Fleet Operators Can Save with Fuel Economy Recommendations

For landscape contractors with a fleet of work trucks, there's help in the form of tracking software. It's not easy to stay on top of fuel-saving strategies unless you run an easy-to-use (preferably mobile) vehicle maintenance and management solution such as OwnerSite.com.
Courtesy of Ownersite.com

With gas and diesel prices hovering near $4 per gallon nationally (and expected to go higher), fleet owners are bracing for an expensive summer. The damage can be mitigated, said Steve Eppinger, if fleet owners and operators implement focused strategies that target excessive fuel consumption.

Eppinger is the Founder and CEO of Ownersite.com, A vehicle asset management platform optimized for small to medium-sized fleet owners. ''Fleet owners often hear how much fuel they can save by driving conservatively or using cruise control, and indeed these two tactics can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 percent,'' said Eppinger.

''But there are many other steps owners can take that cumulatively have just as much value-and also extend the life of their vehicles, These include not only better maintaining their vehicles but also implementing tracking and reporting systems that keep them apprised of fuel efficiency breakdowns.''

In a 30-vehicle fleet with an average MPG of 27.3 (the corporate fuel economy standard in 2011) and an average mileage of 25,000 per vehicle per year, a one-dollar increase in gas prices equates to nearly $28,000 yearly in added fuel cost. Improving that number of 15 percent nets the fleet owner more than $4,000 in lost revenue. ''Some methods of improving mileage may appear negligible, given the amount of manual effort they require,'' said Eppinger. ''However, dismissing these lesser improvements can be a fleet owners' biggest and most expensive mistake.''