What are the top trends facing light- and medium-duty truck fleets?

As the largest component of operating costs, truck fleets have a relentless focus on fuel-reduction strategies, which are often part of corporate sustainability initiatives. Ongoing volatile fuel prices have kept managing fuel spend a top concern for fleet managers, who, in turn, are constantly searching for ways to improve fleet fuel efficiency. As a result, many fleets are adopting multi-pronged fuel management strategies to control fuel spend, such as:

● Revising Vehicle Specifications: “Many truck fleets are looking for alternative vehicle choices that are more fuel efficient, such as cargo vans, to reduce fuel costs and the fleet’s overall carbon footprint. We’ve seen many truck fleets decrease powertrains from a V-8 to a V-6 to save on fuel costs as well,” said Matt Lichtenstein, manager of operations, upfitting for LeasePlan USA.

● Modifying Driver Behavior: Companies are implementing programs to train employees to drive their vehicles in a more fuel-efficient manner. “Encouraging drivers to adopt good habits can significantly improve the fuel efficiency of almost any vehicle. This means eliminating fast starts and hard stops and avoiding excessive idling,” said Jeff Robley, truck sales manager, railroad market for ARI. “Some studies have shown that fuel efficiency can be improved by as much as 19 percent simply by reducing a vehicle’s idling time. Encouraging drivers to drive within the posted speed limit, especially on highways, can also help with fuel efficiency. Estimates show that every 10 mph a driver does over 60 mph reduces fuel economy by about 4 mpg.”

● Managed Fuel Program: The best way to manage fuel costs, according to Steve Jansen, CTP, manager, regulatory compliance and truck services for Donlen, “is with a managed fuel program that limits spending and gives at-the-pump controls.”

● Apps to Find Lowest Cost Fuel: Another tool being adopted by truck fleets is smartphone fuel apps to find the lowest-priced fuel. “Drivers who access ‘find fuel’ apps while on the road can find as much as a 20- to 30-cent difference in fuel prices within a three- or four-mile radius,” Jansen said.

● More Fuel-Efficient OEM Offerings: “In the light-truck segment, Ram, Ford, and Toyota have made notable enhancements in engine technologies in recent model-years. As new model-year data is captured, fleet leasing providers should be able to report measurable and hard dollar savings through strategic selector choices,” said Brad Vliek, vice president, service solutions for Emkay.

● Engine Governors are Migrating to Light-Duty Trucks: Long a mainstay in heavy-duty trucks, engine governors are increasingly being used in medium- and light-duty trucks. “Installing a maximum speed limiter on fleet vehicles is an effective solution for eliminating speed-related incidents, such as speeding tickets, aggressive driving, accidents, and complaints from the public,” said Robley of ARI. “It also increases a fleet’s fuel economy, makes a fleet run cleaner, and reduces a company’s carbon footprint. With roller-coaster fuel prices, budget cutbacks/restraints, and increased pressure to lower operating costs, maximum speed limiters are an alternative to replacing a fleet with expensive hybrid or alternative-fuel technology.”

● Increased use of APUs & Two-Speed Engine Fan Clutch: “Many fleets are installing an auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide driver necessities, such as heat or AC and electric power while the vehicle is idle to minimize fuel consumption,” said Robley of ARI. “A two-speed engine fan clutch will reduce noise, increase available horsepower for auxiliary systems, save fuel, minimize radiator abrasion from dust and debris, and increase an engine’s performance.”

● Proliferation of Anti-Idling Laws: “As more municipalities and states adopt anti-idling laws, fleet managers are looking for ways to address the issue to ensure they are in compliance,” Robley said. “This has led to an increase in the adoption and use of idle shutdown systems for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks.”

Telematics Fleet Applications

A number of factors are causing fleet managers to take a closer look at the possible implementation of telematics devices into their fleets. This technology is increasingly looked to, or involved in, solutions for a number of issues facing fleets, including safety, fuel management, and maintenance, just to name a few,” said Wayne Reynolds, manager, upfit design and consultation for LeasePlan USA. “Fleets are increasingly looking to telematics to address multiple challenges, from identifying at-risk driver behavior to establishing more efficient delivery routes.”

Others likewise foresee a trend for the increased use of telematics. “Fleet managers continue to increase the use of telematics as a way to gain efficiencies and monitor vehicles. From capturing diagnostics data and monitoring vehicle performance, to routing/locating vehicles, reducing idle time, and monitoring fuel economy, telematics help fleet managers address many of the concerns they face in trying to manage a modern fleet,” said Robley of ARI.

Many fleets utilize telematics to manage fuel. “Telematics can be used to manage drivers’ routes, monitor driving habits, and capture other key data,” Robley added.

“Not only can telematics help routing by eliminating drivers constantly crossing over each other, but it also enables more efficient route assignments,” said Jansen of Donlen. “Telematics reporting has proven a valuable tool to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, idle time as well as identifying driving habits that impact mpg.”

There are a variety of other areas where telematics has proven useful in managing a fleet. “The primary application of telematics in truck fleets has been focused on driver behavior, fuel tax reporting, and the ability to track vehicle location, enabling bill-back capabilities to their end-customer for vehicle use at a jobsite,” said Hannan of Merchants Leasing.