Carriers map their routes. It’s critical. But, is it as simple as taking the best path? What is your mindset for mapping routes? Savvy route mapping can translate to helping multiple aspects of your business thrive. From saving time and money to keeping a close eye on your fleet, route mapping should be at the center of your forward-thinking business strategy. What considerations should carriers have in mind as they map routes?
Be aware of what matters
Your bottom line is dependent on the costs you incur. Fuel happens to be one of the operational costs that directly impacts your profits. Without effective planning and control measures, you can end up spending too much money on fuel. There’s a better way.
This is why it’s important to be aware of everything concerning fuel, including fuel prices along the route you will be taking. Also, distances between gas stations and road conditions can influence how much fuel the trucks use.
The route you plan should maximize the fuel economy of your trucks. What this means is the route you design needs to have favorable conditions, and won’t place too many demands on the drivers and trucks. For example, if you can avoid traffic, inclines, or road construction, it can sure help your driver cruise along their route at a steady RPM rather than a starting, stopping, or unpredictable pace.
Communicate your fuel strategy
Fuel is an important component of your business. Any fluctuation in price or consumption can mean serious consequences for your operations. You may know this, but are you certain your drivers understand this principle?
If you don’t enforce route planning, drivers will make their own choices. Their choices may be based on routine or preference. However, carriers have to plan routes for the betterment of their business.
As a carrier, it is upon you to enforce the route plan with your drivers. You will have already factored in fuel costs and usage when route planning. Any deviation means incurring costs you hadn’t planned on, which affects your margins.
Understand your fleet
Carriers need to know their fleet. This means knowing what trucks you have and what you can expect out of them. When route planning for the future, carriers need to understand the kind of fuel economy they can reliably expect out of their trucks. Part of that equation is factoring in other variables such as the weather, elevation, tires, and truck maintenance. These factors impact fuel economy and fleet longevity. With a keen understanding of their fleet, carriers are ready to execute an effective route planning and business growth strategy.
Smart fuel habits
Driver habits matter. Instilling drivers with a proper sense of fuel consumption can help prevent your business from losing money. As a carrier, you may place a lot of emphasis on maximizing fuel economy.
You may instruct the drivers not to let the engines idle during scheduled stops, and also drive in top gear when underway. This may not save much from a single truck, but when multiplied over many trucks and over a significant period, it results in considerable cost savings. Remember to strike a balance between requiring fuel conservation habits and creating unnecessary anxiety for your workforce.
Fuel line of credit: an absolute game-changer
The cost of fuel is often unpredictable. For carriers wanting some sort of consistency to bank on, fuel programs are a lifeline. Carriers may use a fuel line of credit through England Carrier Services (ECS) to save money on fuel every time they fill up at Love’s or TA. Besides the reliable fuel savings, connecting with ECS means opening the door to national tire, maintenance and factoring programs. Why ride the shaky cost of fuel prices without a weapon in your wallet that gives you a major advantage? Planning routes gets a lot easier when you have a fuel line of credit with ECS. It provides more security in this often unpredictable world.
Moving your business forward with one step
Route mapping is critical for carriers. It can be a lot of juggling, but fortunately, England Carrier Services can make things simpler for you. We specialize in helping carriers save money on fuel and other operational expenses. That critical fuel line of credit mentioned earlier? Contact us today and try us out. Call to see what we can do to help you save money as you plan your routes. Saving time and money can help your growing business take the next step forward.
England Carrier Services is here to make success part of your route.
The England Carrier Services (ECS) division offers a variety of services for carriers ranging from maintenance to support. As ECS members, carriers have access to nationwide discounts on fuel and tires from dedicated team members who are committed to finding the best price. ECS also provides factoring services with benefits such as same-day funding to a bank account or fuel card. These options allow carriers the freedom to focus on growing their business while saving time and money.