You would be hard-pressed to find any individual or business that is not overwhelmed or frustrated by the recent petrol and diesel price hikes in South Africa. With the latest fuel hikes in March 2023, motorists are expected to pay an extra R57.15 or more to fill their tanks, this coupled with the increase in goods have South African’s feeling pressure from all sides and desperate for money-saving solutions.
For fleet managers, having easily accessible and comprehensive data can help them better manage their fleets and reduce operational costs where applicable. This is where fleet management systems come into play. By using fleet management systems, business owners and fleet managers can improve fuel efficiency, cut down on fuel costs, manage vehicle performance, increase drive safety and fleet security. Furthermore, fleet management systems can help fleet managers easily track and monitor on-site fuel storage and manage maintenance schedules which reduce downtime costs, resulting in increased productivity of your fleet.
What is a fuel management system?
A fuel management system consists of hardware and software that works together to help you better manage and optimize the fuel usage of your fleet. The hardware typically includes a fuel sensor / probe, controllers, and flow meters which measures fuel in either mobile or static tanks and sends raw data to the reporting platform. This reporting platform then translates the raw data into actionable insights in real-time.
These insights can help companies better track and monitor fuel usage, identify potential fuel theft, and achieve a higher level of data accuracy and fuel security.
Here are a couple key benefits of using a fuel management system for your business:
Better fuel security and site security
Any small loss eventually adds up when doing business and fuel theft and abuse are not uncommon in the fleet industry. With a fuel management system, you can easily monitor and receive alerts for events such as:
- Fuel dispensed – per transaction
- Fuel added – per transaction
- Detect fuel overfill and identify possible fuel spill risk
- Identify fuel access through ID tagging
- Receive real-time fuel readings directly from the tank
- Detect contaminants in the fuel
- Know vehicle speed, trip length, vehicle idle times etc.
This in-depth data can help you safeguard your mobile or static tank from outside threats, thus adding an additional layer of security.
Improve fuel efficiency and driver performance
With a fuel management system, you will be able to track a variety of factors that contribute to your overall fuel expenditure. In fact, some fleets are able to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 40% by focusing on two categories: idling and driving habits. In these two categories, businesses can:
- Reduce vehicle wear-and-tear by monitoring vehicle performance and maintenance
- Minimise excessive breaking and reducing idle time with proper driver training
- Better plan routes to ensure smoother travel
- Set fuel usage limits per destination or vehicle
By receiving in-depth fuel consumption reports, fleet managers can identify poor driver behaviour and take the necessary steps to correct them. This helps maintain better control over fuel usage and ensures fuel costs are kept to a minimum.
Manage time and expenses accurately
In the digital age that we live in, technology-based tools afford businesses the opportunity to save time and money through the process of automation. The process of automated data capture virtually eliminates human error. This means real-time visibility and improved data quality for each vehicle and each fuelling session. Automatic record-keeping also ensures consistent regular maintenance, wherever needed, so that you can keep your fleet on the road for longer. You will also be able to generate reports at any time so that you can continuously monitor your fleet’s fuel consumption.
Be in the driving seat
With the aid of a fuel management system, you will give yourself the power to truly streamline your fleet operations. Through the automated data capture, you will be able to assess and refine your operations, quickly being able to identify inefficient fuel consumption and curb these loses before they get out of hand. The bottom line is that your fuel management system will pay for itself in a short amount of time by saving you money through better fuel consumption practices.
Conclusion
At Landmark Tracking we offer comprehensive fuel management systems to help you fight the impact of fuel price hikes and manage rising operational expenditure. Our dedicated team of professionals provide the highest quality service offering to our clients, using the latest fuel monitoring technology and operational expertise.
Regardless of whether your fleet is small, medium, or large we develop custom solutions to help you reduce your operational costs. Our fuel management system is as user-friendly as possible so you can keep record, analyse, obtain helpful insights and take action. If you want to reduce your fuel wastage, contact us today!
