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THE FUEL MONTY
Page 42
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Keeping track of fuel costs is no longer a marginal activity: it should be a core e ement of your financial strategy. Louise Cole reviews ways in which you can make your fuel go further.
ith another fuel-duty rise in October having added to the financial burden of road transport, followed by the opening of the floodgates once the retail diesel price passed 1/lit, few can doubt it's time to monitor closely and mi nimise fuel usage in your operation.
Neither the Chancellor,Alistair Darling, nor his opposite number is prepared to cut fuel duty. Both have made public statements to that effect — and frankly we cannot imagine the £28bn-plus which this duty pours into the Treasury being prised out of government hands, even in the form of an essential user rebate. It might be unjust, but it is the reality of the situation.
Controlling consumption
As fuel represents 40% of operational costs and, more crucially for many, a substantial part of a firm's credit liability, it is imperative that operators take every possible step to manage fuel consumption.This simply isn't something you can afford to fudge.The first step will always be measurement: how much fuel are you using? What are your vehicle utilisation levels? Which of your drivers push the mpg up or down? The next step is to implement every fuel-saving measure you can think of; we list a number of them for you right here.
Go for the big-ticket items first—minimising empty running, for example — and once you have those under control you can delve into minor matters. Even large operators with well-run fleets have achieved dramatic improvements in fuel consumption through such initiatives as driver-training schemes, improving trailer aerodynamics and implementing a tyre-management scheme. We bring you their experiences, their tips and all the places you can go for further help and advice.
After all, if you can cut your fuel bill simply by closing the distance between truck and trailer, the only question that matters is... why haven't you?
Monitoring and then cutting your fuel bill isn't rocket science. Follow our top 10 tips and you'll see the savings stack up with virtually no effort. 'Measure then manage' has to be the mantra of anyone serious about cutting their fuel bill, so let's get started. •