If you want to reduce costs throughout your fleet one of the best ways to do that is with proper fuel management. If you include the right set of policies and procedures in your fuel management strategy, you will notice that not only will it reduce your expenses but, also ensure that your fleet runs smoothly. The following are a few fuel management strategies that you can use to reduce your overall expenses and ensure the smooth operation of your feet.
Use smaller vehicles whenever possible
If you are thinking of ways to improve your fuel management the first thing that you need to figure out is if it would not be better to opt for a smaller machine. You will notice that using a smaller vehicle or equipment will reduce the fuel consumption of your fleet significantly. You can observe by only moving one class down in vehicle size and seeing whether or not it affects the functionality and performance needed for the job. There is no need to make a big jump and move from a 1 tonne pick up to half tonne pickup, that would only make your job harder. Alternatively, you can also rent a smaller piece of equipment for a short amount of time and have your operator use it for everyday tasks on site. You can observe to see if the smaller machine would be a better fit for your business.
Reduce the Total Number of Vehicles / Equipment
In order to improve fuel management, you need to reduce the total number of equipment, trucks and cars in your fleet. Sometimes businesses make purchases that are not quite necessary. If there is a territory for which you have several vehicles but you only need one for the job you should try to sell the other vehicles. Keeping extra equipment, machinery and vehicles will only add to your total business costs whether they are in or out of service. By getting your fleet to the right size you can save a lot more than just fuel.
You can analyse the activity of your fleets vehicles and find out whether or not all the equipment and vehicles are being used. Cutting down the size of your fleet will also help you save on maintenance and repair costs. Before you start looking for a new cat 938g for sale make sure that the equipment and vehicles in your inventory are being used to their full capacity.
Clean your vehicle
Although you may not think that cleaning your vehicle has anything to do with fuel management, but that is not the case. If there is a build-up of oil or dirt which adds weight and increases drag of the vehicle it will reduce the machines fuel efficiency. If you are working in a place where it snows, the ice and snow accumulation can really add a lot of weight to your vehicle. If your vehicle is hauling more than it should be, naturally, it’s performance would be affected. You need to make sure that your operators remove the accumulated snow and ice from the equipment or vehicle before they start driving.