When it comes to fuel cost, a swing of even a few cents per gallon can make a substantial impact on a fleet’s overall fuel spend — and bottom line. What can fleet managers do to reduce their organization’s overall fuel consumption and reap significant savings?

1. Six Fuel Reduction Initiatives that Produce
Results Now
When it comes to fuel cost, a swing of even a few cents
per gallon can make a substantial impact on a fleet’s
overall fuel spend — and bottom line. What can fleet
managers do to reduce their organization’s overall fuel
consumption and reap significant savings?
One strategy is to replace conventional vehicles with
alternative-fuel options, such as all-electric, hybrid,
propane autogas, or natural gas. But, going “all-in” on
green technologies can be an expensive proposition and
isn’t always appropriate or practical for certain
applications or fleets.
Here are six initiatives that fleet managers can implement
right now to maximize fleet-wide fuel efficiency, without
a huge up-front investment in new vehicles or
technologies:
At A Glance
Fleets looking to save fuel costs right now can do so by:
Implementing eco-driving techniques.

2. Reducing idling.
Optimizing routing.
Reducing vehicle weight.
Maintaining proper tire inflation.
Monitoring unauthorized use of fleet assets.
1. Eco-Driving Techniques
To most fleet managers, the concept that driver habits can
significantly impact fuel economy is well documented.
It’s the low-hanging fruit for making an immediate impact
on fuel consumption.

3. For example, aggressive driving behaviors — such as
speeding, rapid acceleration, and hard braking — can
reduce fuel mileage by as much as 33 percent at highway
speeds and by 5 percent around town, according to the
U.S. Department of Energy’s FuelEconomy.gov.
And, a road test performed by Edmunds.com concluded
that moderate driving behaviors achieve up to 37-percent
fuel savings compared to aggressive driving tactics and
staying within the speed limit generates up to 14-percent
reduction in fuel consumption.
How can fleet managers get a handle on their drivers’
behaviors to identify opportunities for improvement?
Telematics systems using GPS tracking can be configured
to capture real-time data on aggressive driving incidents
and send alerts to fleet managers when a speeding, harsh
braking, or hard acceleration event occurs. This way, fleet
managers can quickly identify and address high-risk
drivers — to help correct those behaviors before they get
out of hand.
2. Idle Reduction
According to Argonne National Laboratory (ANL),
engine idle wastes anywhere from about a quarter to more
than one gallon of fuel per hour, depending on vehicle
type and engine size. (To determine fuel consumption
rates specific to your vehicles, refer to ANL’s Idle
Reduction Savings Calculator, available in both PDF and

4. Excel formats, at
www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/TA/361.pdf.)
While this may not sound like much, all it takes is a few
minutes here and there, whether to warm up the engine or
stay cool in the vehicle between jobs, to add up to a few
hours each day. Multiply that idle time across dozens,
hundreds, or even thousands of vehicles in a fleet, and
you get the idea of the size of the opportunity for fuel
reduction if you can eliminate excessive idle.
“Ultimately, lowering idle time and the resulting fuel
costs is all about changing the behavior of managers and
drivers,” said Dr. Raza Global VP of sales & CXO of
OrbLogic*. “To achieve this, fleet managers need to first
understand how much idle time is occurring, under what
circumstances, and by what types of vehicles.”
Dr. Raza said telematics systems can help fleets capture
real-time idling data so that they can understand the scope
of the problem.
“In working with our fleet customers, we have found that
they are always surprised at how much idling they are
doing. Even drivers who are being mindful of their idle
time are sometimes unaware of how much idling they
actually do,” Dr. Raza said. “Once fleet managers have a
good understanding of how and when excessive idling is
occurring, they can then use this data to establish clear

5. policies, communicate these policies to drivers, and
reward them for positive behavior.”
How can fleet managers use that data to effectively
enforce their idling policy?
Creating contests and incentives based on driver
performance is a good way to create excitement and
driver interest.
“Contests are a great way to motivate drivers to improve
performance and achieve company goals,” Dr. Raza said.
It is part of Orblogic’s gamification technology. “To lower
fuel costs, one company awarded a game console to the
driver with the best idling record at the end of the year.
By posting the results each week, it became a competition
that led to significantly reduced idling throughout the fleet
and good camaraderie among the drivers.”
3. Route Optimization
The shortest distance between two points isn’t always the
most efficient route from a fuel economy perspective,
especially if there is a lot of traffic, road construction, or
any other factor that would increase travel time and fuel
consumption. How can fleet managers, dispatchers, and
drivers select the most efficient routing on a consistent
basis?
A prime example is United Parcel Service (UPS), which
uses software to design delivery routes that avoid left

6. turns whenever possible. The company found that a
significant cause of idle time — and wasted fuel —
resulted from drivers making left turns because they had
to idle at the traffic lights, waiting to make the turn. The
“no-left-turns” policy has saved UPS an estimated 10
million gallons of fuel since 2004, according to the
company.
Another way to use route optimization software for fuel
reduction is to consolidate routes. This way, fleets can use
fewer vehicles (and, thus, less fuel) to serve customers,
without sacrificing the quality or timeliness of the service.
Route optimization can also help fleets identify
opportunities to reallocate smaller, more fuel-efficient
vehicles to certain routes that had been previously served
by less efficient vehicles.
With OrbLogic’s deep-data mining & predictive analytics
providing actionable data-organizational productivity is
enhanced & costs reduced.
4. Weight Reduction
According to FuelEconomy.gov, an extra 100 pounds in a
vehicle can reduce fuel economy by about 1 percent. But,
when fleet managers cannot physically inspect every car,
van, or truck at all times to ensure there’s isn’t any
unnecessary cargo in or on the vehicle, what practical
steps can they take to ensure proper weight?

