Our top 3 tips to cutting your fuel costs in 2023

With the pitches and troughs of the fuel crisis showing no signs of abating, fuel security has never been more important – which is exactly why our TankSafe Optimum and similar devices have recently been so popular here at TankSafe. One of the biggest priorities for our customers this year though has not just been to protect their fuel, but also to make significant savings on it in the first place. 

If that’s a challenge you’re already looking at tackling for your business, here at some of our top suggestions on where to start!

Optimise your routes

This one isn’t a particularly difficult one for anyone to get their head round – unnecessarily long and winding routes are going to add a lot of time to your drivers’ journeys – and when that’s happening across your entire fleet, that’s going to result in some serious exponential costs for your business. 

For that reason alone, it’s worth sitting down at your depot and taking the time to optimise some of the most well-travelled routes for your drivers. Equally important is making sure that they have the tools they need to adapt on the fly – such as up-to-date satellite navigation systems, for example. 

And yes, we’d recommend satnavs over mobile phones. The latter is obviously the go-to solution for some drivers, but mobiles are not always suitable for proper commercial driving – they can easily lose connection just when you need them most, and besides which, they can be dangerous as they present more of a temptation to be adjusted and fiddled with, which can lead to accidents. 

While you’re doing your planning, it’s also a good idea to make a note of some of the best places to refuel on some of the most common journeys. Different supermarkets have different prices, and costs can vary drastically between certain areas. Consistently filling up in the cheapest places can save you a surprising amount in the long run. 

Ensure driver training covers efficient driving

These are all things that we’re all told as regular car drivers anyway, but certain tips are particularly important for driving HGVs, or other types of commercial vehicles – not just from a fuel standpoint, but for safety too. 

First and foremost, make sure that your drivers know to accelerate gradually (rather than simply flooring it from a standing start), and that they avoid harsh braking – not least because it brings with it the tangible risk of the vehicle jack-knifing. 

On a similar note, drivers should always try and change gears earlier, and try and stay in the highest possible gear while driving, keeping their revs low. This will avoid working the engine any harder than it absolutely needs to be at any given moment, which will in turn help to maximise fuel efficiency. 

And of course, the golden rule – anticipate rather than react. Drivers should always be looking ahead for any potential obstructions or risks, so that they can react as early as possible, rather than simply dealing with them as they pop up. 

Keep up with vehicle maintenance

This is hugely important too – you don’t need to be a professional mechanic to know that a vehicle that’s in a poor state of repair is unlikely to be as efficient as its contemporaries. 

Case in point: tyres. These need to be a constant priority, and checked regularly to ensure that they’re at the correct gauge – it’s just as important for HGVs as it is for regular car drivers, if not more so. Tread quality equally needs to be a constant focus. Bald tyres will not only have a tangible impact on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, but they can reduce its grip on the road – and HGVs already have long enough stopping distances as it is, without the added risk. 

Alongside this, engine oil levels always need to be kept up to scratch, in addition to keeping pace with the general overall condition of the vehicle.

Oh, and one last thing – this is harder for freight companies, but if you’re running an SME, it’s a good idea to try and avoid taking out more cargo and tools than you absolutely have to. They can all be significantly heavy in their own right, and that can have a major impact on your fuel efficiency. 

Those are just a couple of the top tips though – you may well be able to find a couple more of your own! We’ll leave that bit to you from hereon out. As for us, we’ll maintain our focus on helping you to keep all that saved fuel safe and secure. 

First and foremost amongst our reliable range of fuel protection devices is TankSafe Optimum – an anti-siphon device which we’ve specifically designed to provide 100% protection, so you can have peace of mind against fuel spills, overfilling, and skimming. You can find out more on its dedicated page on our website, or find out answers to some of the most common questions over on our FAQs page. If you’ve still got queries, our experts will be happy to resolve them - fee free to give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we’ll be happy to help however we can!