Discover how a vehicle management system powers diesel fleet management
Learn why vehicle management is important for fleets
Understand the power of a fuel management system
Explore how Cartrack’s solutions can help simplify your diesel fleet
What is diesel management?
Diesel management refers to the process of overseeing and controlling the consumption of diesel in a fleet. This is particularly important, as most businesses and organisations rely heavily on diesel-powered equipment and vehicles. Diesel fuel, which is heavier than gasoline, takes longer to evaporate. It also has a greater energy density than gasoline, which means it produces20% more energy for the same amount of fuel. So in the long run, it’s more affordable for fleets than gasoline, which is why the majority of fleets opt for diesel fuel in their business.
What tasks are typically involved in diesel management?
Diesel management involves covering the following tasks based on diesel consumption:
Monitoring fuel levels: Tracking the amount of diesel in storage tanks and vehicles, which helps fleet managers easily spot and address potential fuel leaks or spills
Optimising fuel efficiency: Diesel management focuses on improving fuel efficiency by eliminating fuel-wasting activities. This is done through proper vehicle maintenance, route optimisation, and regular training
Data analysis and reporting: Diesel management systems collect data on fuel usage. By analysing this data, fleet managers can make informed decisions to help improve fuel efficiency.
Why is diesel management important?
Diesel management is made up of various strategies and practices aimed at maximising the performance and economy of diesel vehicles while minimising diesel consumption and associated costs. Here are 5 reasons why it is crucial for fleets:
It helps reduce fuel costs: By optimising diesel usage and preventing waste, diesel management can help businesses save money on their fuel bills and get the most out of their diesel refills.
It helps improve fleet efficiency: By identifying and addressing inefficiencies in diesel use, diesel management can improve business fuel efficiency.
It helps improve vehicle maintenance: Diesel management keeps track of vehicle maintenance schedules, which helps fleet managers ensure that their diesel-powered vehicles are well-maintained, leading to reduced wear and tear, fewer breakdowns, and longer vehicle lifespan.
It enables real-time knowledge: By making use of advanced technologies such as GPS tracking and telematics, diesel management allows for real-time monitoring of fuel consumption and vehicle performance.
It helps improve driver behaviour: Diesel management helps you know which driving habits are causing your vehicles to burn more diesel fuel than usual. With this information, you can provide specific training to drivers and help eliminate these habits.
Before we get into the nitty gritty of a diesel management system, let’s break down the vehicle management software that powers it.
What is vehicle management software?
Vehicle management software, also known as fleet management software, is automated software designed for any organisation that makes use of fleet vehicles. Playing a crucial role in diesel management, it is designed to streamline and optimise the various aspects of managing a fleet of diesel vehicles, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that help with fleet-related tasks that can affect overall efficiency. This system enables the recording, storage, processing, reporting, and exporting of data related to fleet vehicles. This is done by making use of advanced technology and software.
Why is vehicle management so important for diesel-powered fleets?
Vehicle management plays a vital role in a fleet’s overall efficiency. Here are 5 reasons why:
It enhances fleet efficiency: Vehicle management systems play an important role in optimising diesel-powered fleet operations. This system works to provide comprehensive, real-time insights into important fleet aspects such as vehicle location, performance metrics, and maintenance. On top of providing this data to fleet managers, the system’s automation capabilities help streamline routine fleet tasks, such as planning maintenance schedules.
It helps improve fleet safety: Vehicle management systems help fleet managers proactively implement measures and practices aimed at minimising safety risks. By tracking vehicle maintenance schedules, you can ensure that your diesel fleet remains well-maintained and in its best running condition. This helps significantly mitigate the risk of breakdowns and potential accidents that are caused by mechanical issues. This proactive approach to the upkeep of your diesel fleet not only enhances overall fleet safety but also creates confidence for your drivers in the vehicle’s reliability.
It helps minimise fleet running costs: A vehicle management system optimises routes, maintenance, and scheduling systems. Optimising maintenance schedules for your diesel fleet translates to reduced repair costs; monitoring fuel usage translates to reduced diesel expenses; and monitoring driver behaviour translates to safer driving habits that reduce the risk of costly accidents. Altogether, this multifaceted approach to cost management not only guarantees financial savings but also fosters an effective and sustainable fleet operation.
