Most of the fuel waste in light vehicle fleets is not due to the price per liter, but to driving habits.
Aggressive acceleration , hard braking , and idling can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%.
Fleet telemetry measures all of this. And when you transform data into consistent actions, fuel savings become apparent.
You will take this with you:
- The 5 driving habits that cost you the most (and how telemetry measures each of them)
- How to create a fuel efficiency score to track the individual progress of each driver.
- Why recognition for improvement works better What punishment and how to structure it in practice?
Browse the content
Why driving habits matter more than fuel prices.
The 5 habits that most increase consumption and how to measure each one.
Putting it all together: how to create an efficiency score
Recognition that engages
Fuel economy comes from consistency, not from complaining.
Why driving habits matter more than fuel prices.
Fleet manager, how many times have you looked at the price of fuel and thought, " There's nothing to be done, just raise the price "?
That's right. You don't control the price . But you can control how your fleet consumes fuel.
The difference in fuel consumption between an economical driver and an aggressive driver can reach 30% in the same vehicle , on the same route.
It's not the car. It's not the route. It's the way of driving.
Aggressive acceleration wastes energy . Hard braking eliminates inertia. Idle speed burns stationary fuel. Inappropriate speed increases air resistance.
And what's the good news for your management? Telemetry measures all of that . Every acceleration , every braking, every minute of idle time.
You don't need to guess who's spending the most . You know . And when you know, you can act based on data, not guesswork.
The 5 habits that most increase consumption and how to measure each one.
These are the behaviors that most inflate fuel consumption in light vehicle fleets , and how you identify and correct each one.
Aggressive acceleration
You know that driver who floors the accelerator to accelerate quickly? Well, they're burning way more fuel than they need to.
When you accelerate aggressively , the engine works at high demand , consuming much more fuel in less time . It's energy being wasted, literally thrown away.
How does telemetry measure this?
The device's accelerometer records each sudden acceleration . On the dashboard, you can see how many times this happened in a day and you can parameterize it by kilometer driven (events every 100km, for example). This allows you to fairly compare drivers who travel different distances.
What to watch out for:
More than 5 sudden accelerations every 100km is already a warning sign . It means the driver has a habit that harms fuel economy.
How to fix:
Individual conversation with data in hand ; quick training on progressive acceleration technique. Clear goal : reduce to less than 3 events/100km in 30 days . And recognition when achieved.
Hard braking: throwing energy (and money) out the window.
Here's the problem: you expend fuel to gain speed . Then the driver brakes suddenly and throws all that energy away . Then you need to expend fuel again to accelerate. It's a cycle of waste.
How telemetry measures:
The same accelerometer that records acceleration also registers deceleration. The dashboard shows how many hard braking events occurred , the intensity of each one, and whether there is a pattern (always in the same place? Same time?).
What to watch out for:
Frequent braking in the same stretch of road may indicate that the driver is approaching that point too quickly and always needs to brake hard. It's behavioral, not an unforeseen event.
How to fix:
This is where video telemetry comes in . You validate the context : was it truly recklessness or an unavoidable situation (a child crossing, the car in front stopping suddenly)? With the video, you have the right conversation with the driver.
Goal: fewer than 4 sudden braking incidents per 100km . Training focused on anticipating traffic.
Inadequate speed: the faster, the more expensive.
Speed and fuel consumption have an exponential relationship. In other words, the faster you go, the more fuel you use.
Driving at 120 km/h consumes significantly more fuel than driving at 90 km/h , even though both are within the legal speed limit. Air resistance increases dramatically as speed increases.
How telemetry measures:
The GPS records the average and maximum speed for each segment. The Speed by Road module shows if the driver is exceeding the economically ideal speed for that type of vehicle (generally between 80 and 90 km/h).
What to watch out for:
A driver who consistently maintains a speed above 100 km/h on highways is burning fuel unnecessarily . And they're probably not even getting there much faster because of traffic lights, congestion, and mandatory stops.
How to fix:
Clear fleet policy : define economical speed (example: maximum 95km/h on highways). Training showing the fuel consumption vs. speed curve (it's visual, has a greater impact). And video telemetry providing feedback on real-world behavior.
Excessive idling: burning liters without going anywhere.
A vehicle parked with its engine running consumes 1 to 2 liters of fuel per hour . Without generating movement. Without producing any result. It's pure waste.
How telemetry measures:
The engine idling time indicator shows exactly how long the vehicle was idling with the engine running . The dashboard separates this data by vehicle, driver, or day.
What to watch out for:
More than 1 hour per day of idle time without operational justification (necessary air conditioning, mandatory queue, security) is a red flag for fuel economy.
