You might run a pizza delivery shop, a local florist, a small trucking company or a pharmacy with a delivery service. Whatever the business, if you operate a fleet of vehicles, conserving the amount of energy they consume is an effective way to save on expenses.
If you want to cut energy costs for your business fleet, these techniques could do the trick.
Business Fleet Cost Savings
Encourage Drivers to Operate More Efficiently
Did you know erratic and aggressive driving, including rapid acceleration, braking and speeding, can lower gas mileage by between 15% and 30% on the highway and between 10% and 40% in more congested traffic?
Inform drivers of the costs incurred by erratic driving and encourage them to drive more efficiently by observing the speed limit at all times and avoiding rapid acceleration and braking. This simple step could lower gas mileage and help your business make savings on the fuel expenditure of its fleet.
Plan the Most Efficient Route
Do your drivers know the most efficient routes to get from point A to point B? The shortest distance might not be the most energy efficient route if it involves a lot of stopping and starting in heavy traffic. Encouraging staff to research routes prior to setting out so they know of any potential traffic issues and can plan the most efficient one, will help your company make valuable savings on fuel.
To help your drivers use the most efficient routes, get them to download route planning software onto their smartphones. There is a whole host of intuitive smartphone apps available for drivers designed to help them plan the optimum routes, so businesses can save money on fuel and optimize drivers’ time.
Get Your Vehicle Fleets Serviced Regularly
Manufacturers warn that a poorly-tuned engine can use up to 50% more fuel. Repairing a maintenance issue on a vehicle, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve mileage by up to 40%.
Regular servicing of your fleet should include ensuring your tires have the correct air pressure, since inaccurate air pressure can increase fuel consumption. The right air pressure in tires will not only save on fuel consumption but keep your vehicles in tip-top driving condition, enhancing handling and helping to prevent accidents.
Remove Excessive Weight
You can also reduce vehicle costs of your business fleet by removing excess weight from the vehicles, such as a roof box or roof rack. These reductions can increase fuel efficiency. In fact, losing just 45kg from your vehicles can increase fuel efficiency by up to 2%.
Use Fuel Cell Vehicles
Fuel cell vehicles run on hydrogen gas rather than gasoline and only emit water as opposed to harmful emissions. By offering a highly efficient and low polluting method of generating energy, fuel cell vehicles can help your business make vital energy savings, as well as reducing its carbon footprint.
Implement some, or preferably all, of the vehicle energy-saving techniques above, and your business will be well on its way to reaping the benefits of a smarter business fleet, with more efficient fuel consumption and invaluable business savings.
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