If you want freedom from the liability issues that can be associated with fuel storage and dispensing, your fleet vehicles and equipment fueled and ready to go at the start of the workday, and your drivers focused on their job rather than spending time fueling their vehicles at a card-lock or retail fuel station, then wet hose fueling is a method that’s definitely worth exploring.

It’s been just over two years since the FMCSA’s (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) ELD mandate went into effect in December of 2017. The mandate applies to the vast majority of commercial vehicles on the road, and the driving force behind it is improving road safety and minimizing road accidents by reducing driver fatigue.

Unlike paper logs, where it was possible for drivers to manipulate hours of service (HOS) numbers, ELDs are tamper resistant and don’t allow original data collected by the device to be erased or altered. They digitally track driving time and monitor compliance with the rest-break rule — mandatory rest break after 8 hours of driving — and the restriction that allows drivers behind the wheel for 11 of 14 hours before taking a 10-hour break.

With the many providers in the fuel card industry and number of cards available, each with various options and features, determining the card that best fits the needs of your company and gives you the greatest return on your investment can be a challenging process. However, answering some key questions about your fleet and your requirements can help whittle down your choices and simplify the decision-making process.

It’s common knowledge that excessive idling isn’t good for the bottom line or the environment, but what you may not know is just how costly and harmful it can be. To get a clearer perspective, take a look at these statistics:

• Idling vehicles waste more than six billion gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline annually.
• Medium-duty vehicles use about 2.5 billion gallons of fuel each year just to idle, or 6.7% of the total amount of fuel they consume.
• For heavy-duty vehicles, an hour of idling equates to around 80 miles of engine wear and tear.
• Idling cars and trucks produce 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year in New York City alone.

2019 just may be the “Year of the Plunge” for many fleet managers. And no, not plunging bottom lines, productivity or efficiency levels. Actually, it’s just the opposite, since more fleet managers are pointing to 2019 as the year they’re focusing more on data and taking the digital plunge.

There’s no doubt that the real-time data collecting capabilities of telematics provide fleet managers greater insight into fleet operations. Data collected can help spot problems, identify opportunities, and allow for more informed decision making. The end result is greater efficiency and improvements across key areas of operations, including fuel consumption, safety, maintenance, and productivity.

With the many advantages that fuel cards can provide, including improved efficiency and productivity, it’s easy to understand why fleet managers are increasingly turning to fuel cards as an attractive cost savings and management tool. Not only can fuel cards help fleet managers reduce fuel costs, with volume savings on monthly purchases and at-the-pump discounts, they can also help fleet managers gain greater control over fuel, maintenance and administrative expenses, with detailed line-by-line reporting capabilities.

In the energy markets, all sorts of unpredictable happenings – including natural disasters, world crises, weather interruptions, political upheaval, refinery shutdowns, and pipeline failures -- can send fuel prices on a roller coaster ride and adversely affect operations.

In mid-October, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual winter outlook for December through February, and the good news is that a mild winter with drier conditions and above-average temperatures could be in store for much of the United States.

The key word, however, is “much.” The outlook for the Southeast, East Coast and Mid-Atlantic is not quite as rosy, with the amount of precipitation expected to be above average and the chances of colder-than-normal temperatures greater than anywhere in the country.

This means — especially for those regions — that snow, ice and freezing temperatures can present numerous challenges for utility fleets. Since winter hazards are not out of the picture this year, neither should your preparations be for winterizing your vehicles and equipment.

Fleet managers are tasked with numerous responsibilities that cover a broad range of areas. With costs in many of these areas growing and a fleet manager’s value often measured by how well they control or reduce costs, knowing how to develop and control a budget is key for both a fleet manager’s success and a well-run, efficient fleet.

A Sound Budget Is a Fleet Managers Best Friend

When thoughtfully developed and implemented, a fleet budget can have a significant financial impact on overall fleet operations. It can help fleet managers plan for expenses, manage assets and funds more effectively, analyze expenditures and identify areas for improvement — all of which can help control and reduce costs and boost the all-important bottom line.