It aids in the monitoring of driver behaviour and performance: With human error being one of the greatest causes of road accidents, driver behaviour needs to be monitored at all times. Vehicle management software can monitor risky driving behaviour, including harsh braking, cornering, harsh acceleration, and excessive speeding. By identifying these behaviours, fleet managers gain valuable insights into areas for improvement and can provide targeted coaching to improve driver behaviour and boost the overall performance of their diesel fleet.
It aids the monitoring of fuel consumption: Vehicle management plays an important role in effectively monitoring and controlling fleet diesel consumption. The software provides comprehensive insights into diesel fuel usage by accurately recording crucial data points such as fuel levels, fuel consumption rates, and refuelling events. This gives fleet managers detailed information to help them analyse diesel consumption patterns and trends across their fleet. This information helps them implement strategies to regulate and optimise diesel fuel usage, contributing to cost savings and fuel efficiency.
What are the different components of a fleet management system?
An effective fleet management system is made up of the following components:
Vehicle tracking: Vehicle tracking is a fundamental component of a vehicle management system. It makes use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology and telematics to help businesses monitor the location, movement, and status of their diesel vehicles in real-time. This unparalleled visibility enables fleet managers to gain valuable insights to optimise fleet operation, improve efficiency, and enhance overall safety.
Driver management: Driver management is another crucial component of a comprehensive vehicle management system, helping fleet managers oversee and optimise the performance, safety, and compliance of their diesel fleet drivers. A fleet management system helps keep track of each driver’s habits, performance, and efficiency. By doing this in real-time, fleet managers and drivers alike are alerted the moment dangerous behaviour is detected, which helps mitigate risks and enhance overall fleet safety.
Vehicle maintenance management: Vehicle maintenance within a vehicle management system involves all the processes, tools, and practices that aim to ensure the upkeep, servicing, and optimal performance of diesel vehicles. A vehicle management system helps fleet managers reduce mechanical issues that lead to unplanned downtimes, track individual vehicle movements and locations throughout maintenance and deliveries, and identify harsh driving events and potential engine issues. By prioritising maintenance, businesses can minimise unscheduled repairs, increase the lifespan of their diesel vehicles, and effectively manage maintenance costs, contributing to efficient asset management.
Fuel management: Fuel is a significant expense for any fleet operation, making fuel management one of the most important components of a vehicle management system. Let’s explore this in detail and find out how it can help businesses achieve 24/7 real-time management of their fuel consumption.
What is a fuel management system?
A fuel management system is a comprehensive set of technologies, processes, and tools designed to manage and improve your fleet’s fuel usage and costs. This system provides businesses with valuable insights into their petrol or diesel usage, helping them identify areas for improvement and reduce fuel costs. The system facilitates effective fuel budgeting, cost control, preventive maintenance planning, and the implementation of strategies to eliminate fuel wastage.
The key components of a fuel management system
Fuel management systems involve the implementation of two key components to track fuel consumption and analyse all forms of data related to fuel usage patterns. These are:
The hardware:
These components are responsible for monitoring and controlling fuel consumption.
Fuel sensors: These are installed in fuel tanks and measure the level of fuel remaining in vehicle tanks, along with how it was used.
GPS trackers: These track the location of vehicles and equipment, helping fleet managers effectively monitor fuel usage by location
CANBus integration: This wireless integration allows for the real-time downloading of accurate vehicle diagnostics such as odometer readings, water temperature, oil temperature, etc., helping fleet managers prepare for their vehicle maintenance and servicing.
The software:
These components are responsible for monitoring and controlling fuel consumption.
Data management platform: This platform collects and stores data from the hardware sensors and trackers
The main purpose of a fuel management system is to determine a fleet’s petrol or diesel efficiency and help fleet managers determine how to improve it. The system does this through the following 3 steps:
Data collection: The hardware sensors, which are integrated into the vehicles, collect data in real-time on diesel or petrol levels, engine performance, and flow rates. This data is transmitted to the central data management platform through wireless connections.
Data analysis: The software analyses the collected data to identify trends and patterns in diesel usage. This data can be used to calculate a fleet’s fuel efficiency, identify areas for improvement, and generate reports that fleet managers can use to identify solutions.
