Eqstra Fleet Management offers fleet operators the following tips to assist them to decrease fuel spend.

Fuel cards: customise fleet cards with additional security features such as limited daily or weekly limits, fleet card profiles and driver identification. By taking advantage of these additional features, fleet managers can limit the risk of unauthorised and unnecessary expenditure.

Fuel card reporting: carefully analyse fuel card reports to determine the fuel consumption for each vehicle by calculating a monthly fuel cost per kilometre and then compare that to benchmark figures. Correct report analysis will highlight whether the vehicle is fuel efficient and is being used for the correct application. It will also identify drivers with bad driving habits.

Use a comprehensive tracking system: ensure your tracking system offers comprehensive fleet reporting, driver identification, route management and online monitoring, all of which allow fleet managers to manage their fleets in real time. Using these systems efficiently will allow fleet managers to highlight which drivers are driving poorly and take steps to change the driving style. Careful route planning to ensure minimal kilometres driven is another useful tool which can be used to reduce fuel consumption.

Tyre maintenance: correct tyre pressure not only optimises performance, it also results in fuel savings. Under-inflated tyres increase the rolling resistance of tyres which leads to higher fuel consumption. Studies have shown that a car with under-inflated tyres (1 bar less than the recommended tyre pressure) will increase fuel consumption by as much as 6%.