3 Ways to Reduce Fuel Consumption

Fleet managers, contractors and drivers have a variety of tools for reducing costs, fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.

Maintenance – Basic maintenance practices like proper tire inflation, using the recommended motor oil and regular engine tune-ups can improve fuel economy. Other technologies can enhance operational efficiency by tracking replacement parts, maintaining records of vehicle mileage and managing a comprehensive maintenance program.

Idle Reduction – Each year, U.S. passenger cars, light trucks, medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty vehicles consume more than 6 billion gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline without even moving. Such idling can be reduced without affecting operations or driver comfort. GPS systems and telematics can provide real-time information to help influence driver behavior by providing reminders to encourage idling reduction. Auxiliary power systems can also reduce idle time by powering the vehicle without having to run the engine.

Smarter Driving – Fleet and vehicle management practices can involve optimizing travel routes, fleet size and composition. For example, a fleet rightsizing strategy can evaluate fleet vehicles to determine whether some vehicles can be reassigned, replaced or eliminated to reduce costs and conserve fuel.