Fuel Efficiency Best Practices for Fleets

Written by Kara Vines, Sr. Safety Consutlant

In a report released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the average operational costs of trucking in 2024 was $2.260 per mile.  Excluding fuel, companies spent $1.779 per mile – an increase of 6.2 cents per mile over 2023.  Improving the fuel efficiency of a company’s fleet of vehicles can have many financial and environmental benefits, especially with fuel prices on the rise. Fuel can be one of the largest and most difficult expenses to predict and control, and makes up 30-40% of total fleet expenses annually. Therefore, it’s important for vehicle fleet managers to conserve fuel, maximize efficiency and reduce vehicle emissions by implementing fuel-efficient policies, technology and maintenance strategies. 

Best Practices

Managing a fleet’s fuel usage - even for just a couple of vehicles - can feel overwhelming. The following are ways to reduce fleet fuel costs and make operations more efficient:

• Monitor driving patterns. A U.S. Department of Transportation report found that there can be as much as a 35% difference in fuel consumption between a good and poor driver. Monitoring speeding, braking and acceleration patterns can indicate whether drivers are using good practices on the road or operating inefficiently.  Smooth acceleration, steady speeds, and gentle braking can all improve fuel efficiency.  You can utilize your telematics system to help monitor and coach driving behavior for your fleet by evaluating vehicle performance data.  Avoiding harsh acceleration can reduce your fuel usage by up to 30%.

  
  

• Cut engine idling. Idling can burn a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour. To reduce fuel and oil waste:

• Improve route efficiency. Route efficiency can be improved with GPS tracking technology to ensure operations are streamlined and drivers don’t spend their day and fuel driving back and forth. 

  
  

• Remove unnecessary weight from vehicles. Every extra 100 pounds in a vehicle can increase gas costs by up to $0.03 cents per gallon, which can quickly add up over the course of hundreds of thousands of gallons across multiple vehicles. Train your drivers to only travel with necessary packages or equipment.

  
  

• Schedule maintenance. Preventive and regular maintenance can reduce fuel costs, extend the entire lifespan of fleet vehicles and ensure the safety of drivers and the community.  A vehicle that is well maintained will operate more smoothly and consume less fuel.

  
  

• Check the tire pressure. Checking the tire pressure should be a mandatory part of the pre-trip safety check since it not only improves the cost per mile but also helps the vehicle respond properly in unsafe situations.

  
  

• Dispatch the closest vehicle. Business margins and fuel efficiency can be improved by dispatching the closest vehicle to anew delivery or appointment. Fleet-tracking programs can help automate dispatching and routing.

  
  

• Leverage a fleet telematics solution. A fleet telematics solution can help managers gain data and insight into fleet status in terms of individual vehicle performance and overall operations, allowing them to make changes that will help fuel efficiency.

  
  

• Provide incentives. Fleet managers can encourage efficient driving by offering drivers incentives, such as recognition or special privileges.

  
  

• Implement driver training. Providing drivers with training regarding fuel-efficient habits can increase their awareness of fuel efficiency on the road. It can help them be mindful of things like keeping gears low when accelerating, changing gears early, driving at slower speeds and learning to read the road more effectively.

  
  

By implementing policies and practices that monitor and reward fuel-efficient behavior, fleet operations can reduce fuel costs.