Fleet management can be a huge financial drain. If you’re not careful with your spending, things can spiral out of control. A survey of 1,80 fleet owners cite rising costs as their number one concern for their business and are considering cutting costs.
But just because keeping your fleet on the road is expensive doesn’t mean you can’t be careful with your spending and save money to make it more economical.
These tips are designed to help you manage fleet costs and reduce excessive spending.
Invest In Bulk Fuel Deliveries
One effective strategy to reduce fuel costs is to invest in bulk fuel deliveries and an on-site fueling station. This approach can help you avoid paying the higher prices at fuel stations. While it’s not always possible to fuel on-site, before leaving for deliveries can help you control your daily fuel usage and costs. By working with companies like FHG Fueling, you can arrange bulk fuel deliveries to your site, saving you money in the long run.
Route Optimization
Utilizing route optimization software empowers you to plan your routes, identify the fastest paths, and make your deliveries more efficient. This software can learn your regular routes over time, predict travel times and potential delays, and even factor in stops for refueling to prevent unnecessary diversions. By avoiding traffic congestion, roadworks, or unsuitable routes, you can enhance your delivery speed and customer satisfaction and reduce fleet management costs simultaneously.
Preventative Maintenance
The risk of wear and tear is higher in regularly used vehicles than in regular domestic vehicles due to the time spent on the road and the pressure on the parts. Having a vehicle off the road for any amount of time can cost you money, and breakdowns on the route can lead to spoilage depending on your load, decreased customer satisfaction, and missed delivery schedules. By implementing a preventative maintenance schedule, you ensure each vehicle is checked over for any signs of damage or indications of repair on a regular basis, and not only can you preempt any problems and have repairs fixed before they become major disasters, but you can save the same on emergency repairs and mechanic services as this will occur less.
Improve Driver Behaviour
Drivers play a crucial role in managing your fleet and its associated costs. Their behavior can significantly impact your expenses and lead to wastage in multiple areas.
It might be that they are fraudulently submitting incorrect timesheets and are not able to monitor their time on the road digitally; they could be practicing poor driving habits, increasing wear and tear and fuel costs, or purposely delaying deliveries that cost you money, increase their wages, and put your reputation at risk. Implementing driver monitoring software can give you a better picture of what is going on when your drivers are out and about, identify problem areas, and put training in place to remove the issues or take further action.
You need to identify all areas of your fleet that are costing you money and consider what measures you can take to bring them under control or reduce them to make them more efficient.
