We all have our habits, for better or worse. Bad habits in the workplace can be particularly costly. A typical fleet manager may pour over fuel spend, overall mileage and a myriad of other operational worries.
Bad habits can prove hard to break for anyone. Fleet managers do have the power to make adjustments to improve the driving behaviour of their employees. By doing so, fleet managers benefit from lower fuel costs and efficient fuel mileage.
If you’re looking to steer your drivers clear of costly habits and save money, take a look at 6 positive on-the-road practices that your drivers should follow:
1. Watch Out for That Lead Foot
Without going into the obvious dangers of excessive speeding that can land you in the hospital or in trouble with the law. Consistently going over the speed limit is not only bad for the conditions of your vehicles and drivers, but for your business’ bottom line as well.
This is because fuel economy falls sharply as drivers push their vehicles above 50 mph. According to the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), every 5 mph the speedometer climbs over 50 mph is equivalent to spending an added 17 cents per gallon of gas.
2. Avoid Harsh Acceleration and Braking
Though people have places to be—and the next green light can’t flash fast enough for some drivers—sudden and excessive acceleration can have expensive consequences. Added together, aggressive speeding, acceleration and braking decreases gas mileage by 15% to 30% while on the highway, and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic conditions, as stated by the DOE.
Drivers are advised to follow the two-second driving rule. The rule gives drivers a two-second cushion between them and the car ahead. This creates proper spacing that avoids hard braking and unnecessary acceleration. Easing off the accelerator while coming to a stop and accelerating at a steady pace are not only safety precautions, but cost-cutters.
3. Never Stay Idle
A fleet sitting in heavy traffic can disrupt the efficiency and speed of your operations, but a fleet idling in that same traffic only compounds your costs.
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has found that idling for over 10 seconds drains more fuel from your tank than the act of turning the engine off and on. Idling can sap your tank of a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, engine size dependent. In fact, the EDF estimates that, on average, idling eats up $44 worth of gasoline per car and $392 per truck every year.
4. Ensure Proper Vehicle Maintenance
Failing to follow the correct driving behaviours above will not only cost you in terms of wasted fuel. Driving erratically also creates wear and tear on your vehicle, which in turn leads to poorer gas mileage and even more wasted fuel. Making an effort to bring your vehicles to your local garage when they are in need of a tune up or if they have failed to pass an emissions test can increase their gas mileage by 4% on average.
Of course, those improvements in fuel economy hinge on what’s being repaired and the competency of your favorite mechanic. The upkeep of your tires can be just as important as the rest of your vehicles. Tires are vital for helping you get from A to B, but getting there with less than the correct amount of pressure creates resistance, and can cost you more to arrive at your destinations.
Pumping up tires that are deflated below the recommended pressure can raise your gas mileage by up to 3.3%, and for every 1 psi in pressure that leaves all of your tires, fuel economy lowers by .3%. The savings in fuel costs aside, you’ll delay maintenance and safety issues in the future as your tires will have a longer shelf life. It’s as easy as following the tire pressure label, which is typically located on your vehicle’s door jamb or inside the glove box.
5. Don’t Bog Your Vehicles Down
Sometimes behaviours that are costing you money in fuel costs happen even before you turn the key in the ignition. Though the temptation to overload your vehicles is ever-present, given the demands of your business, these choices cost you in the long run.
The more weighed down vehicles are, the harder the engine works to carry it. For every additional 100lbs of haulage, your vehicles’ miles per gallon are dipping by 1%. This added weight also tires out those tires and leads to them deflating faster. One bad driving habit can have a ripple effect.
What you store on top of vehicles can also impact your fuel costs. Specifically for car fleets, the DOE states that attaching a large cargo container to your roof can lower fuel mileage by:
- 2% to 8% in urban settings
- 6% to 17% on highways
- 10% to 25% while driving 65 mph to 75 mph on the interstate
It’s not all bad news though, using cargo boxes or trays fixed to the rear of your vehicle can result in losing considerably less fuel economy, with a 1% to 2% loss in cities and a 1% to 5% loss on highways.
6. Keep an Eye on Slippage
Your drivers’ costly habits can’t always be chalked up to honest mistakes while driving—they can also include dishonest decisions while filling up. Slippage is when your driver arrives at a gas station as usual, but instead of paying at the pump, the driver chooses the pay inside option to buy non-fuel products, such as food, tobacco products and drinks, and falsifies the expenses to seem like actual fuel was bought. Additionally, an employee may also refuel his or her personal vehicle or a vehicle belonging to someone they know, all on the company’s dime.
An easy fix that protects your company from being defrauded by untrustworthy employees, but also encourages cost-efficient driving behaviours, is a fuel card. Using a fuel card, you can set purchasing restrictions, which hands you control over what items your drivers are able to spend company funds on, and how much they’re able to spend on them. Fuel cards are pin protected, and are assigned to a particular driver, vehicle—protecting your business from fuel theft.
If fleet drivers know their driving is being monitored, they are more likely to correct those bad habits that cost your business money. Fuel cards provide managers with detailed reports of a fleet’s fuel consumption, fuel costs, and driver behaviour, so monthly fuel spend can be tracked, and your fleet can be optimized to save you money.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to assume that monthly fuel expenses for fleets are solely determined by the quality of engines, routes and fuel price. The importance of the actions taken by drivers—both on and off the road—can fall by the wayside and leave you scratching your head while looking at your account balance. That can all be changed. Bad habits can sometimes be so hard to shake that they define a person—but bad driving habits won’t define your fleet if these practices are put into action.
