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5 Ways Fuel Management Reduces Operating Costs

by Taabi Editorial Team

05 July 2023

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How Fuel Management Reduces Operating Costs?

Regardless of national fuel prices, fleets can save money with effective data-driven solutions beyond pump prices to address issues like driver behaviour, telematics, and fuel card controls.

Fleets can use telematics to detect inefficient driving behaviors like quick starts and stops, flooring the gas pedal, and excessive idling that waste fuel and coach drivers to improve them.

Taabi Fuel Management is invaluable in helping reduce operating costs by encouraging fuel-saving measures, improving efficiency and optimizing cost controls, and streamlining expenditure management more efficiently. Efficient fuel management can result in significant cost savings. One easy way to increase fuel economy is ensuring tires are correctly inflated; underinflation by 20% could add 10-20 percent in cost per mile traveled.

5 Ways and Tips how Fuel Management Reduces Operating Costs:

1. Reduced Fuel Consumption-Save Fuel:

Fuel is the largest variable cost in the trucking and transportation industries. When fleets optimize fuel management practices, they can lower operational costs and increase profitability. Numerous strategies to decrease consumption include employing stringent vehicle maintenance procedures, monitoring driver behavior closely, using telematics systems to track mileage consumption more closely, and cutting unnecessary driving activities down.

Many fleets offer training programs to educate drivers on fuel efficiency and safety. These courses can assist drivers in avoiding harmful driving behaviors like flooring the accelerator when accelerating, excessive idling, and taking circuitous routes. Telematics systems may provide feedback that informs drivers about faulty driving habits and reports and graphs to analyze driving patterns and identify opportunities for improvement.

Fleet managers can use data captured by telematics to monitor vehicle performance over time, such as average fuel economy. This allows for easier comparison between assets and highlights when one falls below expectations; when an asset's fuel economy drops below an agreed-upon baseline, it could indicate mechanical issues which need addressing quickly - by monitoring this information centrally, it makes it simpler for managers to spot trends and implement necessary adjustments quickly.

Telematics systems also enable fleets to automate the collection and reconciliation of fuel receipts to minimize human error, increase accuracy and reduce administrative costs. This feature is especially helpful when working with third-party vendors who fill their trucks, as it ensures the right fuel type is used and reduces fraud risk or inaccurate pricing. Furthermore, having one central system reduces skimming by eliminating the need for hardware devices at each pump while providing real-time updates directly to dispatchers.

2. Reduced Maintenance Costs-Fuel Saving:

No matter the fuel type your fleet utilizes, monitoring vehicle performance is key to cutting maintenance costs and expenses while keeping fuel expenses to a minimum. Selecting quality fuel and oil extends its life, while proper maintenance prevents inefficiencies that reduce fuel economy. Telematics solutions like fleet management software (FMS) collect, compile, and aggregate data, which allows you to pinpoint factors impacting fuel usage at your company, such as idle time, speed, or other variables that affect consumption - such as idle time or speed, among others.

FMS and telematics solutions can assist you in monitoring vehicle maintenance issues that could contribute to poor fuel efficiencies, such as broken odometer sensors or timing components. Pre-trip checklists and regular fleet maintenance schedules can also reduce mechanical downtime while helping catch potential problems early enough that they don't balloon out of control.

Planned routes and trips during non-rush hours can reduce unnecessary idling and fuel consumption and provide the opportunity to plan ahead for road construction or events that could disrupt or delay a trip.

Fleets operating in the US and Canada subject to International Fuel Tax Agreement regulations can benefit greatly from using a fuel management system, which offers quick insights and automates submitting quarterly tax returns. Telematics solutions such as this one track miles driven and fuel consumption as they automatically calculate tax liabilities according to location, type of fuel used, and other factors - saving time while guaranteeing accuracy with your filings and helping prevent skimming at pump locations via GPS tracking and vehicle idling alerts; especially helpful when operating in states that charge high taxation rates!

