The management of a fleet of vehicles is subject to a number or variable factors that directly or indirectly influence the costs of the fleet. One of the biggest costs is in fuel needed to operate the vehicles, hence the importance of managing fuel and making savings wherever possible so that capital can, as far as possible, be invested into business growth.
It might sound like a contradiction, but if all fuel related activity is adequately recorded—from the purchase to consumption—it is actually possible to save fuel while driving. If you have access to reports showing the consumption for each vehicle as well as purchases you can set up an effective action plan for saving fuel. Part of such a plan would be the implementation of a fuel policy and a vehicles policy.
It is paramount to set up an action plan that focusses specifically on fuel related activities. It must be created with a view to reaching the following objectives:
• get to know which are the most efficient vehicles and the ones which require least expense
• centralise knowledge and control of fuel consumption
• identify drivers who make the most efficient use of fuel because of their driving style
• lower global fuel consumption
The data obtained will give us valuable, additional information to help us choose the vehicle that best suits the scope of our fleet. This will also help us to avoid escalating fuel and maintenance costs and the unnecessary expense of purchasing inappropriate/under-utilised vehicles.