Research has revealed that careful company fleet drivers can add an extra mile for each gallon of petrol, saving up to £5,000 per year per vehicle. Over revving, harsh braking and cruise control override are some of the main causes of unnecessary diesel consumption.
The analysis was conducted using Genesis’ xTrack, a tracking application that monitors driver behaviour, fuel usage and carbon emissions. With fuel prices continuing to escalate, fleet managers need an effective way of monitoring vehicles in order to drive maximum cost savings and efficiencies, Genesis said.
This may be the end of the road for the white van man and sales reps who have a tendency to drive with less care or at faster speeds than most company vehicle drivers, Genesis claimed. xTrack is increasingly being used by businesses to monitor their driver behaviours, the business stated.
Using xTrack, fleet managers have a centralised view of all vehicle locations, actual carbon emissions and data on MPH, RPM and MPG. The system also provides league tables of the best performers or worst offenders through a web-based portal providing real time information on all vehicles.
Richard Rands, product manager for Genesis, said: “It may seem strange that minor changes to driving styles can save so much money, but with ever increasing fuel prices, this is a major area where many businesses can drive considerable cost savings straight away.
“By educating drivers on best practice driving styles, monitoring how much fuel the vehicles are using and sharing this information across the fleet team, businesses could make significant savings on overall fuel bills as well as improving the fleet's overall efficiency,” he added.