Fuel costs have been a battle for a number of years now. It is a requirement for the job, but at times a struggle to afford, and always changing. We in Minnesota were down under $3.00 just a month or two ago and it is already creeping it’s way back up to $4.00 again.
While there is no way to avoid the costs of fuel to your business (unless you are a rich oil conglomerate) there are steps you can take to reduce the effects the costs are having on your business.
Cut warm-up and idle times – Implement new policies into your company about your trucks. Cut the warm-up time and don’t allow trucks to idle for longer than a few minutes. It may take a while for it to sink in and your guys to remember, but in the long run this will help to reduce the fuel costs caused by wasted use of the fuel.
The use and condition of equipment – Especially if you own a landscape management company or other green industry business, the use and care of your equipment can help with your fuel costs.
Turning the throttle back in places where you cannot go full speed or not running blowers or trimmer wide open can help to limit the amount of fuel needed on each job.
Keeping equipment in the best condition can also lower your fuel consumption. Upkeep on your equipment, such as having your blades sharpened and all fluids refilled, helps so your field crew doesn’t have to go over the property twice.
Add costs to customers – Many field service business owners fear tacking on extra charges to help with their fuel costs, and this is a legitimate fear. What will stop your customers from going to someone cheaper?
Well hopefully, you, your employees, and your company’s reputation is what will stop them from leaving. If you are up front and honest about the added charges, customers will respect you more. And yes, they could still go to someone cheaper, but cheaper prices can sometimes mean cheaper service. You’d be surprised by how many loyal customers you have, even if you have to raise your prices. If you provide great work and excellent customer service, you customers should have no problem paying a little extra.
Have materials delivered to the site – It doesn’t hurt these days to start asking your vendors to deliver most of the materials to the job site. The less weight your trucks carry, the less fuel they will use. If the vendor delivers, it can also limit the number of trips back to the office needed to pick up more supplies.
Install and use field service dispatch software – Most field service software programs these days will contain a scheduling and routing feature, allowing you to take the scheduled jobs and route them in an order most efficient for fuel consumption.
Field service software like our program, HindSite Software, allows customers to start a technician’s day from the job farthest away from the company’s office. The technician than works his way back to the office eliminating any back and forth driving.
Fuel is one of those unavoidable costs every business is faced with. Unlike an employee or a service that is costing you more than they are worth, fuel is not a disposable expense (although I will keep wishing for that to happen). Take these steps to help lower your fuel consumption and cut back some of the costs at the pump.
Have your own tricks and tips to cut fuel costs? Share them below in the comments section!