Fleet software provider CFC says that a real impact can be made on fuel costs by putting a few basic controls in place but that these are simply not in place on a surprising number of fleets.
Neville Briggs, managing director at CFC, said: “There remains a widespread assumption that rising fuel costs of the kind seen in recent weeks just have to be swallowed but we regularly come across fleets that do not use the most fundamental controls.
“Fleets that do not have a fuel card and a basic fuel strategy can make real savings in a very short period of time, minimising the effect of ongoing price rises.
“If fleets are going to think about tackling any costs against the backdrop of an economy that remains very tough, they should think about fuel.”
Briggs said that having a fuel card in use across your fleet allowed you to see exactly where money was being spent and to virtually guarantee weeding out any fraud.
He explained: “With a fuel card, you can steer drivers towards supermarkets or other low cost fuel outlets. Within a local area, costs can easily vary by 3-4 pence per litre, so it is worth making sure you are using the cheapest options.”
Briggs said that it was also important to ensure that you are analysing the fuel consumption of drivers and vehicles using data generated by your fuel card provider, usually using the tools within fleet software.
He added: “The difference in fuel consumption between drivers with a gentle right foot and someone who permanently wears heavy boots can be as much as 15-20%. You need to be identifying drivers who are costing you money and target them.
“Fuel is perhaps the only area of fleet management where, if you are not doing the right things, you can turn the situation around in a matter of weeks and make a real impact on expenditure almost immediately.”
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