4 Ways Fleet Tracking Cuts Fuel Costs

In today’s era of record gas prices, fleet managers certainly have their work cut out for them. When gas prices increase, organizations face the difficult choice of having to raise prices to offset costs or accept the prospect of less profitability. 

Since nobody likes spending more money for the same products—and since businesses exist to make money—suffice it to say this is a very difficult choice.

To combat rising fuel prices, however, there is another option: figuring out how to use less fuel while maintaining operations exactly as they are. With the right approach, it’s possible to significantly reduce gas consumption by operating more efficiently and trimming the waste off of your routes and workflows.

Optimizing fuel consumption is an area where fleet tracking technology can be particularly helpful. By investing in leading fleet management software solutions, it’s possible to monitor and improve driving behaviors, reduce idle time, optimize vehicle maintenance, and streamline routes—all of which help strengthen your bottom line.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at four key ways fleet tracking software can help you keep your fuel costs in check.

1. Identifying Fuel-Wasting Behavior

If drivers are speeding, idling too much, accelerating too quickly, or braking too hard, fuel is being wasted—and a lot of it. According to fueleconomy.gov, getting these behaviors in check can result in fuel cost savings as high as 40 percent. 

By investing in a modern fleet tracker, fleet managers are able to keep their fingers on the pulse of driver behavior. As a result, they can intervene when certain drivers are routinely partaking in fuel-wasting behaviors—and putting your company and themselves at unnecessary risk at the same time.

2. Optimizing Routes

In order to reduce fuel costs, fleet managers need to ensure their drivers are taking the best routes. Ideally, drivers would move between jobs as efficiently as possible, taking the fastest, most fuel-efficient routes based on real-time road conditions. Instead of driving over tons of hills and winding roads, drivers need a smoother, straighter shot to use fuel economically. They also need to avoid traffic as much as they can.

This is another area where fleet tracking technology can save the day. Believe it or not, one landscaping company was able to eliminate an entire truck’s route using a GPS fleet tracker, saving 110-120 gallons of fuel each week! In addition to sending drivers down optimal routes, these savings also steam from real-time traffic overlays which help drivers find the least congested routes.

3. Prioritizing Maintenance

While some fleet managers might be tempted to delay routine maintenance to save money, that’s not a wise approach. Every big problem starts as a small one, and when you ignore regular fleet maintenance, repairs tend to become much more expensive. According to the Department of Energy, a tune-up after a truck fails emissions can improve mileage by 4 percent. What’s more, fixing a major maintenance issue—such as a faulty oxygen sensor—can improve mileage by up to 40 percent!

Once again, fleet tracking solutions can be a godsend here. The right provider’s technology will enable you to track critical data relating to your fleet, alerting you whenever something goes wrong. As a result, you’re able to nip smaller problems in the bud before they spiral into major concerns. 

At the same time, leading fleet trackers also let you configure automatic alerts of your own. For example, you might decide to set up an alert every time a truck drives 5,000 miles so you can quickly inspect it to make sure everything checks out.

4. Spotting Fuel Theft

With gas prices as high as they are, some people might be tempted to acquire gas using ill-gotten means. For example, imagine someone swipes a driver’s fuel card and uses it to fill up their own vehicle. Fingers crossed you notice this transgression right away. Otherwise, the individual might use the card to fill up several times! 

By joining forces with the right fleet tracking solution provider, your system will integrate with fuel cards. That way, if something looks suspicious, you’ll be notified immediately and can take fast action.

Start Saving Money with Fleet Tracking Software

As you can see, fleet tracking software can help your organization reduce fuel costs, thereby protecting your margins in today’s challenging economic climate. That said, not all fleet trackers are the same. 

We might be a bit biased, but we believe that ClearPathGPS is the ideal solution for fleet managers looking to cut fuel costs. But don’t just take our word for it. When you’re ready to see the transformative power of ClearPathGPS with your own eyes, request a demo.

At ClearPathGPS, we are focused on helping our customers improve their operations and bottomline. Our top-rated GPS fleet tracking solutions provide real-time data insights and tools needed to more effectively manage the vehicles, people, and assets businesses send into the field everyday. Can ClearPathGPS help your operations get better results? Let’s find out – request a demo or contact us today!