5 useful ways to get the most out of your fuel

As we’re sure you won’t need us to tell you, fuel accounts for one of the single biggest costs that any fleet manager has to handle. That means however many vehicles you’re responsible for, and whatever specific sector you work in, it’s likely to be one of your most consistent day-to-day concerns. With more than 20 years of experience behind us here at TankSafe, we’re well versed in a wide variety of ways to get the most out of your fuel – including, of course, protecting it with TankSafe Optimum. We’ll come onto that in time though – in the meantime, here are our other top tips!

Plan your routes efficiently

Let’s start with the obvious – efficient route planning is crucial for minimising fuel consumption. By using GPS technology and route optimisation software, you can identify the shortest and most fuel-efficient routes for your vehicles. You’ll want to consider factors such as traffic patterns, road conditions, and delivery schedules to plan routes that reduce idle time and unnecessary mileage. What’s more, encouraging drivers to follow predetermined routes can lead to substantial fuel savings over time. (We’ll expand on that in just a moment!)

It's not all just about the preparation though, although that’s obviously an important element. Leveraging real-time traffic updates and historical data can help adjust routes dynamically to avoid congested areas or road closures, saving both time and fuel. Efficient routes also provide peace of mind by ensuring timely deliveries, and can eve reduce the carbon footprint of your operations.

Implement fuel-saving technologies

Over the last few years in particular, there have been steady advancements in fuel-saving technologies, which now offer various ways to improve fuel efficiency in fleet vehicles. It’s worth considering investing in vehicles with hybrid or electric options, which consume less fuel or use alternative energy sources. What’s more, they can also provide valuable data for analysis and optimisation, as we’ll talk about below.

Those are just the high-tech options – there are also some relatively simple and practical options you can think about too, including, integrating aerodynamic enhancements such as streamlined body designs and roof fairings, which can further enhance fuel efficiency by reducing drag. Regularly updating vehicle fleets to include newer models with improved fuel economy ratings ensures your company stays ahead in sustainability efforts and operational cost management.

Focus on driver training for fuel efficiency

While technology can help you make huge strides forward in efficiency, it can only do so much unless you get buy-in from your staff, especially your drivers. For that reason alone, educating drivers on fuel-efficient driving techniques is essential for achieving significant savings. Some people can easily build up bad habits from driving their own personal vehicles, so you’ll want to particularly focus on cutting down on aggressive driving behaviours such as rapid acceleration and braking, which can increase fuel consumption by up to 30% on highways and 40% in urban areas.

Instead, talk about how important it is to maintain a consistent speed, use cruise control where appropriate, and reduce idle time during stops. Regular training sessions and performance reviews can reinforce these practices and promote a fuel-conscious culture among your team.

If you’d like, you can incentivise fuel-efficient driving through performance bonuses or recognition programmes, helping to motivate drivers to adopt and maintain efficient driving habits. Plus, providing ongoing feedback based on telematics data helps drivers understand their impact on fuel consumption and encourages continuous improvement.

Monitor, analyse, and optimise

As we’ve touched on above, monitoring and analysing fuel usage data is crucial for identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. That’s where fleet management software can come in handy, helping you to track fuel consumption trends, vehicle performance metrics, and maintenance schedules. It can neatly tie into the fuel saving technologies we discussed earlier, encompassing onboard telematics systems that can monitor fuel usage in real-time, providing data on driver behaviour, engine performance, and maintenance needs.

That provides you with a great opportunity to analyse this data regularly to pinpoint areas where fuel efficiency can be optimised, such as vehicle maintenance schedules, route planning adjustments, or driver behaviour modifications. Continuously monitoring and optimising operations can help you to achieve long-term fuel savings and improve overall fleet performance.

Protect your fuel

And now, of course, we come to one of the most crucial points. When it comes right down to it, all your fuel optimisation strategies will be undermined if your company fuel is subject to “skimming” – the most common type of fuel theft, where staff take small amounts of fuel little and often. Many don’t even think of it as a form of theft; it’s not unusual instead for staff to think of it as a perk of the job.

Thankfully, you have a wide range of approaches at your disposal to tackle the issue. For example, you can install surveillance cameras in fuelling areas, and conducting regular inspections to detect leaks or unauthorised access. Many fleet managers find it helpful to tackle the issue at its source, by educating drivers and staff about the importance of fuel conservation and security protocols, and expanding more on how it’s not a victimless crime, but actively affects everyone.

You can implement this aim into your strategy with choosing fuel management systems, such as by looking at those which monitor fuel levels and transactions electronically, reducing the risk of theft and ensuring accurate fuel usage records. Regular audits and reviews of fuel consumption records ensure compliance with established protocols and identify any discrepancies or anomalies promptly.

And of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the most direct, affordable and effective solution – and that’s our very own TankSafe Optimum. It features a patented design that we’ve specifically developed in-house here at TankSafe, ensuring that it gives you complete protect against fuel theft.

You can read more about how TankSafe Optimum works, or don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team if you have any further questions about the best ways to protect your fuel in 2024. Give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we'll be happy to help however we can!