How to Boost Your Fleet’s Summer Savings

As temperatures rise across the U.S., commercial fleets often see the price of doing business steadily climb as well. While demand during the summer months is traditionally high — typically good for business — other factors can make operations in the summer months particularly expensive. 

What can fleets do to drive down costs and address the challenges associated with the summer months?

Challenge 1: Fuel Management

Fuel prices are always a key consideration for fleet managers. Still, summer months include additional complexity, as fuel providers typically begin the switch from winter to summer fuel between April and June. Although Diesel 2 is less expensive to refine, the increased demand for it during the warmer months drives prices higher, as consumer demand for goods is higher and more trucks are on the road.

Additionally, in the summer, traffic for tourism increases, clogging highways and causing more idle time and slower routes. Summer also often brings extreme weather conditions, including hurricanes, which can disrupt refinery production and impact fuel availability. 

During the summer months, planning for fuel stops and using diesel efficiently is more important than ever. Staying informed on fuel prices and the best locations to stop allows you to optimize routes, while brushing up on driver training for fuel-saving practices can also benefit your bottom line. New tools automate a truck’s idling based on driver status and can help maintain cabin comfort while also reducing extended idling. These small tweaks can add up to long-term savings for your fuel budget.

Challenge 2: Increased Demand

During the summer months, consumer demand for goods increases, especially in retail, agriculture, and construction. While excellent for business, it can lead to increased trucks on the road, longer inspection lines, and more competition for space at fuel stops. 

Also, freight surges vary and stagger during the summer, depending on location. Regardless of where they occur, they trickle down the entire supply chain. For example, around Memorial Day, businesses start building up their inventories, while after the Fourth of July, back-to-school and retail demand starts to increase. Additionally, different parts of the US experience surges at different times, as warmer weather triggers increased demand first from the southern regions, then slowly moves north as those areas begin to warm.

Consider tools that optimize your route planning to mitigate potential negative impacts from increased demand. For example, some apps allow your drivers to bypass weigh stations and mobile inspection sites based on your safety record. Navigation tools designed specifically for commercial trucks help improve your driver’s experience, keeping them on truck-safe roads, offering pre-trip alerts for potential issues down the road, and real-time ETA notifications. Finally, technologies that allow the back office to communicate directly to the driver cab make it easier to notify drivers of emergencies, reroutes, and any urgent messages.

Challenge 3: Extreme Weather

Summer brings hotter temperatures, and 2024 is predicted to be one of the hottest summers on record. Additionally, due to the “urban heat island effect,” temperatures are actually 1-7 degrees F hotter in urban areas due to the large amounts of buildings, roads, and infrastructures. Extreme heat can worsen drought and wildfire conditions and even increase the risk of hurricanes, all of which can impact navigation and fuel availability.

Additionally, extreme heat is hard on your trucks and your drivers. Higher temperatures add extra strain on equipment, setting the stage for tire blowouts, engine overheating, and more. Drivers operating in hot weather need to take extra personal precautions to ensure they stay hydrated and healthy and can properly perform their job duties for the benefit of their own safety and of others on the road.

During the hot weather, invest in tools that more accurately monitor your truck health in real-time, with additional sensors that instantly communicate to your drivers and the back office of any current or impending malfunction. Fleet asset tracking can ensure that you can quickly reroute other trucks to rescue drivers and their loads as needed after breakdowns in extreme weather. Practicing preventative maintenance of your fleet reduces your odds of costly or dangerous equipment malfunction, which can be exacerbated by the extreme temperatures. 

Real-time weather and prediction tracking apps also improve your drivers’ situational awareness, while tools designed to integrate weather information into route planning can alert you when plans are at risk of significant delay and weather hazards and recommend alternative options that may be safer and faster. Finally, adding weather safety driver training and reminders for the summer months can keep your drivers healthy and safe, both in and out of the cab.

Proper Preparation Makes the Difference

While you cannot always accurately predict which challenges the summer season will bring your way, preparing for as many obstacles as possible can mitigate the impact on your fleet’s bottom line as much as possible. Today’s technologies designed specifically for commercial fleets can help take the guesswork out of operations, allowing you to focus on improving efficiencies, meeting customer expectations, and keeping your teams happy and safe.

‍For more information on how Platform Science’s suite of fleet management tools can improve your operations, contact us today.