With the cost of petrol skyrocketing these past few weeks, there’s never been a better time to find ways to save on fuel expenses. More so for entrepreneurs at the helm of transport companies.

Trucking businesses have been bearing the brunt of oil price hikes. Fuel costs comprise the highest overhead expenses for these transport companies. According to the American Transport Research Institute’s Cost of Trucking Report, these essential expenses costs 34 to 65 cents a mile from 2011 to 2019.     

Apart from fuel discounts, these businesses must implement specific rules to optimize costs and reduce a trucking fleet’s fuel consumption. These approaches include:

1. Review And Modify Company Rules

Revisit your internal operational standards and check whether you need to change specific rules on truck usage. More importantly, re-train your staff on ways to prevent wastage by focusing on these reminders. 

Get a fleet card: Doing this allows your business to manage and track fuel expenses. In addition, some petrolcompanies offer discounts, rebates, and promotions that can help you save on fuel costs.

Limit speed: Going past the speed limit isn’t only going to cost your company if your driver gets caught. It can also impact fuel consumption. Industry estimates reveal that a truck moving 75 miles per hour (mph) uses 27% more fuel than vehicles running at 65mph.

Go easy on the load weight: As with any other vehicle, a truck that’s carrying heavier cargo would consume more fuel because it requires more engine power. Truckload should be evenly distributed to reduce fuel requirements. In addition, check whether you need to replace some truck parts to reduce weight.

Keep windows open: If it doesn’t cause inconvenience and security issues to the driver, ask them to keep windows open instead of turning on the air conditioning. AC use can increase fuel usage by up to 0.4 miles per gallon.

Avoid overfilling the tank during hot seasons: Filling your tank to the brim may cause heated fuel to expand and spill, leading to fuel wastage.

2. Leverage Technology For Intelligent Trip Planning

As oil demand increases worldwide, affecting global supply, manage your consumption by utilizing software that can help plan your itinerary properly. The software should be able to tell you the best fuel prices, calculate out-of-route distance, and overall aid you in optimizing route and fuel consumption.   

One gas-guzzling activity is to drive through traffic, as your machine needs to go idle and slow down frequently. Avoid going through busy roads as much as possible. The weather can also affect fuel consumption, so your software must have reliable real-time data on road conditions to make your trip planning more efficient.    

3. Train Your Drivers 

A skilled driver would know how to reduce fuel consumption safely without compromising your operations. Training your drivers with the new technology and upgrading their fuel-saving skills are crucial in achieving this objective. You can remind and coach your drivers to practice the following fuel-saving tips:   

Apply the correct tire pressure: Ask your drivers to check the tire pressure as it impacts petrol use periodically. It’s estimated that fuel economy reduces by up to one percent with every 10 pounds per square inch (psi) drop in tire pressure. 

Minimize idling: As mentioned, remind your drivers to avoid heavy traffic routes. An hour of idling is capable of wasting a gallon of truck fuel. 

Use brakes moderately: Getting the vehicle to rev up after slowing down requires more fuel. While you shouldn’t discourage your drivers from using the brakes as it’s an essential part of driving safely, remind them to go easy on the brakes by distancing themselves from the other vehicles. 

4. Consider Buying New Trucks 

While procuring a new fleet of electric vehicles isn’t an option for most truck companies, buying the latest model may be wise. Vehicle manufacturers often release new fuel-efficient machines, so the extra cost you pay can leverage for cheaper fuel down the road. 

More importantly, a relatively new vehicle can ensure road safety and reliability. With your truck moving and operating as expected, or better, using new technologies, you can assure high-quality performance that translates to fuel cost reduction and overall operational efficiency. Don’t forget to train your drivers in optimizing the use of these new machines for better success.  

5. Monitor Performance And Provide Incentives  

Drivers are the only people in charge of the truck once they leave your premises. Establishing performance monitoring and incentive promotions programs is one of the better ways to ensure compliance while your drivers tackle the road.

By monitoring your drivers’ performance, you can know how to proceed in improving your operations and your drivers’ competencies. Those who fail to show improvements can be trained further, earning them the skills they could use for the job. On the contrary, well-performing drivers must be rewarded with incentives, for instance, by providing them the annual cost fuel savings.

In Conclusion

Reducing fuel consumption involves many things, but the main contributors are the drivers controlling the trucks that undergo numerous routes daily. For that reason, companies must prioritize them and revise any of the internal rules that may hold them back.