Tips to Make Your Trade Vehicles More Efficient
The running costs of a fleet are some of the biggest overheads for a lot of businesses. If you are in the shipping, haulage, transportation or delivery industry then you'll be spending a lot of time, money and resources (human and otherwise) on keeping your trade vehicles on the road. Anything that you can do to make the vehicles more efficient in terms of maintenance, mileage and fuel costs will help your business immensely.
How to Reduce Vehicle Running Costs
There are a few issues with service vehicles, the main problems are:
Fuel emissions and costs
Wear and tear
Time and resources for maintenance and cleaning
Drivers (breaks, fatigue)
Depending on the type of service vehicle you are running, and how long your drivers are on the road, there are many things that you could change that will offer an improvement in your fleet's overall efficiency. For the average consumer vehicle, kilometres per litre is the most important metric. Driving an electric vehicle is a nice option, but there are still hybrids and even modern fuel vehicles available that are fairly efficient and that, if driven wisely, can offer good mileage. The move to electric vehicles is well underway, however, so if you're planning to buy new vehicles in the next few years, going electric is a sensible long-term move.
Reducing Maintenance Costs and Making Your Vehicles More Efficient
Depending on the size of your business, and how many vehicles you are looking after, you may find that streamlining your fleet and making sure that people are using the right vehicle for the job will make life a lot easier. Those bulky service bodies may be a requirement when you're sending someone out to a job site, but if someone is driving to a sales meeting or training course would it not be better for them to drive something smaller? For people who are required to drive a service vehicle, take a look at the vehicle itself. Is the chassis really appropriate for the job? Lighter, lower drag chassis will have lower fuel costs when on the road.
Modern materials are lower-maintenance, more secure, and less likely to rust. Upgrading your service body may come with an up-front cost, but in the long term, it could well be worthwhile. How much are you spending on repairs, or on replacing tools lost from a van that was broken into? Regular maintenance can also do a lot to reduce the total cost of ownership of your vehicle, and make it more efficient too. Around 50% of vehicle issues can be spotted by performing a simple walkaround check before driving a vehicle. Teach your drivers to do this at the start of their shift and to get any issues that they identify remedied as quickly as possible. Schedule more intensive checks at regular intervals based on the expected mileage of the vehicle in question.
Drive Smart
Good driver habits can help to cut fuel bills. Using gears properly (low revs while accelerating, and changing gear early) can reduce wear and tear on the engine. Keeping speeds sensible and avoiding sudden stops and starts where possible will reduce fuel consumption. It's a good idea to get drivers to unload clutter from their vehicles too. Yes, your service vehicles will most likely need to carry a lot of kit and tools, but anything that isn't used on a day to day basis should be left in the warehouse. This will reduce the risk of items going missing, and also help keep fuel costs down. Modern vehicles are more efficient than older models, but good habits will bring results, no matter what your fleet composition.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for the best service bodies in Australia for your fleet of vehicles, you don’t have to look any further than MFI Automotive Group. These experts are known for crafting functional bodies with the best quality materials in the industry. Their design focuses on safety and innovation, things that are fundamental for any emergency service business. These experts are prepared to listen to your needs and customise the manufacturing process to meet the exact requirements and specifications of the client. They pride in taking any customisable challenge in a bid to create value and support your business activities. There are plenty of benefits you stand to gain from a service body. Whether you want to use your ute as a business tool or for pleasure, there is a service body that meets your needs.
For more information regarding high-quality service bodies, please call us today at MFI Automotive Group on 1300 634 669 or get in touch with our friendly sales team here.