How to fix:
Clear and simple rule : stops longer than 3 minutes = turn off the engine (except for mapped exceptions). Training debunking the myth that restarting consumes more fuel (restarting consumes the equivalent of 10 seconds of idling, that's all).
Goal : Reduce idle time by 20% in the first 30 days.
Driving outside of business hours: the invisible waste
Using a vehicle outside of operational hours usually means a less-than-optimized context: heavy traffic, unplanned routes, sometimes even unauthorized personal use.
How telemetry measures:
The operating module automatically separates activity within operating hours versus activity outside operating hours . You see the percentage of each.
What to watch out for:
High volume of traffic outside of scheduled hours without a clear operational justification (such as on-call shifts or documented emergencies) indicates a problem.
How to fix:
Fleet policy clearly defining when the vehicle can be used . Automatic alerts when ignition is turned on outside of permitted hours. Individual communication. Transparency with data, no accusations without context.
If necessary, the scheduled locking feature is the ideal tool to avoid any concerns.
Putting it all together: how to create an efficiency score
Five different indicators can be confusing. What really helps is having a simple way to track whether the driver is improving or worsening . It doesn't need a complicated formula. It needs clarity.
The idea is simple: you track the 3 main behaviors that impact consumption :
- Number of risk events (sudden accelerations + braking) per 100km driven
- Idle time per day
- Average speed on highways
And it classifies each driver into levels :
- EconomicFew events, little downtime, controlled pace.
- AttentionSome behaviors need improvement.
- CriticalVarious behaviors impacting consumption.
What do you do with that?
- Monthly individual feedback
- Recognition for progress: Those who went from being critics to receiving attention deserve as much recognition as those who are already economically successful.
- Progressive goal: increase the percentage of drivers in the economic bracket each quarter
- GamificationEconomical drivers for 3 consecutive months enter a recognition program.
Fleet telemetry delivers this information ready-made in the Driving Profile Report, available in the Golfleet Driver app . You don't need to do the calculations. You just need to use the data to communicate with your team.
The important thing isn't the math behind it. It's having a clear benchmark that everyone understands , and that shows when someone is progressing.
Recognition that engages
A ranking of the worst drivers doesn't work . Public reprimands don't work . Punishment without context doesn't work . What works is recognizing individual progress . It's not about who is already the best. It's about who is improving.
How to structure recognition:
Criterion 1 : Individual improvement (who reduced their own score the most)
Criterion 2 : Consistency (those who maintain a good standard for 3 consecutive months)
Criterion 3 : zero critical events in the quarter
Ways to recognize:
Certificate of good driving . Outstanding performance in team meeting. Accumulated points for bigger awards.
The culture you create with this: the driver becomes an ally of fleet management , not a target for inspection.
Read more: Rewards for drivers: why recognizing and valuing the team makes a difference
Fuel economy comes from consistency, not from complaining.
The truth is this: fuel economy in a fleet doesn't happen with a well-delivered reprimand or a one-off awareness campaign.
This happens when you measure with telemetry , show the data to the driver clearly, set progressive (not aggressive) goals , work on one indicator per week, and recognize those who are making progress.
The 5 habits that most increase fuel consumption in light vehicle fleets— aggressive acceleration, hard braking, inappropriate speed, idling, and driving outside of scheduled hours —are all measurable . All correctable. All transformable into a culture of fuel efficiency.
Video telemetry validates context . Fleet telemetry delivers data . Recognition generates engagement . And consistency transforms all of this into real savings.
The driver becomes an ally. Savings become routine. And your profit margin thanks you.
Before you go, here are the answers to the main questions about fuel economy in your fleet.
Which driving habit most increases fuel consumption in a fleet?
Aggressive acceleration and inappropriate speed are the biggest culprits in fuel economy problems. The difference between economical and aggressive driving can increase fuel consumption by up to 30% in the same vehicle and on the same route.
How can we sustain fuel economy in a fleet over the long term?
Continuous improvement routine (1 indicator/week), quarterly review of goals, consistent recognition of progress, and a data-driven culture through fleet telemetry. Savings come from consistency, not one-off campaigns.
Does video telemetry really help with fuel economy?
Yes. Video telemetry validates context: was that braking reckless or an unavoidable situation? It allows for more effective visual feedback, protects drivers from unfair accusations, and accelerates behavioral change in light vehicle fleets.
What has the biggest impact on fuel consumption in urban fleets?
In urban fleet management, excessive idling and hard braking are the biggest wasters. Stop-and-go traffic exacerbates these behaviors, significantly increasing fuel consumption.
