Companies relying on vehicles are increasingly looking into ways of cutting fuel costs; one of the most effective methods is achieved through driver behaviour monitoring. In the current economic climate, saving money on global costs is in fact the number one priority for a lot of businesses—and fleets are no exception.
But why are fleets only starting to check driver behaviour monitoring recently? And just some of them?
Let’s take a step back for a moment: what is the strategy that most likely springs to mind when considering how to save money on fuel?
Procuring fuel at a lower price, most probably.
In the current economic climate, it has also becoming more common to try to negotiate prices. So it goes without saying that we might immediately think this is our go-to strategy in order to cut our fuel costs.
But if you think about your personal budget, what do you actually do, for example, when you need to save money for a big expense coming up such as travelling abroad?
Your answer is that you probably cut some of your expenses: you moderate some consumer habits; you eat less take away food and have fewer nights out drinking in the pub, for example.
What about fuel? Well, you can think in exactly the same way: if it is true that you must have vehicles operational and cannot eliminate the use of fuel, it is also true that you can monitor where every drop of fuel is spent and actually use it more effectively. Trying to control prices is no longer an option, not least because fluctuations in price due to external events (Brexit and Trump election to mentions a couple) are making it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to base your strategy on fuel price negotiations.
But there is even more reason why you should get started with driver behaviour monitoring—especially if you haven’t done so already:
#1 - aka the starting point, why people initially become aware of driver behaviour monitoring: because if bad driving is detected, it can be modified into fuel-efficient driving by retraining your drivers. Speeding, idling, harsh braking and rapid acceleration are behaviour patterns that consume fuel and need to be eliminated.
#2 - if you monitor the driving style of your team, you will have the added benefit of having a solid base for fleet risk assessment. You can monitor drivers that are more at risk and improve global safety within your company.
#3 - monitoring the driving style of your team is a long-term strategy. If you orientate your team toward safe and fuel efficient driving, you will always enjoy its benefits and enjoy some degree of control—the same is not really true regarding fluctuating fuel prices.
#4 - if you get started with a real process of driver monitoring, drivers will be aware of how they impact on global costs and feel more involved. They will be motivated to bring efficiencies to your company—and if not, you can think about starting some competitions in order to reward good driving.
As far as you could see in this blog post, there are some perfectly sound reasons to get started with driver behaviour monitoring. We have prepared a guide with everything you need to know on driver behaviour monitoring and how to use it to save fuel—you can find it here. Hope you find it useful!
