Driver efficiencies can save SA businesses

For fleet operators who haven't made provision for these increases in their charges for services to buyers, these costs will erode profit margins drastically and often result in the demise of transport businesses. Conversely, when transport service providers do cater for these increases they often become uncompetitive in terms of pricing and stand to lose business.

With the price of fuel being subject to various international and local components, including a range of government taxes and levies as well as additional margins along the chain, escalating fuel costs would appear to be an ongoing trend. But according to tracking and monitoring solutions company Tracker Business, the solution for businesses to remain viable despite the growing financial pressure, is to manage those factors within their control very carefully.

Interestingly, every consequence of cost relating to a vehicle results from driver behaviour. So while fleet owners might have little to no influence over rising salaries, maintenance and fuel costs, they do have control over their drivers and how they actually drive.

Exercise control

"It is during difficult economic times, especially, that fleet owners should exercise control over their fleets big or small and invest in tracking and monitoring systems. The return on investment in most cases ranges between four to eight months and fleet owners can no longer ignore the fact that drivers and driver behaviour need to be controlled if they are going to manage their fleet costs effectively," said Michael van Wyngaardt, executive of Tracker Business.

Technology, particularly in the vehicle monitoring and telematics field, can be invaluable to fleet managers in terms of reducing fuel costs. For issues such as driver control, driver education, compliance and safe driving habits, a telematics solution is essential.

Efficient driver habits affect fuel consumption and dedicated monitoring can alert managers to wasteful driver behaviours, such as speeding, excessive idling and aggressive acceleration, which can be addressed and corrected almost instantaneously.

Van Wyngaardt added: "Tracker Business, in partnership with TomTom, provides live in-cab traffic interrogation and navigation services - unique to Tracker Business - which enables drivers to avoid congested routes and select the shortest possible routes. Operators can also select routes that will avoid toll roads and direct drivers on the shortest most efficient routes around toll gantries."

The proven savings are considerable and for a courier company able to save 20km per day (per vehicle) for a fleet of 40 vehicles, Van Wyngaardt indicates an annual saving of more than R260 000, which over three years works out to a saving of around R800 000.

Mike Crankshaw, CEO of fleet management company, FleetCUBE, echoed this sentiment and said: "Fifty vehicles costs about R6.8 million a year in total operating costs. When businesses are able to set the right fleet management policies, they should be able to reduce costs by R680 000."

As rising costs in a slow economy put a tight squeeze on company finances, vehicle tracking together with fleet management systems can help minimise costs by increasing overall operating efficiencies. With fleet costs often being the single biggest costs for businesses, fleet owners need to gain control of the pivotal role their drivers play in the process.