If you own a business that incorporates the shipping of a large number of goods, then it is likely that you have invested in your own fleet in order to cut out the middleman in regard to shipping. While this is an effective way of saving money in the long run when it comes to shipping your products and goods, there are many ways in which your fleet might be costing you more than is necessary without you even knowing it.
If you are looking for ways to save money with your fleet, here are three things that you should consider doing.
Find the Right Fuel Card
When it comes to your fleet, one expenditure that will be quite high is that of fuel. It takes a great deal of fuel for large trucks to get from point A to point B, and when you are shipping to regions throughout the country, you could be looking at some extreme fuel costs.
While you have likely factored fuel into your yearly budget, there are actually ways of making sure that your fleet doesn’t spend more than is necessary on fuel. Unfortunately, cases of fuel fraud and overspending on fuel unnecessarily aren’t uncommon. Before you know it, your fuel budget for the year can wind up being horribly mismanaged. However, the right fuel card solutions can help you keep a closer eye so that you don’t end up losing money.
Evaluate You Dunnage Usage
Another way to start cutting down on your shipping costs with your fleet involves the manner in which you use dunnage in the shipping process. Although dunnage itself doesn’t tend to be expensive, too much dunnage in your packages can make your boxes far bigger than they need to be.
When your packages are bigger, they take up more space on your trucks. This means that you need to utilize multiple trucks when really fewer might have done the trick. Make sure that the employees you have working in packaging know how to best use dunnage without created too much-wasted space on your trucks.
Educate Your Drivers
One aspect of managing your fleet that can feel like wishful thinking at times involves the manner in which your drivers conduct themselves and your vehicles when out on the road. Unfortunately, longer trips can invoke road rage in many people, not excluding fleet drivers. It is essential that your drivers are educated on the safest driving protocols and that they know how seriously you take the matter.
Aside from their own personal safety, the well-being of your goods and trucks is also at stake. While your budget should obviously allow for routine repairs throughout the year with a contingency fund for unexpected repairs, you don’t need your drivers causing accidents and damaging your fleet and goods along the way. Moreover, the right driving practices can even help reduce fuel costs and additional wear on tires.
