Practical Tips to Improve Fleet Fuel Efficiency

Fleet management essentially refers to all the processes involved in overseeing a fleet of vehicles, in order to minimize risks and maximize efficiency. And one of the most important elements of effective fleet management is optimizing fleet fuel efficiency.

In this blog, we discuss what is fleet fuel efficiency, what are the factors that lead to a fuel-efficient fleet, and some tips to improve fleet fuel efficiency.

Firstly, what is fleet fuel efficiency?

Fleet fuel efficiency is the process of optimizing different factors associated with fleet vehicles such as vehicles, drivers, trailers, containers, etc. Fleet fuel efficiency is necessary in this modern era where businesses (irrespective of their size) are making conscious efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. Apart from helping the environment, the benefits of a fuel-efficient fleet include the following:

• Decreases the overall operating fleet cost

• Minimizes turnover

• Boosts the lifespan of the fleet vehicle

To be able to understand your fleet fuel efficiency you need to calculate fleet fuel economy. The fleet fuel economy tells how far the vehicle can travel on a specific amount of fuel. This helps in better understanding where the money is being spent on fuel-related expenses and what measures can be taken as tips to improve fuel efficiency.

In order to calculate fleet fuel economy accurately, you need to do the following things:

• Understand Your Country’s Measurement Standard:

  Every country has different standards for how they go about measuring fuel. Some countries use gallons, while some prefer liters. Besides, to measure distance some countries go by miles while others prefer kilometers.

• Keep Track of Fuel:

  Record how much fuel is being put into the vehicle along with the current odometer reading. When it’s time for the next refueling, keep an eye on the fuel that has been consumed along with the change in the odometer.

• Calculate:

  Thereafter, calculate the distance your vehicle has traveled, and subtract the current odometer reading from the first one. Divide the output by the amount of fuel you have consumed. This should give you the fleet fuel economy.

  Now that we know what is fleet fuel efficiency and how to calculate fleet fuel economy, let us talk about some factors that affect fleet fuel efficiency. Three main factors can affect fleet fuel efficiency and they can be controlled by businesses by putting in active efforts. These factors are –

• Driving Technique:

  Driver’s behavior and driving technique play a significant role in impacting the fleet fuel efficiency. Factors like constant speed, accelerating gently, and applying brakes in advance could contribute to a decreased fuel cost. If the driver is rather reckless and drives at an inconsistent speed, it may increase fuel consumption and lower the fleet fuel efficiency.

• Type and Weight of Vehicle:

  Fleet vehicles are of varying categories like cars, vans, and trucks. These fleet vehicles vary in size and weight. Varying size and weight mean varying fuel consumption and fleet fuel efficiency. In general, you will find a lighter vehicle to be more fuel efficient than heavier ones.

  But you can’t ignore the fact that some large vehicles can pick up heavy loads and deliver them in fewer trips compared to the smaller vehicles. The number of trips affects the cost-effectiveness and further results in lower fleet fuel efficiency.

Route Optimization:

A travel route is considered optimized when it takes into consideration various aspects like destination, required fuel, and load. With proper route optimization, fuel cost decreases, time of delivery reduces and the vehicle’s speed is increased. More often than not, it is the poor route optimizations that result in drivers taking longer routes and consuming more than required fuel.

In short, it is important to keep the aforementioned factors in mind to ensure that there is less fuel consumption and that the fleet fuel efficiency is increased.About RENTALL

Rentall is the broadest, most adaptable and continuously evolving rental platform on the market.

Content writer & Digital Marketer at Rentall. Rentall global business, delivering the most comprehensive and flexible SaaS solution in the rental industry.