7. The first step is to gather baseline data on what’s
appropriate in terms of cargo requirements for a specific
job title (such as sales, technician, installer, estimator,
etc.), according to Dr. Raza.
“Once the position (or job title) has been identified for
evaluation, a sampling of representative drivers should
complete a baseline data collection template (including
products, tools, and/or equipment they carry; how many
of each; and their height, width, length, and weight
dimensions),” Dr. Raza said. “This data will allow you to
understand variation among drivers’ cargo carrying
behaviors. Since this group of drivers performs a similar
job, they should theoretically be carrying very similar
cargo.”
Another tip is to gather together a representative group of
drivers for a brief virtual or in-person focus group. ”You
can actually view their vehicles loaded with their typical
cargo to better understand what cargo is really necessary
and the best way to load it into their vehicle,” Dr. Raza
said. “Discussion of their ‘day in the life’ allows you to
understand the driver’s daily environment, while helping
you identify best practices and improvement
opportunities. It may lead to transitioning some drivers to
a smaller vehicle.”
How can fleet managers monitor results to ensure driver
compliance?

8. Through ongoing evaluation of each driver’s fuel
economy performance.
“While other behaviors also influence mpg performance
(aggressive driving, stop and go traffic), significant mpg
variation among drivers within the same position will
allow you to monitor and subsequently reward good
behaviors and address undesirable behaviors,” Dr. Raza
said.
5. Tire Pressure Maintenance
Under-inflation increases tire wear and reduces fuel
economy by up to 3 percent, according to the U.S.
Department of Energy.
“Properly inflated tires get better fuel efficiency when
compared to improperly inflated tires. And, it’s not
enough to just visually check tires — a tire can lose up to
half of its inflation and not appear to be flat. It’s best to
follow the recommended guidelines,” said Dr. Raza
Proper tire pressure guidelines for a particular vehicle can
be found on the door to the glove compartment or on the
driver’s side door pillar.
How often should tire pressure be checked?
Tire manufacturers recommend checking tire inflation
once a month and before long trips or when you suspect
physical damage.

9. Here are key steps to keep in mind, according to
OrbLogic*:
When you check the inflation pressure, make sure the
tires are cool.
Remember to check the spare tire.
Visually inspect the tires for physical damage, imbedded
objects (e.g., nails and screws), and loose fasteners.
Who should be responsible for checking and maintaining
proper tire pressure?
“Tire management is not just an individual responsibility,”
Dr. Raza said. “It is a team effort from the driver who
takes the time to do his daily pre-trip inspection and
monthly tire inflation inspection, to the procurement
group who buys the right tire for the application as well as
the maintenance group that inspects the tires as part of a
regular preventive maintenance program.”
What systems or processes do savvy fleets put in place to
ensure tire pressure is checked in a timely manner across
dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of vehicles in a
fleet?
“Every fleet should have a tire management program,
whether it involves the latest technology such as computer
software programs, pressure and inflation systems, and
automated pre-trip inspections, or involves the good old
fashioned method of using paper, a pencil, a tire gauge,
and tread depth tools,” Dr. Raza said.

10. “Tires are a critical component of a vehicle and an asset
that needs to be managed not only for total cost of
ownership but also for safety and fuel efficiency. They are
also a good example of a ‘low cost-big impact’ measure.
By properly maintaining air pressure, you can reap
substantial benefits.”
6. Unauthorized Use Reporting
Anytime a take-home fleet vehicle is driven for personal
use or a side job, company fuel is wasted. So, how can
fleet managers monitor and minimize unauthorized
vehicle use?
“A clearly defined fleet policy detailing authorized and
unauthorized use of company vehicles is essential,”
advised Dr. Raza. “Include wording in the policy given to
drivers about how vehicle use is monitored and the
potential disciplinary action that may be taken if misuse
by the driver has occurred. This will reinforce the
seriousness of unauthorized use of company vehicles.”
OrbLogic* recommends configuring telematics systems
to report on vehicle use that falls outside of company
policies.
“One example is if a fleet does not permit use on
weekends or after certain hours,” he said. “Telematics can
track the time and locations that vehicles are in use and
send reports and alerts on use outside of the set

11. parameters. And, in the event that a vehicle is supposed to
be limited to a territory, you would be alerted on instances
when vehicles leave that territory.” Dr. Raza said.
GeoFencing with OrbLogic’s FleetMatrix*
A fuel card, when tied into a telematics system, is another
helpful tool to not only track unauthorized use of a
vehicle but also identify improper fuel purchases that
drive up fleet-wide fuel consumption.
“With fuel cards, you can tell whether the fuel purchase is
for more than a vehicle’s tank capacity, an indicator that
an asset-assigned fuel card is being used on a different
vehicle,” Dr. Raza said. “Or, if your business has defined
business hours or does not operate over weekend, you
could set up alerts to know when fuel purchases occur
outside normal business hours.”
Fuel cards can also be set up with spend limits, aligned
with a vehicle’s utilization and fuel capacity, to hold
drivers accountable with fuel purchases.
The Bottom Line
While “Go Green” initiatives tend to garner the biggest
headlines, don’t overlook the small steps, the little tweaks
here and there, that you can begin applying today to make
a substantial impact on cutting your fleet’s overall fuel
consumption, while maintaining optimal service levels for
customers. OrbLogic’s FleetMatrix*-unsurpassed &
limitless automation, value and ROI. Schedule a 30 min

12. demo with us to realize all the benefits available to your
organization by emailing hjraza@orblogic.com. To learn
more please, visit www.orblogic.com.