Reducing Fleet Costs & Maintaining Efficiency

nine white vans parked in a row in a parking lot

If you have a fleet of cars, trucks, or any other type of road-going vehicle, you may be wondering how you can cut costs, and maintain the efficiency of your fleet. In this guide, we’ll go over a few simple, easy-to-implement tips that can help you do just that!

Check Tire Pressure Weekly

Under or over-inflated tires can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 3% in some cases. In addition, poor tire inflation leads to premature tire wear and replacement, which can lead to much higher overall maintenance costs. Ensure that your drivers regularly check and top-up their tires to ensure that they are at the proper pressure.

Reduce the Size of Your Fleet

Take a look at your fleet of vehicles. Do you have any you don’t use? Could you eliminate a few of your vehicles, and make up for it by changing the way you schedule the usage of other cars and trucks? It may not always be possible to eliminate cars or trucks from your fleet but doing so is a sure-fire way to reduce costs.

Never Skip Scheduled Maintenance

Always maintain your vehicles based on the “severe” service schedule found in the owner’s manual. Regular oil changes, tire rotations, and other basic preventative maintenance steps ensure maximum vehicle efficiency and longevity – and can also prevent costly breakdowns and accidents. While the operational costs may be somewhat higher, the lifetime cost of each vehicle will be much lower.

Consider Replacing Your Oldest Vehicles with More Fuel-Efficient Models

If you have an older van, for example, such as a Ford E350, which gets about 12 MPG combined, you may want to replace it with a newer car like a Ford Transit 150, which can get up to 20 MPG on the highway. If you drive the vehicle 40,000 miles per year, you’ll save nearly $3,000 on fuel costs based on current fuel prices – and you’ll also get a more reliable vehicle.

Encourage Fuel-Efficient Driving

Reducing fuel expenditures starts with your drivers. Encourage them to drive at a lower speed on the highway, for example. Driving at 55 mph is approximately 20% more fuel-efficient, compared to driving at 75mph.

In addition, avoiding excessive idling and practicing defensive driving in the city – such as not accelerating towards a red light, but coasting – can also cut fuel costs. Non-aggressive driving also helps reduce the risk of accidents, which can help eliminate high insurance costs. Over time, you may be surprised at how quickly these savings add up – so make this a priority when hiring and training new drivers and personnel.

Follow These Tips – Keep Your Fleet Costs Down!

While there are many other ways to enhance fleet efficiency, these are some of the most simple and easy-to-implement methods. So, consider how you may be able to use these methods in your own fleet, and start enjoying lower operational costs, better efficiency, and increased profitability in your business!

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