Cutting out idling and other bad habits can save fuel costs
In the current economic situation, all businesses are working hard to reduce their costs. And for any business involving a fleet of drivers, fuel costs are one area in which significant reductions can be made. At a time when fuel prices are fluctuating wildly, it can be hard to keep control of expenditure on fuel, but one element that can be controlled concerns driver behaviour, and more and more fleet managers are becoming aware of the importance of training drivers to employ more fuel efficient driving habits.
One such habit that is often over-looked is engine idling – in other words leaving the engine running, sometimes for long periods, while the vehicle is stationary. In fact, for many years, the consensus was that this was more efficient than turning the engine on and off.
However, with modern engines this is no longer the case, and many drivers are unaware that they could be wasting large amounts of fuel – up to 2 litres per hour, for example, in the case of a heavy-duty truck – by leaving their engine turned on unnecessarily. Examples of idling include drivers sitting in their vehicles with the engine on while waiting for it to warm up, sitting at the side of the road with the radio and engine on during a lunch break, or even when stuck in a traffic jam for long periods without moving.
A second common cause of excessive fuel consumption is driving inefficiently by revving the engine more than needed. Changing up a gear at the right time can help to increase MPG. Also keeping a close eye on what’s happening on the road ahead can help to anticipate the need to slow down, thus avoiding the need for harsh braking and accelerating. This not only reduces fuel consumption but also wear and tear on vehicles. Getting rid of this habit can result in fuel savings of up to a massive 60%!
Keeping to speed limits is not only sensible from a legal standpoint; it also leads to fuel saving, particularly when driving on motorways, since engines run more efficiently. Figures from the Energy Saving Trust show that driving at the motorway speed limit of 70mph rather than 85mph can lead to fuel reduction of up to 25%.
Other tips for reducing fuel costs include, keeping windows closed to reduce drag, removing unnecessary excess weight from the vehicle before a journey, keeping tyres inflated to the correct pressure, having vehicles serviced regularly, and planning the journey beforehand to find the most efficient route and avoid unnecessary driving due to getting lost.
EcoTrak is a vehicle tracking system which is fitted to vehicles and relays key information back to a central website, allowing the fleet manager to analyse where driver behaviour can be improved to reduce fuel costs. For example, reports show how long each driver spends idling, driving efficiently, driving with too high rpm, etc. Real time vehicle tracking monitors such statistics as miles per gallon, by driver. Alerts can be used in cases where drivers go above the speed limit.
The data gathered using EcoTrak can be used to provide feedback to drivers on how they can reduce fuel costs. Driver behaviour is shown to improve considerably when drivers know they are being monitored by a tracking system. Training programmes can be specifically tailored to focus on fuel saving, carbon reduction and to increase MPG. Some firms have given further incentives by implementing driver league tables to further instil good practice. EcoTrak has been shown to increase MPG and deliver savings of between 10 and 20%.