Actionable insights: The system provides actionable insights to fleet managers. These insights can be used to implement steps that work to improve fleet efficiency with diesel or petrol consumption-based solutions, such as optimising routes, reducing idle time, and implementing preventative maintenance programs.
What are the benefits of using a fuel management system for your diesel fleet?
A fuel management system yields multiple benefits for your fleet, including:
Reducing fuel costs: A fuel management system provides insights into fuel consumption patterns. By providing accurate monitoring of fuel usage and consumption patterns, fleet managers can spot the source of their fuel wastage and mitigate it, reducing fuel costs. An example of this is making use of route optimisation. It is reported that optimised routes can increase a fleet’s fuel savings by 20%-40%.
Improving accuracy in fuel usage reports: Manually recording vehicle and driver data leads to data inaccuracies that negatively affect your fleet’s efficiency. With a fuel management system, your fleet’s fuel consumption data is automatically recorded with telematics, which ensures accuracy in fuel usage reports. This automation of data collection ensures that human input errors are eliminated and that all recorded data is accurate.
Reducing fuel theft: Fuel theft is a massive challenge for fleets,whether it be through syphoning, false transactions, or fuel card fraud. If you’re not aware of your fleet’s fuel consumption, then you won’t be able to tell when fuel theft is taking place. A fuel management system works to combat this by giving you full insight into your fleet’s fuel consumption and recording all fuel-related expenses to determine accuracy.
Improving data-driven decision-making: Fuel management software provides fleet managers with detailed reports on fuel usage, costs, efficiency, and fuel trends. By tracking these reports over time, you can determine fuel patterns in your fleet and use this information to make informed decisions on optimising fuel management.
Elevate your fleet’s diesel management with 4 Cartrack solutions
Take your fleet's diesel management to the next level with our world-class solutions. Here’s how:
Fuel management: The fuel cost monitoring system meticulously cross-references fuel receipts with vehicle telemetry data, effectively detecting potential fuel theft and preventing fuel fraud. With real-time monitoring and customisable reports, irregularities are quickly identified. The real-time fuel level monitoring utilises advanced sensors installed inside fuel tanks, enabling live monitoring of diesel consumption. This helps you pinpoint the reasons for sudden spikes in fuel consumption, whether it be syphoning or fuel-wasting driver behaviour. The fuel trend monitoring provides detailed fuel metrics on fuel per km travelled and per job completed for every driver and vehicle, giving you an accurate overview of how much diesel your fleet consumes.
Driver behaviour monitoring: Eliminate fuel-wasting driver behaviour with Cartrack’s driver monitoring system. By making use of driver scorecard data reports, you can quickly pick up on aggressive driving and idling. An idling diesel truck burns about 4 litres of fuel an hour, and speeding has the same negative impact on fuel efficiency. In fact, it has been shown that a truck travelling at about 120km/h consumes 27% more fuel than a truck travelling at 104km/h. Our solution gives you detailed reports on each driver's behaviour and shows you exactly what caused the sudden increase in fuel consumption, helping you mitigate these issues and lower fuel consumption. Use this to provide driver training or coaching to improve behaviour and stop fuel-wasting behaviours.
Preventative maintenance: Preempt vehicle maintenance with Cartrack’s preventative maintenance. This system works by providing real-time alerts and diagnostics for various aspects of a vehicle’s maintenance, such as engine damage, worn brake pads, and worn-out tires, which are all vehicle issues that lead to increased fuel consumption. By receiving real-time diagnostics for vehicle mechanical issues, you can detect and quickly address these issues before they become costly, helping you minimise fuel consumption and maximise fleet productivity.
Route optimisation: Make your routes short and deviation-free with Cartrack’s route optimisation. This innovative tool helps you optimise your driver’s routes by analysing various factors such as real-time traffic and road conditions and route history. Traffic conditions not only cause delivery delays but also lead to increased idling, making efficient route planning crucial. An idling diesel truck burns about four litres of fuel an hour, which can be a very costly addition to your fleet’s fuel expenses.
Maximise savings and minimise waste with Cartrack’s real-time diesel management
Keeping an eye on your fleet’s diesel consumption can be quite stressful, but with Cartrack’s fleet management solution, it doesn’t have to be.
