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Tips for a Green Fleet Strategy

This article was published on: 07/16/21 by the Robert Hall

Looking for ways to go greener in your business? Your fleet is a great place to start, but don’t assume that creating a greener fleet is beyond your budget. While switching to all electric or hybrid vehicles may not be feasible for every company, there is one green upgrade that’s both affordable and practical for any fleet: installing fleet management software to track performance and save both money and fuel.

4 Tips for a Green Fleet Strategy Using GPS Tracking Solutions

From recycling trucks to service delivery vehicles to any kind of car, bus or truck fleet, investing in fleet management software is a sustainable choice for many reasons. Here are four ways fleet tracking systems can help you protect the environment and uphold your corporate reputation while you improve your bottom line.

1. Save Fuel With Advanced Mapping Capabilities

How much would you save by reducing your fuel consumption by 2 percent, 5 percent or even 8 percent every month? Fleet monitoring software allows you to easily optimize your driver routes, saving both fuel and driving time — even on the fly in real time.

Ways you can use fleet tracking solutions to improve vehicle routing include:

  • Finding faster routes.
  • Finding shorter routes.
  • Planning multiple stops.
  • Routing around traffic.
  • Eliminating unnecessary trips.

Not only will you cut fuel costs, but your customers will also appreciate the improved accuracy in tracking and scheduling. Track Your Truck’s fleet monitoring solutions use Google’s Enterprise Edition Maps for the most advanced and reliable mapping capabilities available.

2. Encourage More Sustainable Driving Habits

Driver behaviors such as idling, speeding and fast starts and stops are one of the biggest ways fleets waste fuel. They can cost a company thousands of dollars per vehicle each year — not to mention the increased maintenance and shortened vehicle life in which these habits result.

How much fuel can you cut back on consuming? According to U.S. government statistics, quite a bit. Consumption rates vary from cars to trucks and by make, model and year. On average:

  • Controlling aggressive driving behaviors can help you gain anywhere from 10% to 40% better fuel efficiency.
  • Ensuring drivers follow the posted speed limit can help cut down on consumption by 7% to 14%.
  • Eliminating unnecessary idling will typically help you consume between a quarter to half a gallon less fuel per hour.

With fleet management software, you can monitor every vehicle 24/7 and make sure your drivers are following vehicle operation best practices. It can also help you eliminate unauthorized vehicle use. With our covert tracking capabilities, you can even monitor your vehicle use without alerting your employees and drivers.

3. Improve Vehicle Performance and Life Expectancy

Fleet management software allows you unprecedented vehicle monitoring capabilities so you can ensure continuous optimal performance of every vehicle, reducing maintenance and fuel costs, and extending vehicle life. The technology connects directly to vehicle engine computers and the cloud, providing you with a wealth of information that you can use for proactive care.

Some of the maintenance activities you can perform using fleet management solutions include:

  • Scheduling services based on vehicle mileage or hours.
  • Tracking repairs and hosting technician documentation.
  • Identifying vehicle issues and engine codes in real time.
  • Providing a written history with vehicle warranty claims.
  • Pinpointing maintenance trends for makes and models.

You will know immediately if a vehicle is not performing to expectations, therefore you can fix the issue right away and keep costly wear and tear to a minimum. By comparing reports on specific vehicles, you can easily identify which vehicles are performing best to help you make wise and sustainable choices when it’s time to cull vehicles or add to your fleet.

4. Plan Ahead for a Greener Future

Our fleet monitoring technology gives you the predictive analysis capabilities you need to identify problems before they arise — and proactively address them before they happen. By analyzing reporting data and taking note of vehicle use and fuel consumption patterns, you can find ways to constantly improve your sustainability — as well as your cost savings — into the future.

investing in a fleet tracking solution is one of the easiest steps you can take toward developing a green fleet management strategy — and something that will start paying off right away. These products are easy to install and implement. The sooner you get connected, the sooner you can start gathering information and building records that you can use to make informed decisions.

Additional Tips for a Green Fleet Strategy

Fleet management solutions provide an excellent platform for taking your company into the next century, regardless of your fleet size or the vehicles you’re using. You can also take a number of other steps to cut down on your carbon footprint with or without the aid of this technology. Some of the best include:

  • Setting goals: Fleet tracking solutions provide you with precise data that you can use to set realistic efficiency goals and track progress.
  • Shopping around: If you use vendors to deliver the materials and supplies you need, consider finding a local source that’s a little bit closer.
  • Engaging your staff: Let your team know about the company’s goals, how you plan to achieve them and what they can do in their roles to help.
  • Recognizing top performers: Going green can be fun. Establish a friendly competition to see who can be the most efficient, and provide rewards as incentives.
  • Investing in new vehicles: If you’re using old vehicles, switching to newer models can help you gain efficiency in fuel consumption and aerodynamics.
  • Staying flexible: Any program goes through changes while people settle in. Start with smaller goals and keep an open mind when it comes to making adjustments.

Learn More About GPS Fleet Tracking Solutions From Track Your Truck

Sustainability is a long game. You can expect to see some short-term gains, but the real payoff comes in the months and years following equipment implementation. The longer you keep track of your vehicles and drivers, the more information you can leverage in making decisions.

Track Your Truck GPS fleet tracking is an effective, affordable way for any fleet manager to significantly reduce the environmental impact of your company vehicles right away. If you would like to learn more about how our fleet management software can help your company save the environment while lowering your vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, call us today at 855-505-5468 — or request a quote here.