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Fuel might cost your business an arm and a leg,

6th May 1999, Page 50
6th May 1999
Page 50
Page 51
Page 50, 6th May 1999 — Fuel might cost your business an arm and a leg,
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but it is no different for your competitors. The way to stay ahead is to ensure that you manage your fuel costs better than they do. Sharon Clancy investigates the most economical methods of fuel management.

The furore over the Governments determination to keep the fuel duty escalator running has certainly focused operators' attention on fuel costs. Fuel companies predict prices will rise again in 1999, so this is a good time to ensure that you're doing all you can to reduce the impact the price hikes are having on your business. New services and equipment can cut costs, even in the tightest-run operations.

Good fuel management is not just about buying fuel as cheaply as possible, but analysing how it is used. If the fuel consumption on one of your trucks is consistently worse than the fleet average, the sooner you find out about it the sooner you can take action.

Bulk buying on your own account is generally seen as the cheapest and most convenient way to buy fuel, followed by fuel bunkering networks and the forecourts. Mixing these options can be particularly cost-effective. CH Jones, which runs the 820-strong bunkering network in the UK accessed through the Keyfuels and Diesel Direct fuel cards, says the fuel used in detouring even a few miles to a company-owned bunker site can easily negate the lower price paid for that fuel.

Refuelling at a fuel-company forecourt has usually been the most expensive option, so it has traditionally been something wise hauliers have avoided whenever possible. Shell aims to change that with its new Euroshell UK fuel card.

Operators pay the spot market price plus a handling fee, which is said to make the price more competitive with bulk purchasing. The card can be used at 350 UK Shell fuel stations with an HGV lane, and at 300 Truck Ports on the Continent.

Bunkering

Analysing what happens to the fuel you buy helps identify where savings can be made. So gather as much information as possible on what fuel is issued to which vehicles and drivers. If you use one of the bunkering networks, check the reports you get are detailed enough.

Companies such as CH Jones use sophisticated fuel management software to collate data from a range of equipment and pumps to create full reports on each vehicle, wherever it has refuelled in the networt Operators are promised the same level of information they would expect from an in-house system. if you already run your own fuel bunker, consider upgrading your fuel dispensing equipment and investing in the latest fuel management software.

A new generation of pumps on the market feature integral fuel management software to facilitate matching fuel issues to vehicles and drivers.

Data on fuel issues can be downloaded from pumps using hand-held terminals, or remotely via the telephone network. Once loaded into an office-based fuel management software program, this data can be used to produce reports tailored to your needs.

Meggitt Petroleum's Triscan Integra unit is one of these high-tech pumps. It can be integrated with existing on-site fuel pumps, and can support up to three external pumps. Data can be entered directly into the office-based Phoenix fuel management software, The Merridale Auditor FS is a similar pump from MIS Fuel Monitoring. Driver and vehicle details can be stored on either a smart card or a data key.

If you've always thought your fleet size or fuel use does not justify your own bunker, it could be time to think again. Bulk fuel tank manufacturer Joseph Ash points

out that the bigger the difference between retail and wholesale prices, the shorter the payback period on installing your own tank. The company's Envirotank package incorporates Roncol Services Compact pump which uses refurbished hydraulics to save £500 on the cost of a new pump.

WS says wider use of computers is making it easier for hauliers to take control of their fuel management. "Bunkering keeps the cost of fuel down, but if you really want to control costs you need to do weekly costs analysis to check on vehicles and driver performances," says a spokesman.

MIS's Mk11 fuel pump incorporates two pumping units that increase the fuel delivery rate to 120ht/min, halving the time it takes to refill a typical truck fuel tank.

Training

Operators can easily overlook one of the most important influences on fuel consumption: the driver. If particular drivers regularly return worse fuel consumption figures than their colleagues, find out why. Even experienced drivers can fail to appreciate that today's trucks require a different driving technique to get the most economical perforinance. The driver training courses run by the vehicle manufacturers are often free, but even if you pay, fuel savings could soon recoup the cost. Neill Attwaters runs Renault's truck driver development programme in the UK. He notices three recurring faults among drivers which all reduce fuel economy: • Letting the engine labour and changing up too soon; • Changing down too soon and using the gears instead of brakes; • Insufficient use of exhaust/engine brakes.

Familiarising drivers with new technology can reap dividends. Richard Thompson, who manages the MercedesBenz driving training programme, reports that drivers attending Actros and Atego courses generally improve their fuel figures by 12-16%.

Getting the best out of engines with EDC (electronic diesel control) needs the most adjustment, says Thompson. "It's more economical to use the CDC to move the vehicle, not the accelerator. With [DC pushing fuel into the engine there is no need to press firmly on the accelerator to move the truck off, even when starting in second gear. 1 he same applies when driving at 40mpg on a flat A-road— the MC will push fuel through the vehicle with the minimum of accelerator pressure, making it much easier to maintain a constant speed and break out of the accelerate-brake-accelerate routine."

The two-stage exhaust brake on Mercedes trucks works most effectively in the yellow band, so drivers need to change down before engaging it. Thompson recommends block gearchanges whenever possible.

Another tip is to use cruise-control

and the two-stage exhaust brake together to control speed downhill. Thompson says this is effective even on urban roads with gradients where the maximum speed is 20mph and top gear is sixth.

Drivers are encouraged to make full use of cruise control anyway It helps maintain a constant speed which produces the best average speed for a journey and, again, breaks the accelerate-brake-accelerate cycle. The rule is to engage cruise control as soon as operating speed is reached and to disengage it at the first sign of trouble ahead," says Thompson. "Rut never use it when you're tired."

CONTROLLING FUEL COSTS

• Review your fuel buying policy to check you're getting the best deal.

• Identify poorly-performing vehicles and drivers—investment in fuel management software and upgraded fuel-dispensing equipment can help.

• Analyse your fuel costs regularly—the sooner you know there's a problem, the sooner you can rectify it.

• Don't forget the influence of the driver—take advantage of manufacturers' driver training schemes to improve the performance of drivers and trucks alike,


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