For any business that operates a fleet of vehicles, the impact of fuel price increases takes a toll. In the trucking industry, fuel accounts for between 30-40% of total marginal operating costs according to some sources.
If your business is dependent on vehicles, telematics trackers can offer a game changer. Telematics provides access to real-time data and end-to-end visibility into fuel usage, so that you know exactly where changes can be made to cut fuel costs. Read on to learn more:
In this article...
#1 – Address Drivers’ Idling Habit
An idling heavy-duty truck consumes approximately 0.8 to 1 gallon of fuel per hour. Your telematics trackers can provide managers with real time alerts, when a specific vehicle idles longer than a set threshold of say, 5 minutes. By addressing these driver habits, managers can reduce idling time to 30-40% for significant cost saving.
#2 – Reduce Speeding & Aggressive Driving
Use telematics to coach away aggressive driving behaviors like rapid acceleration and harsh braking. Addressing poor driving will help improve road safety and reduce fuel consumption by 15% to 30% at highway speeds.
#3 – Speed Management
According to New York State’s Department of Transport, for every 5 mph driven over 60 mph, you’re spending an additional $0.20 per gallon on fuel. Use telematics to clamp down on your drivers’ speeds, helping to keep them safe as they drive, while ensuring your fuel spending is kept to a minimum.
#4 – Optimizing Routes & Dispatching
Fleet telematics not only provide the fastest, most fuel-efficient route for your drivers to take to a job site, it’s real-time visibility will ensure that your managers can dispatch the vehicle nearest to the job too. That equates to optimum gas performance!
#5 – End Unauthorized Driving
Yes, some drivers will use your vehicles – and your fuel – to drive themselves to an appointment, to the shops or to get a prescription. Fortunately, telematics trackers provide a GeoFencing service for your vehicles. This means you’ll receive an alert when your vehicle leaves its authorized location for an unauthorized trip. Now those drivers will take their own car instead, saving your vehicles additional wear and tear and fuel, too.
#6 – Keep on Top of your Truck
Keeping vehicles in top notch condition optimizes fuel consumption, so use telematics and receive preventative alerts for oil changes and maintenance checks on all your vehicles. Telematics can also alert you to issues like underinflated tires which can impact fuel efficiency by between 2 and 4%. Similarly, telematics can actually identify ‘silent’ issues such as failing oxygen sensors, which can impact mileage performance by up to 40%.
Conclusion
Telematics trackers are typically used for fleet loss prevention. However, their superlative tech options ensure that anyone with a fleet of vehicles can save money fuel-wise, too. And today, as we face mounting fuel price increases, that’s makes for a serious win!
