Fleet diesel control: 5 factors and how to cut consumption

What helps save fuel is a routine question in transport operations, especially when it comes to heavy vehicles with high consumption and companies that urgently need diesel savings.

This is because diesel is one of the largest cost items, as well as essential for fleet operations.

Finding efficient ways to reduce diesel consumption is a strategy both for optimizing operating costs and for improving fleet sustainability and fuel efficiency.

What factors influence diesel consumption?

Several factors influence diesel consumption in truck fleets, and optimizing them can reduce fuel costs and improve overall fleet efficiency. Here are the main influences on consumption:

Vehicle maintenance problems

Regular maintenance prevents various problems, such as wear and broken truck components. This is why inspecting vehicles or having detection and fault diagnosis technologies is so important.

These actions help identify and resolve a problem before it causes greater consequences — such as increased diesel consumption.

Driving style

Whether accelerating or braking, every driver action makes a difference to truck fuel consumption.

Actions that are even considered irresponsible, such as improper overtaking and accelerating at a yellow light, impair diesel combustion efficiency and can also cause other problems in the engine and fuel system.

Vehicle weight

The more weight a vehicle carries, the more fuel it will use. Consumption is even higher when a truck is overloaded, carrying more weight than the manufacturer recommends.

Route planning

Routes that expose the vehicle to heavy traffic and poor road conditions can increase the distance traveled and, consequently, fuel consumption.

Comprehensive, centralized management of routes and vehicles therefore also contributes to diesel savings in your fleet.

Tire condition

Incorrectly inflated or worn tires increase rolling resistance, raising diesel consumption. The same happens if a tire has damage or irregularities.

How can truck fleets reduce diesel consumption?

As well as identifying ways to save fuel, as discussed above, you also need to understand how to reduce vehicle consumption. This will consequently save diesel too.

To reduce consumption and save diesel, you can consider:

Manage engine speed

Keeping the engine running in its most efficient RPM range can reduce fuel consumption.

This means avoiding excessively high RPM, which increases consumption, and excessively low RPM, which can be inefficient and even damage the engine structure.

Use quality fuel

This is one of the main fuel-saving tips. Using higher-quality fuel ensures more efficient combustion and, consequently, better engine performance.

By contrast, low-quality fuels can contain impurities that affect engine efficiency and increase diesel consumption.

Ensure correct gear use

Downshifting at the right time, especially on slopes or under heavy loads, is important to avoid increased fuel consumption.

It is also important to ensure drivers know how to change gears at the right time without forcing the engine to run at unnecessarily high RPM, contributing to diesel savings.

Keep track of average consumption per vehicle

Diesel consumption can be checked manually, with the driver recording both the vehicle's odometer reading and the quantity added when refueling.

The mileage must also be recorded again when the fuel level reaches its limit.

Another way to do this is to use logistics technologies that automate the process.

How can transport operations save diesel?

To achieve diesel savings in vehicle fleets, managers should adopt a combination of advanced maintenance techniques and efficient driving strategies.

Regular maintenance is essential, focusing on aspects such as air filter cleaning, engine maintenance and tire calibration, which can directly influence fuel consumption.

It is also necessary to train drivers to adopt economical driving practices and to keep track of their driving behavior on routes.

Other important actions for saving fuel in vehicles include:

• Avoiding vehicle overloading;
• Choosing reliable fuel stations;
• Planning routes well;
• Keeping wheel alignment correct;
• Driving correctly and responsibly;
• Inflating tires regularly to the ideal pressure.

Want to take your fleet's fuel savings to the next level? Our free e-book “Fleet Fuel Savings Guide” can help.

Download your free e-book and start transforming your fleet's fuel management (in Portuguese)!