Reduce the Cost of Running Your Fleet

In our last blog we talked about how to make sure your fleet is prepared to hit the road. So, after making sure everything is set and the vehicles are ready, we now want to help you with the next step: reducing the costs of running your fleet.
You can take several measures to prevent those costs from rising or to reduce them, so we’re focusing on:

Fuel Efficient Driving

You might think that fuel cost is out of your control; you’d be partially right, because you don’t have a say in petrol and diesel prices. Despite that, one of the best ways to reduce the cost of your fleet is by encouraging your employees to drive in a more efficient way. This could help you save on the fuel bills by the end of the year.

Fuel Efficient Driving

You might think that fuel cost is out of your control; you’d be partially right, because you don’t have a say in petrol and diesel prices. Despite that, one of the best ways to reduce the cost of your fleet is by encouraging your employees to drive in a more efficient way. This could help you save on the fuel bills by the end of the year.

Fuel-saving tips include a better use of the gears, which means switching them often and at the appropriate moments. Your vehicles should also be driven slowly, since the faster they go, the higher the degree of fuel consumption and pollution (also, sticking to the speed limit is a sure way to avoid the extra cost of a speeding ticket). The pressure in the tires is also a relevant factor, because under-inflated tires wear faster and put a strain on other vehicle functions.

In addition to this, make sure the vehicles are refuelled in places which take into account local competition and location; having the journey all planned out can also save on urgent refuelling at more expensive places.

Insurance

To reduce the cost of your business fleet insurance it’s important to take all necessary precautions to guarantee that the incident rate is low, because the higher it is, the costlier the insurance will become. The most practical way to lower the vehicle’s insurance costs, therefore, is by making drivers take breaks and control their driving hours to a manageable amount. Making sure they’re trained for all eventualities is another important aspect, and so is having your vehicles inspected regularly.

Reduce the Size of the Fleet

Another good way to reduce costs, if not the most efficient, is to cut down on the size of the fleet. It’s important you confirm the need for the current number of vehicles and, where necessary, remove them from the fleet. Of course, it’s possible that the other vehicles will suffer an increased workload, so make sure you’ve evaluated the overall fleet operating costs with and without the extra vehicles you were thinking of removing.

Telematics

You can also monitor the vehicle by installing a vehicle tracking system, which records information like driving behaviours, the speed and the fuel consumption. This can lead to a more conscious driving on the part of your employees and, consequently, you’ll be able to cut costs in the wear and tear of the vehicle.

If you want to learn more about reducing the cost of your fleet, or if you require any of our other services, don’t hesitate to contact us or give us a call on 0333 202 3173.

So what are your tips for cutting down on your fleet running costs? We’ve listed ours on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.