Tracking technology is all about optimizing the efficiency of your business. There are many benefits to equipping your vehicles with GPS tracking devices, but by far one of the most interesting is the savings you can make with regard to fuel consumption. Fuel accounts for around 30% of your total operating costs when you manage a business dependent of vehicles, so it is only natural that managers are looking to save in this area of their business’ expenses.

Many companies across the country are turning to GPS tracking software to save money on fuel in their business. The return on investment (ROI) with a GPS tracking system makes the investment well worth it. GPS tracking uses a fuel sensor to monitor the usage of fuel in real time, allowing you to make adjustments where necessary and reduce your overall fuel consumption over time.

For any business that uses vehicles on its operation, fuel consumption is one of the biggest expenses after payroll. Therefore, it is understandable that companies want to monitor their fuel usage and see where they can reduce it. Vehicle management systems allow us to do just this, potentially saving us thousands of dollars every year.

The use of GPS tracking devices is not just for larger businesses. Even companies with one or two vehicles can reap the benefits of vehicle tracking systems. Here are some of the ways GPS tracking systems can help you reduce your company’s’ fuel consumption, saving you money at the same time as saving the planet:

One of the highlights of installing a GPS tracking system is that these can generate a series of reports. Within these, you can find information about driver operations, inefficiencies, and driver safety concerns. Not only this, but you can print or download them as PDFs or spreadsheets, providing you with tangible material to make changes that can save your business a lot of time.

Customize a geofence and receive alerts when a vehicle enters or exits your digitally prescribed boundary, so you know where your vehicles are and when. These systems also help you to discover unauthorized vehicle use, so you can cut out any undesired behaviors and analyze where your vehicles are doing right, to further incentivize your drivers.

Another way that GPS tracking technology helps you to economize on fuel is by alerting the driver and the system when the vehicle is idling, allowing us to bring this bad habit to light and work to break it. Idling uses up to half a gallon of fuel per hour.

While most drivers will turn off the engine when still for longer periods of time, GPS technology can flag when drivers are idling for minutes, prompting them to switch off the engine even for short intervals – over the course of time, this fuel-conscious habit can help increase savings, reduce outgoings on maintenance and is a sure win for the sustainability movement.

GPS tracking software can highlight how often drivers idle their vehicles so you can see where the numbers are adding up. The software collects and provides data which you can use to train your drivers in conscientious habits, such as turning off the engine when idle for any length of time. It is a myth that turning off and restarting the engine uses more fuel – just thirty seconds of idling uses more fuel than stopping and restarting.

Gas mileage can be improved by as much as 10% when hard braking is avoided. Aggressive driving habits lead to more fuel consumption and cost small businesses money. The way GPS tracking software counteracts this is by registering the behaviors of your drivers, pinging the system when drivers accelerate quickly or brake abruptly.

It can’t always be avoided, of course. But when the system flags harsh braking as a regular occurrence rather than a necessity, it is an opportunity for small businesses to take the data accrued by their GPS tracking system and turn it into a learning point for their team. Not only can you save your company money on fuel consumption, but you also reduce the risk of rear-end collisions, so often caused by sudden braking.

The nature of GPS tracking software is more than keeping tags on drivers, it is a way to essentially be in the vehicle with them and monitor safe and efficient driving behaviors. With regard to speed, fuel efficiency doesn’t really even begin until you reach speeds of around 60 mph, at which point you are already driving at the optimal speed for fuel economy.

How smoothly you drive affects fuel consumption much more than speed itself – constant acceleration and deceleration is a lot more draining on your fuel consumption than driving consistently at 70mph. GPS tracking devices allow you to oversee the speeds at which your team drives, and intervene if necessary.

With tracking technology, the speed at which your drivers work is recorded on the customized reports, so you can see over time how this is affecting your overall fuel economy.

GPS tracking software grants small business owners the possibility to monitor the driving habits of their teams, however small. By planning routes more efficiently and registering the driving behaviors of your team, you can save thousands of dollars per year – much more than the initial investment required to equip your fleet with the technology.

Aside from GPS tracking, remember to carry out regular maintenance on your vehicles to ensure they are in optimum conditions for fuel economization – badly-inflated tires and suboptimal air-conditioning units are regular culprits for unnecessary loss of fuel.

Additionally, using the wrong engine oil, and poor fuel quality can also have an impact on fuel consumption, so it is wise to be aware of your purchasing choices in this regard. As GPS tracking technology advances, more and more alerts are becoming available to ensure we use our vehicles correctly and economize on fuel, helping us, as small businesses, reduce one of our biggest overheads – fuel consumption.

Sources:

https://www.fleetowner.com/technology/article/21684303/fleets-online-effective-routing

https://blog.bigroad.com/blog/3-operating-costs-to-track-while-maintaining-your-fleet#:~:text=Fuel%20takes%20up%2030%25%20of%20your%20total%20fleet%20operating%20costs.&text=This%20is%20a%20major%20outgoing,keep%20an%20eye%20on%20it.

https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/Library/CR-010109.pdf

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/6-myths-about-gas-mileage/

https://vocal.media/journal/top-9-industries-that-use-gps-tracking

https://www.tyrepower.com.au/news/how-does-tyre-pressure-influence-your-fuel-economy#:~:text=Under%20inflated%20tyres%20increase%20your%20vehicle’s%20drag%2C%20which%20increases%20fuel%20consumption.&text=With%20tyre%20pressure%20at%2040