance, fuel and servicing costs across their fleet.

Drive sensibly: Driving aggressively, accelerating or breaking not only makes you look like a bit of a fool, but it wastes fuel too – up to 60% more in fact! When pulling away from the lights, try to accelerate gently.

Read the road ahead: By anticipating what is coming up, you will not only be a safer driver, but you will save fuel by starting to slow down early and avoid sudden stops.

Do not over rev the engine: Revving the engine, whilst stationary, does nothing except waste fuel!

Get in gear: Correct use of gears can create huge savings on your fuel bill – up to 15%! Make sure you change up into a higher gear as soon as its possible and safe to do so

Stick to the limit: Doing 80mph on the motorway will use between 10% and 20% more fuel than doing 70mph, not to mention the fact that it is illegal! For a 20 mile motorway journey, driving at 80mph will only save you about 2 minutes compared to driving at 70mph anyway!

Check your Tyres: Make sure you check your tyre pressures regularly (at least once every 2 weeks). An under-inflated tyre can increase fuel consumption by 3% and it will wear the tyre out quicker too.

Service your Vehicles: Try to keep your car well maintained by making sure the recommended service schedule is followed, either by taking it to a reputable garage or servicing it yourself. A well-tuned engine with fresh, clean oil and new air filters will run more efficiently than an engine that has been neglected.