Posted on 21st September 2023

The long queues are back at the filling stations and so is the frustration that comes with fuel scarcity of any sort.

Knowing how much stress, time, and effort you put into getting that fuel in your tank, it is important now more than ever to be prudent in your fuel management tactics.

Do you want to reduce the amount of money you spend filling up their vehicles’ tanks? Below are some of the most reliable ways to reduce your fuel consumption.

Don’t Drive If You Don’t Have To

Reduce the amount of time you spend on the road. If reasonable, set up a carpool system with neighbors or co-workers. Limit the number of trips you take to the market and other outings. Consider walking instead of driving to a restaurant during your lunch break.

Keep Your Car Clean

Don’t let cars go without regular washing. Dirt, grime, oil, and grease, don’t only damage the finish of your car, they also add weight and increase aerodynamic drag, which reduces your fuel efficiency.

This is particularly true in the winter. After it snows, ensure drivers clean and de-ice vehicles from top to bottom and bumper to bumper. Accumulated ice and snow on a car or truck can add 100 lbs. or more to the weight, not to mention limit visibility, creating a safety hazard. Keep ice scrapers and snow brushes handy, or provide them for all vehicles.

Ensure Preventative Maintenance

One of the best places to start when looking to reduce fuel costs is at aspects that fit the preventative maintenance (PM) category.

Making sure your vehicles are in good running order through regular preventive maintenance can also help to conserve fuel. And a properly maintained vehicle can improve a vehicle’s fuel economy by as much as 40%.”

With ProDrive, our Driver Advanced Profiling Solution, you can effectively optimize and manage fleet maintenance while reducing repair costs by at least 15%.

Track Your Routes

Having a better idea of the routes fleet drivers take is another key element to monitoring fuel spending. Doing so has become easier over the years with the continued development of telematics and software that can better help fleets track their vehicles.

“If you have a good GPS device along with good mapping and routing software you will save on fuel usage,” said DeVinney of Gasboy. He broke down the ways that this can help reduce fuel in three ways:

Route optimization software can maximize the most efficient routes which can help cut back on unnecessary miles driven.

The ability to track personal use versus work use can allow some fleets to allocate some of their fuel spend to the personal use category.