Fuel costs can make up a significant percentage of your fleet’s budget, so understanding and reducing unnecessary idle time can be key to minimizing expenses. Whether it’s because your driver is operating in cold weather, heavy traffic or is merely unaware of his behavior, there are ways to identify idle times and take action to change habits.
Why you should reduce idling time
1. Reduce fuel costs
Fuel costs are a top expense for trucking companies, making up almost a quarter of operating costs. By identifying unnecessary idling times, you can significantly reduce costs and increase the bottom line for your business.
2. Increase vehicle life
By reducing idle time you can reduce the costs of fuel along with the wear and tear on vehicles. Less engine time means fewer oil changes and ultimately less vehicle downtime.
3. Lower harmful emissions
The transportation sector accounts for 28% of US greenhouse gases. Instead of leaving the truck running, you can reduce the environmental impact of damaging emissions by instructing drivers to turn off when leaving the cab. A healthier fleet and a healthier planet is a win-win.
Identifying idle times
Identifying the cause is the first step. Many times drivers are idling during traffic, unloading and loading, stopped on the side of the road, or when heating or cooling the cab of the truck. With EROAD’s Fuel Management and Idle reports you get immediate insight on fuel efficiency, including costly idle times across your fleet so you can identify trends and ensure each fuel dollar is spent productively.
Within the report you can view average and total idle time by vehicle and details of idle events including location, date and time. This type of detailed information helps you drill down to understand specific idle events and identify the potential for interventions such as heaters, diesel-powered generators or more efficient routes to support drivers in safely reducing unproductive idling. With monthly, quarterly, and annual reports it’s easy to spot trends and make adjustments.
Brittany Wooten
Content Marketing Manager
Brittany is a content marketing professional with a passion for sharing innovative technologies with the world. Her goal is to empower both individuals and companies by harnessing the power of data. With over seven years’ experience in telematics and the transportation industry, Brittany continues to find compelling ways to connect with customers.
