10 Tips to Improve Fleet Efficiency

Increases in fuel costs, trucking regulations, motor carrier competition coupled with a growing capacity crunch has put a renewed focus on reducing idle time and improving general fleet efficiency. The goal of every fleet is to provide outstanding customer service while managing their cost of operation. Here are ten tips originally published by Supply Chain 247 you can use to keep your fleet running efficiently.

1. Run Lean – Removing inefficiencies can save fleets hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the long run. The idea of using Lean practices means to eliminate wasted motion, which can easily be applied in the trucking industry by mapping routes, avoiding high-density traffic times, and planning fuel and break locations between departure and arrival.

2. No More Empty Miles – Empty miles refer to the number of miles driven while driving an empty container or trailer, which means the power unit is not earning revenue. This can be one of the most expensive aspects of running a fleet. Ensuring another pickup near the original delivery location prior to departure or partnering with another provider to arrange backhaul loads can help minimize empty miles. 

3. Be Sure Your Fleet is the Right Size – Uptime is a critical measure for fleets. If you regularly have vehicles out of cycle for repair or sitting on the sidelines waiting for the next load, it may be smart to consider downsizing your fleet, which will simplify administrative management and free up capital.

4. Reduce Wait Times – Fleet idle time is most commonly caused by poor planning that leaves drivers waiting to load or unload. By mapping everything out, detailing the flow and looking for ways to eliminate excess moving, waiting time should decrease.

5. Reduce Idle Time – After labor, the biggest cost to a fleet is fuel. So why waste that fuel at a roadside rest stop because drivers are leaving engines running? Filling up a big rig takes about $1,000 on average, and by making just a few slight adjustments in driver’s behaviors, a lot of fuel money can be saved.

6. Optimize Flow – Shorter lead times with less idle time results when the right people, equipment and processes are aligned. Plus delivering to customers on time increases satisfaction and repeat customer behavior.

7. Keep Drivers Connected – Fuel locators, route planners, driver behavior tracking with onboard technology can help cut down operational costs by increasing fuel efficiency, optimizing routes and fuel spend.

8. Track Driver Behavior – Keeping track of drivers may seem like micromanagement, but every little bit can help the bottom line and knowing when drivers are stopping and idling, their fuel usage and how they’re handling their DOT logs can help fleet owners to train drivers appropriately to do what’s best for the fleet.

9. See the Big Picture – With technology today, fleet owners can see everything happening across the whole fleet. With all this knowledge, loads can be balanced, productivity of each driver boosted and trade cycles can be fine-tuned. It all benefits the bottom line.

10. Keep Small Problems Small – Preventative maintenance and inspections are vital in keeping fleets on the road. Vehicle inspection, lubrication, adjustments and just regularly examining the vehicles can make sure any small problems that do pop up don’t become big problems that require a lot of money to fix later.