3. Reduced Insurance Costs-Fuel Expenses:


Fleet managers use fuel management tools and telematics to reduce expenses by controlling unauthorized use of vehicles, increasing driver productivity, lowering emissions, minimizing fraud risk, and mitigating fraud risks. These savings are passed along to their organization as reduced operating costs or even insurance costs depending on coverages purchased by them.

Telematics solutions also enable managers to track fuel receipts efficiently, minimizing manual reconciliations and saving drivers from spending too much time on administrative tasks. Telematics systems can also identify areas in which fleets may be wasting fuel through driving behaviors like quick starts and hard accelerations at red lights or excessive shifting; fleets that implement such changes have seen their mpg improve by 33%, according to Some studies.

Idling can quickly deplete fuel resources. Fleets can cut this expense by encouraging drivers to turn off their vehicles or limit idling times when stopped and maintaining vehicles properly; under-inflated tires can increase fuel consumption by 15%, and some telematics solutions provide alerts when tire pressure needs adjusting - potentially saving 15% in fuel usage alone!

Telematics systems also include features to detect fuel theft. This can be an enormous expense for fleets, especially since gas pumps are an attractive target for thieves who use "skimmer units" to fraudulently collect card details from card readers and add it to a fake account for fraudulent fuel purchases. Telematics solutions may help fleets reduce this expense by restricting fuel types available at each pump and ensuring only standard products are used.

4. Increased Productivity with Fuel Efficiency:


An effective fuel management program can help businesses reduce expenses by employing strategies to increase efficiency, such as encouraging efficient driving habits, lowering vehicle emissions, and creating maintenance schedules to enhance performance. A fuel management system also saves businesses time by automating processes like tracking fuel prices and IFTA reporting; freeing up time to focus on what matters: their company's bottom line.

Fuel management systems also help prevent fraudulent fuel skimming, in which drivers or thieves switch the card reader at gas pumps with an illegal skimming device that steals credit card details. Telematics-based systems can monitor usage and notify managers if vehicles remain idle for extended periods; such behavior could indicate fuel theft or another illegal act by drivers.

When fleet managers notice an unusual fuel purchase or vehicle behavior, they can act quickly to address it before it becomes expensive. He can use a fuel management system to identify which vehicles use more or less fuel and identify the drivers responsibly. This helps decrease consumption and yield savings for companies relying on diesel and alternative fuel vehicles.

5. Reduced Waste-Cost Optimization:


Fleet managers can significantly lower fuel costs by eliminating wasteful behavior. Using telematics data, fuel management systems can identify driving behaviors such as hard acceleration and speeding that reduce vehicle efficiency and poor fuel conservation habits like unnecessary idling. Idling wastes not only money (an hour of idling can use up to half a gallon of diesel), but it also damages engine components and add to air pollution issues.

Fuel management systems also help fleets avoid fuel theft. Fleet managers can reduce theft by tracking how much, when, and where fuel is purchased for each type of vehicle in their fleets. Furthermore, alert managers when purchases outside geofencing parameters occur so they can quickly detect theft and take measures to stop it.

Fuel management systems can also help fleets optimize routes and reduce idling by planning trips during less busy off-peak hours where traffic congestion is reduced. Furthermore, ensuring trucks do not carry excessive equipment can greatly enhance fleet fuel efficiency; removing roof racks when not needed will help decrease drag and improve fuel consumption. Furthermore, employees should be trained to empty their trucks after every job and store gear at the fleet base rather than transport it between jobs.

Conclusion:

Fleets can reduce maintenance expenses while saving on fuel expenses by purchasing vehicles with higher mileage, meeting environmental regulations, and qualifying for rebates. Taabi offers many features and benefits that contribute to its objectives. First of all, real-time data monitoring capabilities make Taabi an indispensable aid. Organizations using it can monitor fuel consumption patterns closely to detect inefficiencies quickly and make immediate corrective steps as soon as they appear. By continuously observing usage data, they can detect wasteful practices like excessive idling, speeding, or ineffective route planning that wastes fuel - leading to substantial fuel savings!

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