How would you handle this fuel management situation?: Answer

Answer: Brenda needs to impress upon Fred that his actions are directly impact fuel mileage and the cost of fuel, both of which translate directly to the bottom line and driver wages.

In preparation for the meeting, Brenda should look at Fred’s performance data to see if one particular area is impacting Fred’s fuel mileage. Common issues include:

• Driving techniques
  • Regularly operating at a higher than necessary RPM
  • Driving aggressively and having to slow down and speed up unnecessarily
  • Driving at a higher-than-normal speed
• Idling
  • Idling the vehicle when not in the vehicle
  • Not using idle reduction equipment that is on the vehicle

As far as controlling the cost of fuel, Brenda should discuss the programs that the company has in place to keep the cost of fuel lower than the pump price, including:

• Fueling at company facilities whenever possible,
• Using company authorized fuel locations that provide discounts, and
• Avoiding purchasing fuel off of the company fuel network and selecting the lowest price fuel when it is necessary.