If you are looking at how to save fuel as your bills are getting increasingly and inexplicably higher and higher, you might have come across different solutions which are either long-term or short-term remedies. Somebody suggests the use of additives, others focus on changing fuel card providers to find a more competitive fuel price, but the truth is that there is a more effective long term solution available in the form of a technique which you can implement into your business in order to spend less money: eco-driving training for fleets.
According to recent data published by EST (Energy Saving Trust—an organisation helping people saving energy in a number of ways every day), in collaboration with the AA (Automobile Association), it is possible to obtain significant fuel savings if you start to implement eco-driving techniques as part of driver training. Analysis of the data from 1900 coaching sessions yielded an average of 9% in fuel savings. The drivers involved in the coaching also admitted they actually learned a lot of tips that they could use in their day-to-day driving. The test was organised as follows: they drove on a circuit before and after attending the course and the fuel economy data was recorded on both occasions, showing the progress.
Eco-driving is key not only for saving fuel, but for promoting safety within fleets. Training drivers to use fuel efficient techniques can not only help you reach upward of 15-20% savings in fuel costs, but also in the prevention of accidents since the emphasis on smooth driving while anticipating the road ahead, maintaining a safe distance and eradicating aggressive driving. This style of driving also typically ensures you spend less on wear and tear as vehicles are driven properly, protecting brakes and clutches.
While eco-driving training for fleets is surely something you need to focus on if you want to start saving fuel, there are also other measures you can implement that can help you cut your fuel bills, such as minimising misuse or swapping of fuel cards or checking the routes travelled by your vehicles to make sure there is no unnecessary mileage. Preventing idling is also something you need to keep tabs on.
If unprofessional drivers can achieve 9% fuel savings with just some basic training, imagine what you could do if you had control over all of the factors mentioned previously. If you want to know how, exactly, let us know!
