Increased competition in oil and petrol fuel prices is providing fleets with a real opportunity to make new operational savings, says fleet software company Chevin Fleet Solutions.
With the £1 litre now a reality in some parts of the country and oil prices set to remain low in the medium term, a proactive managerial approach could deliver substantial savings against planned fleet budgets.
Ashley Sowerby, managing director of Chevin, said: “When fleets were writing their current budgets, it is fair to assume that the vast majority did not foresee petrol and diesel prices falling in the relatively dramatic fashion we have recently experienced.
“Fleet managers will rightly view these savings as a bonus but they should not sit back.
“Instead, they should ensure they are benefiting from the price competition that we are seeing.
“With a little online research to find the best prices available and by using their fuel cards and fleet software, they will be able to do even better.
“Simply guiding drivers towards the cheapest local outlets available could easily give you an extra five pence per litre above what you are already saving through the general price decreases across the market.
“Your fuel card data and the analysis tools available in your software will let you see which drivers are complying and also allow you to demonstrate the kind of savings that are being achieved.
“It is a worthwhile win for relatively little effort.”
Edward Handley - 13/01/2015 18:19
The reduction in fuel prices has been very good news but I doubt it will stay that way for long: Either the Chancellor of the Exchequer will grab the chance to slap more duty on fuel to "stabilise the price" and reduce Deflationary pressure on the £" or the big Supermarkets et al., will use falling fuel prices to demand further reductions in haulage and transport rates so that they can increase their falling profits! The terrible things is that so many operators are so desperate to keep the work that they will probably comply and be forced to pass their small and valuable increase in margin on the the big boys.