5 Fuel Efficient Habits for Your Fleet in 2024

Here are 5 ways to increase your savings with fuel efficient habits for fleets 2024. 

The cost of fuel typically makes up the largest expense for a fleet. In 2024, fleet managers can cut costs on fuel by building smart habits and investing in fleet management systems to ensure fleet fuel efficiency. Inefficient route planning, excessive idling, aggressive driving, and failing to plan ahead can lead to increased fuel consumption. 

Here are the top five habits to start in 2024 that will increase fuel efficiency and cut down on fuel costs. 

1. Optimize Your Routes 

If you’re looking to save money, you have to make sure you’re practicing efficient route planning that will result in your vehicles using less fuel. 

Inefficient route planning can result in longer distances, which means spending more on fuel. Route optimization will lessen fuel consumption and fuel usage, leading to more savings in your pocket. GPS Insight can help you get to your jobs faster and more efficiently, with route optimization software. 

Identify your most efficient routes and eliminate unnecessary driving with a slew of GPS Insight field service management tools at your disposal – from cameras to trackers, to specialized software. 

“With the dash camera system, we know we have to go here, and there’s none of this wasting time and gas driving around town,” – Cindy DeWitt, Superintendent of Public Works, City of Lake Jackson, TX

2. Keep Up with Maintenance 

Increasing fuel efficiency, as well as the lifespan of your equipment and assets, are often the result of regular maintenance. You can maintain – or even improve – your vehicle performance by keeping up with a regular maintenance schedule. Poorly maintained vehicles may experience reduced fuel efficiency. 

Regular and preventative maintenance, including oil changes, tire rotations, and engine tune-ups, is essential for optimal fuel economy. The fuel efficiency of the fleet vehicles plays a crucial role in determining overall fuel costs. Older or less fuel-efficient vehicles may consume more fuel per mile, contributing to higher expenses and impacting your bottom line. 

Using GPS Insight’s fleet management software, Parks & Sons reduced their maintenance costs with regularly scheduled vehicle maintenance. 

“Fuel is our company’s fourth highest expense – so any marginal change in that cost significantly affects our bottom line,” – Shawn Parks, Business Manager, Parks & Sons 

3. Avoid Idling 

Avoiding excessive idling leads to better sustainability and better fuel economy for your equipment. Keeping track of how your equipment is being utilized will decrease unnecessary idle time, ensuring that fuel isn’t being wasted on downtime when it could be used on a job. 

Equipment would be left idling for hours on end, and managers knew they were producing large amounts of Green House Gas emissions as a result. As their equipment idled, they lost valuable warranty coverage because manufacturers were basing warranty coverage off hours, not miles driven. 

With GPS Insight’s tools, Kennecott Utah Copper was able to keep real-time tabs on its equipment, particularly when they were left idling. 

“We have saved over one million dollars in fuel costs alone in the last 12 months, and have saved thousands of dollars in other projects using the GPS Insight toolset.” – Kenny Harvey, Mobile Maintenance, Planner Kennecott Utah Copper 

4. Drive with Care

Speeding, hard braking, harsh turns, and other aggressive driving behavior all contribute to poor fuel economy. Implementing driver training programs and using telematics technology to monitor and improve driver behavior can help reduce fuel costs. 

Creating good driver habits and safe driving techniques will not only increase driver safety but also your gas mileage and overall cost savings. Something as simple as driving at the speed limit can go a long way, literally! 

GPS Insight can supply your fleet with AI GPS dash cams, with embedded driver behavior coaching and notifications. Be in the know when your driver is saving you costs or costing you savings. 

“We have two huge monitors in our dispatch office, and it’s easy to tell drivers speeding – hey, you need to slow down,” – Jeff Vogele, Technical Manager, Pacific Office Automation 

5. Watch the Trends

Fluctuations in global oil prices directly impact fuel costs. Sudden increases in fuel prices can lead to a substantial rise in operational expenses for fleet-based businesses. Staying informed about fuel market trends and adjusting operational practices accordingly can help mitigate the impact of fuel cost fluctuations on a company’s overall budget. 

In the U.S. the average price of a gallon of gas more than doubled from 2020 to 2022, reaching as high as $4.21 in April 2022. However, the average regular gas price in the U.S. as of Jan. 16 is $3.072 per gallon, according to AAA. 

GPS Insight can’t predict the future, but we can give you the tools to reduce costs and improve your fuel management during your day-to-day operations.