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High fuel prices naturally affect the operational costs of companies, particularly those in sectors such as logistics, transportation, and vehicle rental. Companies that rely on vehicle fleets inevitably need to start improving fuel efficiency. To ensure efficiency is properly targeted, you need accurate data that provides insight into vehicle usage and fuel consumption. Cartrack’s fleet management system can be a solution that helps companies improve fuel efficiency.
1. Reduce Idle Habits
Idle activity, which refers to leaving the engine running while the vehicle is not moving, is proven to waste fuel. Vehicles waste an average of 2–4 litres of fuel for every hour of idling. For this reason, you need to take steps to Cartrack’s real-time alerts and idle reports help you monitor and evaluate this inefficient behaviour.
The idle threshold set by Cartrack is 5 minutes, where you will receive a notification once the vehicle’s idling duration reaches the sixth minute. You can check the vehicle’s location and traffic conditions at that time on the Cartrack map to determine whether idling is truly necessary or whether you need to address the driver. On the other hand, Cartrack’s Idle Report provides information on the time, duration, and location of vehicle idling to help you evaluate drivers’ idling behaviour and reduce it.
2. Control Speeding Habits
Driving at high speeds, starting at around 95 km/h, increases fuel consumption. Over the same distance, fuel consumption is approximately 7–14% higher at speeds above this threshold. To control this behaviour, you can use Cartrack’s speeding alerts and reporting features.
Cartrack’s speed threshold for speeding alerts is 130 km/h, although you can request a different setting. For more details, you can download the Overspeed Report, which highlights trips exceeding 80 km/h, 100 km/h, 120 km/h, and 140 km/h using colour indicators. You can view the location and time of each speeding incident and analyse trends to identify preventive, corrective, or punitive actions.
3. Prevent Vehicle Misuse
Operational vehicles should be used to support company work or business activities. Using vehicles outside their intended purpose increases fuel costs. With a vehicle monitoring system like Cartrack, you can detect unauthorised side jobs or personal use of company vehicles.
Several Cartrack features can be used to detect vehicle misuse that leads to these losses, such as out-of-schedule usage alerts, geofence, stop reports, and cargo door sensors. Through these features, you can be notified whenever there is vehicle activity unrelated to assigned tasks, such as engine start-ups outside working hours, visits to restricted areas, route deviations involving prolonged stops unrelated to the assignment, and unloading of cargo at locations different from those specified in the task.
4. Fuel Loss Detection
One thing that is often overlooked in fuel efficiency efforts is ensuring there are no fuel leaks. A drastic drop in fuel volume can occur due to fuel theft or vehicle malfunctions, among other things. With Cartrack’s fuel sensor and fuel loss alert feature, you can quickly identify any irregularities in fuel consumption.
The Cartrack system will send an automatic alert if it detects a significant decrease in fuel volume. You can also check your fuel graph, fuel consumption, and fuel efficiency reports to determine whether this is a frequent occurrence. You can then conduct a data-driven investigation to determine the cause.
5. Verify Fuel Purchase Claims
Excessive spending on inappropriate fuel consumption needs to be curbed. While there are tolerances or ceilings for fuel claims, this does not mean there is no oversight at all. With trip reports, sensor and fuel reports, and Cartrack’s MiFleet (a cost management feature), you can estimate your fuel consumption rationally.
From trip reports or Google Maps integrated into the Cartrack fleet management platform, you can see the distance travelled by your vehicle. From there, you can estimate the amount of fuel required, taking into account traffic conditions (available in the map filter) and the vehicle’s fuel consumption trends (based on fuel reports). This also makes determining fuel claim limits more accurate.
For instant verification, you can compare your claim with your fuel report, which shows the number of litres, the volume before and after refuelling, and the refuelling location. You can also use the MiFleet feature to simplify verification by entering your fuel receipt details and viewing the location shown on a map when your vehicle refuels.
6. Manage Vehicle Maintenance Better
Delayed oil changes, underinflated or worn tyres, and clogged air filters are some vehicle issues that can lead to fuel wastage. One of the causes of such vehicle problems is irregular maintenance. Cartrack’s maintenance reminder features and CAN bus sensors can help schedule maintenance more efficiently, ensuring that nothing is missed.
Cartrack can automatically detect each vehicle’s mileage and engine hours, enabling scheduling to be automated. If your vehicle is equipped with a CAN bus system, for example European brands, you can install CAN bus sensors and receive notifications related to engine diagnostics, temperature, and over-revving. This CAN bus data helps technicians accurately identify vehicle issues and repair them before they become more serious. By keeping vehicles in optimal condition, fuel consumption will also become more efficient.
Ensure your vehicle fleet’s fuel consumption remains efficient. Use Cartrack with a range of standard and advanced features to support the fuel cost efficiency of your fleet. Contact us here for orders, enquiries, or to request an online Cartrack demo.
