The high cost of fuel is one of the main problems faced in the management of light fleets. Currently, fleet management ranks second among the highest expenses of companies, second only to payrolls.
However, the input is one of the biggest culprits of excessive management expenses, being one of the biggest expenses in this category.
In this way, reducing consumption and, consequently, fuel expenses is one of the biggest concerns of managers, in order to obtain more profit for companies.
With that in mind, we separate the reasons that make it difficult to control consumption and the fuel saving strategies that will leave more profit for your company. Enjoy reading!What causes fuel mismanagement in light fleets?vehicle types
Driver performance
Use of air conditioning and open windows
Excessive load
misaligned tires
worn out candlesWhat should light fleet managers do to save fuel?driver training
price study
Performing periodic maintenance
optimized routes
Calculation to know which fuel yields more
Telemetry system for light fleets
What causes fuel mismanagement in light fleets?
Many factors influence the lack of control over fuel consumption, the main ones being:
vehicle types
Everyone knows that fuel consumption varies according to the type of car. Therefore, using vehicles that "drink" a lot can increase your expenses with the input.
More powerful vehicles and/or with automatic transmission also tend to consume a greater amount of fuel. These are important details to take into account when purchasing cars for your fleet.
Driver performance
The famous “heavy foot” also increases fuel consumption. Because of this, even drivers who use the same cars, traveling the same routes, may have different values due to the way they are driving.
The drivers who those who accelerate and brake aggressively use more fuel than those who drive more smoothly. In addition, the incorrect shifting of gears is also a factor that weighs in the increased use of this input.
Excessive speed can also waste fuel., as the engine usually needs more rotation to maintain speed. The more rotation cycles the engine does, the more fuel is injected into the machine.
Use of air conditioning and open windows
Fuel consumption in a vehicle is also affected by using air conditioning or keeping the window open. However, this depends a lot on the situation, for example:
- Above 40 km/h: the recommendation here is that always above this speed the driver should give preference to the use of air conditioning, as the air resistance caused by the open window increases fuel consumption.
- Below 40 km/h: when driving more slowly, the recommendation is that the driver keep the windows open.
Another interesting factor that can help to decrease consumption in these situations, it is turn off the air when the ambient temperature has already dropped.
It is important to remember that once the air is turned on, different temperatures and ventilation speeds do not change fuel consumptionl, since the compressor works the same way for all.
Excessive load
A full vehicle consumes more fuel due to the effort the engine makes to move it. According to Volkswagen, for every 100 kg more in the vehicle, it consumes 1 liter more for every 100 km driven, which can make a considerable difference in the budget of light fleets.
In addition, excess weight in a vehicle also puts the lives of the driver and passengers at risk, as it interferes with the brakes, shock absorbers and even steering ability.
misaligned tires
Wheel misalignment causes rolling resistance of the tyres, which in turn increases fuel consumption. Whenever the car goes through a very sudden hole or every 10 thousand km rotated, it is recommended to align.
Some signs that may indicate misalignment of tires:
- tire squealing in low-speed corners;
- Worn compound shoulders.
To avoid misalignment, it is necessary to keep vehicle maintenance up to date.
worn out candles
the candle ensures your fuel is burned correctly, without waste. Because of this, the proper functioning of the part acts directly on the consumption of the input, be it ethanol or gasoline.
Alterations in spark plugs can still cause damage to other components of the machine, such as engine failures, difficulties in the match, and even the increase in the emission of pollutants.
It is necessary to follow the manufacturing recommendations or change components every 10 km to avoid this problem and others triggered by its malfunction.
What should light fleet managers do to save fuel?
Fuel economy is based on actions both when fueling and driving daily. It is important that light fleet managers keep this in mind in order to devise efficient strategies to reduce fuel costs.
Therefore, the following tips will help your management to achieve this goal in an easier and more accurate way.
driver training
As previously mentioned, fuel economy is also achieved by driving vehicles. In view of this, it is important that management guide them appropriately.
One of the most efficient ways to guide your drivers to reduce fuel costs is through defensive driving training, as the practice prevents traffic situations that, in addition to spending more on the input, risk the lives of drivers.
Read more: step by step to create your light fleet policy
It is through these and other trainings that drivers learn to avoid sudden braking and unnecessary acceleration. However, it is also important to remember about other practices that increase fuel use, such as air conditioning and open windows.
price study
Between one filling station and another, there may be a price difference that varies by a few cents, but if you think about the fuel consumption of the entire fleet, the amount saved can be great.
Some gas stations even offer personalized prices for loyal customers. Because of this, it is also advantageous to negotiate with these suppliers and seek medium-term partnerships.
This is an efficient way to save fuel, as well as providing a safe source for your drivers to fill up.
Performing periodic maintenance
As you already know, Vehicles with parts that don't work properly, such as worn out spark plugs and misaligned tires, increase a car's fuel consumption. With this, it is necessary to maintain a periodic preventive maintenance plan for your automobiles.
This planning must be assembled according to the instructions of each assembler, or at least every 10 kilometers driven.
With periodic revisions, you still reduce costs with the natural wear of the vehicle over time and in other sectors, because in addition to preventing high fuel consumption, it also helps to not spend so much on repairs, since without carrying out maintenance, cars tend to break down more.
optimized routes
Mainly in cities where congestion is frequent, using optimized routes can be very beneficial in your control and fuel economy. After all, the greater the distance traveled or the longer the time with the car on, the greater the expenditure on the input.
For truly optimized route planning, consider:
- the number of traffic lights;
- the bottling possibilities;
- main roads or local traffic;
- departure time;
- other features relevant to local traffic.
In this way, you save fuel and even have a greater productivity of your employees, which also helps them by reducing stress with the low occurrence of traffic congestion.
Calculation to know which fuel yields more
Nowadays, most light vehicle fleets have flex-fuel engines, which allow the use of ethanol and gasoline. Therefore, there is a calculation to know which of the two types of input is compensating more at the moment, which can help a lot in fuel economy.
To perform the calculation: divide the value of the liter of ethanol by the liter of gasoline. If the result is less than 0,7, the best option is ethanol, otherwise, gasoline will be cheaper.
Telemetry system for light fleets
The telemetry software can be a great ally in reducing fuel costs in light fleets. This happens because of the various features that allow specialized reports from the driver's driving behavior to fuel consumption.
Read more: Telemetry enables a 75% reduction in the number of infractions and claims
With telemetry, you can better understand where waste is occurring in this operation. And yet, the Golfleet Telemetry system makes it possible for fuel management strategies to have a better result, through data that make it possible to analyze:
- precise cost in reais per kilometer driven;
- average consumption per vehicle;
- average price per liter and type of fuel;
- fraud and suspicious supplies;
- vehicles below or above the normal consumption average.
It is through a telemetry system that light fleet managers also gain more ease in fuel management. In addition, of course, to improve results throughout your fleet management.
Do you want to know the other benefits of a telemetry system in reducing costs in light fleets? Then access our free eBook and have all the advantages in your management:
