Posts Tagged ‘Business Fleet’
5 Ways to Save on Fuel
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
Tips from fleet operators like you
BusinessFleet collected some tips of the trade from fleet operators who’ve figured out ways to save (that maybe you haven’t).
Ship it to save a trip
“We are moving toward a system in which we drop ship medical supplies to the patient’s home. Shipping costs are outweighed by alleviating the cost of having the clinician come into the office to pick up supplies,” said Larry Leahy, vice president of Foundation Management Services, a home care and hospice services provider in the Southwest.
Weigh Your Delivery
Gem Plumbing of Lincoln, R.I. weighs every delivery, says Larry Gemma, co-owner. Each truck used to haul 1,139 plumbing parts. The company removed 300 pounds of unneeded parts from each truck, and now the miles per gallon on each truck improved from 7.1 to 7.35.
Find the Cheapest Gas
The article reminds us that fuel prices can and will vary as much as 20¢ per gallon within a couple miles. So before you set out, find the cheapest gas on your route by visiting GasBuddy.com.
Email Fuel-Saving Tips to Drivers
Shelly Lofgren, a fleet manager for Honeywell International, signs off her emails with fuel-savings tips like maintaining proper tire inflation, maintaining posted highway speeds and no unnecessary idling.
Get a Fleet Fuel Card
A fuel management program not only controls fuel costs, but operating costs as well. It’s a good way to prevent unauthorized driver purchases, by regulating when, where and how it can be used. There are lots of programs out there. Be sure you find the card that fits your fleet.
Photo courtesy of Hey Paul under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: Business Fleet, drop shipping, fleet fuel card, fleet manager, fleet operators, FleetCards USA, Foundation Management Services, fuel prices, Fuel saving tips, gas, GasBuddy.com, Gem Plumbing, Honeywell International, Miles Per Gallon
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
‘Cash for Clunkers’ revving up on Capitol Hill
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Congress is close to agreeing on a one-year “Cash for Clunkers” plan that would give consumers up to $4,500 if they turn in their old cars, light-duty truck or work truck and put the money toward a new, more fuel-efficient replacement, according to Ken Belson in the New York Times blog.
But it can’t be just any kind of clunker to cash in. Your vehicle must be a car or light-duty truck that gets less than 18 miles a gallon. To get the full $4,500, your new car must get at least 10 miles a gallon more than your old one.
President Obama has endorsed the program, which is part of a larger energy bill, as a way to jump-start the troubled U.S. auto industry, remove 1 million older cars off the road, and begin to curb U.S. emissions.
“This legislation would give consumers an incentive to turn over their old, inefficient vehicles, saving 80,000 barrels of motor fuel every day,” Senator Collins said in the original January 2009 press release from the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office, which co-authored the bill.
BusinessFleet.com wrote that under the plan, pre-2002 work-truck pickups and 8,500 to 10,000 pound vans would also be good for $3,500 toward a new work truck in the same or smaller weight class, because newer vehicles are likely to be more fuel efficient.
General Motors said in a statement that similar scrappage programs around the world have proven to be successful in jump-starting auto industry sales.
We want to know what you think? Would the payout be enough to upgrade your fleet?
Photo copyright of Chrysler383 under the Creative Commons License
Tags: auto industry, Business Fleet, clunker, congress, Dianne Feinstein, emissions, General Motors, ken belson, new york times, president obama, Senator Collins
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
9 Mistakes to Avoid When Playing Musical Cars
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
In an interesting article posted on Business Fleet on March 10th, the topic of “reverse expansion” is covered. This is the politically correct way of saying that vehicles need to be retrieved from terminated employees and reassigned. These days, some fleet managers are comparing the practice of reverse expansion to a game of “musical cars”.
The article gives managers a number of common mistakes and some basic tips when or if you find yourself in the position of having to collect and redistribute fleet vehicles.
Planning and communication are pointed out as key in dealing with HR situations involving terminated employees. The last thing you want to do is claim a vehicle from someone who doesn’t even know they’ve been terminated yet.
Coordinating insurance coverage, allowing time for an employee to purchase their company vehicle, storage advice for vehicles not in use and knowing the right vehicle to reassign to the right driver are just a few of the topics that the writer covers with great detail.
While the article appears to focus on larger fleets, the information provided seems like it could help managers who find themselves in a situation where they need to downsize – a scenario that is affecting more and more businesses each month.
Tags: Business Fleet, reverse expansion
Posted in Industry News, TrendWatch | 1 Comment »
