Managing Your Fuel Costs
How much fuel do you use in a week, or a month? And what is your true cost of fuel?
If you can’t answer those questions, or have to dig up a spreadsheet to find out, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re like most companies. And if you’re also like most companies, fuel makes up one of the largest line items on your operating budget. Yet it’s a topic that most fleet or site managers don’t fully understand.
Now let’s think about that for a second. How could you know so little about something that’s costing you so much? It seems strange, but really is the industry norm.
Without hard data to track usage it’s impossible to know if you’re winning or losing. In fact, many of our clients tell us how amazed they are at how little they knew about their own fuel usage before switching to 4Refuel.
Unlike most business expenses, fuel is an area that’s tough to cut because there’s no alternative. If equipment needs to run, or products need to go to market, you need fuel in your tank. Since it’s impossible to quit using diesel, here are a few ways that you can reduce your company’s fuel consumption.
1. Fuel Management Software
You can’t manage what you don’t know, and without hard data, you don’t know. Through 4Refuel’s Fuel Management Online (FMO) portal we’re able to provide the most comprehensive fuel reporting data available anywhere. FMO gives you unparalleled access to data about your fuel purchases, and flexibility to analyze and report on almost any metric.
Stop guessing how much fuel you’re using and track it down to the drop.
2. Idling
One of the largest and most unproductive uses of fuel is spent when idling. In some cases, like in extreme cold weather, idling can be necessary, but over the course of a year, it can burn a big hole in your budget.
According to Natural Resources Canada, long-haul trucks consume about 3 litres of fuel per hour while idling. Industry standards tell us that the average commercial truck spends 1,800 hours a year idling. That’s 5,400 litres of fuel burned, with no productivity to show for it.
3. Routing efficiencies
A top priority on any fleet manager’s list is efficiency—getting the most work done while burning the least fuel. Without effective route planning, maximizing your route and profitability is impossible.
With continuously evolving technology, routing optimization technologies are helping many companies big and small increase their efficiencies, and ultimately burn less fuel.
4. Driving techniques
Want to save on fuel? Drive more efficiently.
Quick starts and high speeds increase fuel consumption. According to industry stats, for every 10 kilometres per hour above 90 km/h, you burn about 10 percent more fuel. Jackrabbit starts are also a quick way to see your fuel economy slip.
Want to learn more about how you can save on fuel? Contact 4Refuel today to schedule on-site refuelling, or to enquire about our fuel management solutions.