We know that cutting costs without cutting corners is high on the list of priorities for any business, so what steps can delivery and logistics companies take to combat rising fuel prices?
Fuel prices in the UK have once again hit record levels this week, with the average price of petrol and diesel now reaching
Fuel prices in the UK have once again hit record levels this week, with the average price of petrol and diesel now reaching 188.70p per litre and 196.06p per litre respectively (RAC – 21 June 2022).
With prices not looking like slowing down any time soon, it could be a daunting outlook for businesses who are reliant on these fuels to power the vehicles that are travelling hundreds of miles every day, to perform the deliveries and collections that make their business profitable.
So let’s dive into some of the steps that delivery and logistics companies can take to combat the rising fuel prices, and improve their bottom line.
Plan better delivery and collection routes for your drivers
Travelling the shortest distance to complete your deliveries and collections is a sure fire way to keep fuel costs to a minimum and reduce overspending on fuel.
The easiest way to do this is by making sure your drivers have the shortest distance possible to travel between each of the stops that are planned on their runs.
By doing this, you create an optimised route for drivers which make it possible for them to complete their designated runs whilst covering as fewer miles as possible, and therefore reduce the amount fuel required on each run.
Not only this, but it can also increase the productivity of both your drivers and your entire logistics operation.
Creating an optimised delivery route might mean that your driver may have the capacity to undertake extra deliveries of collections within their shift, which can prevent the need for you to send additional vehicles out to fulfil your orders, once again reducing the amount your business is required to spend on fuel.
Encourage better driving
Your vehicles consume more fuel when they’re driven at higher speeds.
Every additional mile per hour (mph) above 55 mph decreases your fuel economy by 0.1 mile per gallon (mpg). That means a truck driving at 65 mph would be losing one mile for every gallon of fuel used by the vehicle.
Therefore, being able to gather data about the speeds at which your drivers are driving their vehicles becomes an incredibly valuable asset for you to improve your logistics operation and reduce fuel consumption.
To encourage better, safer and more economical driving from your drivers you can turn to telematics solutions, such as Teletrac Navman, to harvest key data about the performance of your drivers, such as: speed details, harsh braking stats and fuel consumption.
You’re then enabled to optimise the performance of your drivers and set requirements for how they need to drive the vehicles when delivering on your behalf, helping you keep your drivers safe, your fleet economical and your fuel costs down.
Ensure your vehicles are properly maintained
It’s important to try and get the most out of every drop of fuel that your vehicles are burning.
In order to do this, your vehicles need to be operating at maximum efficiency, and this can only be achieved by ensuring your vehicles are well maintained.
Regular maintenance and servicing can help improve the efficiency of your fleet.
Issues such as underinflated tyres can impact the fuel consumption of your vehicle, so make sure your drivers aren’t leaving the depot without their tyres being properly inflated.
But tyres aren’t the only thing that could be impacting your fuel consumption.
There’s also improperly aligned tyres/wheels, poorly tuned engines, oil leaks/dirty oil and brake drag to look out for when performing your vehicle inspections, as these could all be impacting the fuel efficiency of your fleet.
How can Stream help combat rising fuel prices?
Stream offers route planning & optimisation, as well as walkaround check & defect reporting software to help fuel efficiency improvements across your delivery operation.
Route planning & optimisation helps you reduce fuel consumption and boost productivity, whilst walkaround checks & defect reporting aids keeping your fleet maintained and roadworthy.
Not only that, but Stream enables you to be sure you have the right goods, on the right vehicle on the right runs, because we know that additional unnecessary weight on your vehicle will also impact your fuel consumption.
If you would like to find out how Stream can deliver efficiency improvements and help you combat the rising fuel prices, book a live product tour with our team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stream’s powerful route planning and optimisation software can help you create the most efficient routes for drivers who are making deliveries and collections for your company, reducing the amount of fuel that’s required to complete each of your delivery runs.
Petrol and Diesel are currently so expensive due to Russia being one of the world’s largest producers of oil & gas. Russia is currently facing international sanctions following a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is having a significant impact on the supply of gas & oil to other countries. According to AutoExpress, Russia produces 4.5 million barrels of oil per day, with Saudi Arabia being the only country to produce more.
