Trakm8, represented in Ireland by fleetzone.ie is reducing fuel costs by effective fuel management for companies using the Trakm8 SWIFT fleet management system.
Fuel to most companies is one of the most expensive consumables used. It would be normal to assume fuel consumption is based on mileage but the Trakm8 system also highlights how driver behaviour, engine idling and indeed effective route planning have a significant impact.
Trakm8 have developed advanced technology to connect to the vehicle CANbus allowing driver behaviour to be monitored.
Gear usage, harsh acceleration and braking can all be monitored and reduced by driver education with the overall objective of reducing fuel consumption.
It is also not realised by companies and drivers alike how much fuel is used when a vehicle is idling. It is a common misconception that leaving the engine on requires less fuel than a restart, in stops of over 1 minute or more. For example an existing customer of Trakm8 ‘Sydenhams’ building merchants who have 60 trucks have been quoted to say ‘Using the Trakm8 software we have now reduced engine idle time, which in some cases amounted to 2-3 hours per vehicle per week. Our trucks waste 1 gallon of fuel per hour when idling which equates to approximately £5 worth of fuel. By identifying engine idling as an area for improvement we demonstrated an instant cost saving and a return on our investment for the fleet management system ‘ Jamie Thompson, Transport Manager
Effective route planning is the more obvious way of saving fuel and probably still the most significant. The Trakm8 fleet management system can view where vehicles are, to enable businesses to plan effective routes using the impressive range of on screen reports.
