eLetter Sign UpLead Story: The Burden of Proof
Fleet managers dramatically reduce fuel costs with indisputable vehicle usage and engine performance data
For most fleet managers, there is often an impassable gap between suspecting that fuel consumption can be reduced through relatively simple means, and accessing the information necessary to make that happen.
Traditionally, fleet fuel consumption data and costs are derived from a variety of after-the-fact sources. A combination of company credit cards, employee expense reports, manually recorded vehicle and odometer information must be correlated merely to arrive at a basic picture of historical fleet fuel consumption. Allocating those costs appropriately to various departments, vehicle pools or individual drivers is an additional challenge given the manual nature of the task and the variety of inputs.
Despite the effort involved, this process of deriving fuel costs from after-the-fact accounts doesn’t begin to address every fleet manager’s goal of reducing fuel consumption wherever possible. While he or she may suspect that certain driving behaviors or spillage are at the root of some percentage of fuel consumption, the fleet manager bears the burden of proof.
Today, fleets across North America are changing the rules of engagement for fuel consumption management by using the Netistix™ FleetPulse™ solution to obtain data directly from vehicle engines. Through various reports and analyses, this native data is being used to address the root causes of excessive fuel consumption head-on.
Fleet managers at organizations as diverse as commercial service fleets, municipal governments and federal governments are also applying FleetPulse data to meet a number of other goals, including better adherence to corporate driving policies, eliminating spillage, and reducing vehicle downtime related to undetected repair and “no-start” issues.
Until recently, fleet managers’ ability to address discretionary idling or excessive speeding was theoretical at best because they were hamstrung by a lack of supporting data. By the time after-the-fact fuel cost data is collected, correlated and compared to a vehicle’s actual use, the best a fleet manager can do is suspect that a problem exists. But suspicions don’t provide the necessary motivation for driving behavior to change, and friction between drivers and managers might have the opposite effect.
All of that changes when pertinent data is gathered directly from a fleet vehicle’s engine and automatically downloaded, correlated and reported within the framework of the overall fleet. By putting hard data into the hands of fleet managers, FleetPulse is eliminating the burden of proof they bear and shifting the focus to addressing the real issues, affecting change, and saving fleets hundreds and even thousands of dollars per vehicle each year.
The FleetPulse vehicle management system utilizes a vehicle’s own diagnostic port (OBDII) to collect all power train control and operations data then stores it on an in-vehicle unit known as the cVIU (cable Vehicle Interface Unit). When the vehicle returns to its fleet garage or yard this information is automatically uploaded to a site-mounted receiver, VIUPoint, by means of a secure 802.11b WiFi communications protocol. From there, data is transmitted to the main information processing centre, OverVIU, which sorts and organizes the data into a variety of individual vehicle and fleet-wide reports for access by fleet managers and supervisors.
Most critically, fleet managers have – for the first time ever – the indisputable data they need to make a case for changes in driving behavior, as well as for funding of specific training, reward and penalty programs. The same data is being used to find cost savings in a number of other areas, too:
Based on your fleet data, Netistix can develop a business case analysis for the FleetPulse system in your fleet. Remember, you can’t manage what you don’t measure, so contact Netistix today for a custom business case and FleetPulse trial.
For most fleet managers, there is often an impassable gap between suspecting that fuel consumption can be reduced through relatively simple means, and accessing the information necessary to make that happen.
Traditionally, fleet fuel consumption data and costs are derived from a variety of after-the-fact sources. A combination of company credit cards, employee expense reports, manually recorded vehicle and odometer information must be correlated merely to arrive at a basic picture of historical fleet fuel consumption. Allocating those costs appropriately to various departments, vehicle pools or individual drivers is an additional challenge given the manual nature of the task and the variety of inputs.
Despite the effort involved, this process of deriving fuel costs from after-the-fact accounts doesn’t begin to address every fleet manager’s goal of reducing fuel consumption wherever possible. While he or she may suspect that certain driving behaviors or spillage are at the root of some percentage of fuel consumption, the fleet manager bears the burden of proof.
Today, fleets across North America are changing the rules of engagement for fuel consumption management by using the Netistix™ FleetPulse™ solution to obtain data directly from vehicle engines. Through various reports and analyses, this native data is being used to address the root causes of excessive fuel consumption head-on.
Fleet managers at organizations as diverse as commercial service fleets, municipal governments and federal governments are also applying FleetPulse data to meet a number of other goals, including better adherence to corporate driving policies, eliminating spillage, and reducing vehicle downtime related to undetected repair and “no-start” issues.
LET THE ENGINE DO THE TALKING
Driving behavior is one of the most-suspected but hardest-to-gauge contributors to fuel consumption in a fleet. Organizations usually have policies that govern the speed the fleet drivers must not exceed, as well as anti-idling policies. But, says Greg Prue, Director of Product Management at Netistix, “these policies are very hard to enforce because there’s no way to measure what a driver is actually doing. Those ‘1-800-how’s-my-driving’ stickers on some fleet vehicles are an indication that the operators really can’t tell with certainty what their drivers are actually doing on the road.”Until recently, fleet managers’ ability to address discretionary idling or excessive speeding was theoretical at best because they were hamstrung by a lack of supporting data. By the time after-the-fact fuel cost data is collected, correlated and compared to a vehicle’s actual use, the best a fleet manager can do is suspect that a problem exists. But suspicions don’t provide the necessary motivation for driving behavior to change, and friction between drivers and managers might have the opposite effect.
All of that changes when pertinent data is gathered directly from a fleet vehicle’s engine and automatically downloaded, correlated and reported within the framework of the overall fleet. By putting hard data into the hands of fleet managers, FleetPulse is eliminating the burden of proof they bear and shifting the focus to addressing the real issues, affecting change, and saving fleets hundreds and even thousands of dollars per vehicle each year.
The FleetPulse vehicle management system utilizes a vehicle’s own diagnostic port (OBDII) to collect all power train control and operations data then stores it on an in-vehicle unit known as the cVIU (cable Vehicle Interface Unit). When the vehicle returns to its fleet garage or yard this information is automatically uploaded to a site-mounted receiver, VIUPoint, by means of a secure 802.11b WiFi communications protocol. From there, data is transmitted to the main information processing centre, OverVIU, which sorts and organizes the data into a variety of individual vehicle and fleet-wide reports for access by fleet managers and supervisors.
80% IMPROVEMENT
Fleets using Netistix FleetPulse have seen a 70-80% reduction in discretionary idling times, and an almost immediate reduction of speed levels to acceptable limits. How is it possible? Prue says that the formula is quite simple: “We find that if drivers’ actions are not measured, it’s easy to get sloppy – that’s human nature. But when they are reminded, they do change their behavior, and it’s key that they are reminded continuously.”Most critically, fleet managers have – for the first time ever – the indisputable data they need to make a case for changes in driving behavior, as well as for funding of specific training, reward and penalty programs. The same data is being used to find cost savings in a number of other areas, too:
- Reduced spillage – granular engine information that is automatically analyzed helps determine whether fuel consumption is within normal ranges. Actual current consumption can be compared to historical trends or to other vehicles in the same fleet. The newest release of FleetPulse (version 2.1) calculates the actual amount of fuel burned; comparing this data to fuel receipts clearly reveals if spillage problems exist.
- Minimized repair costs – a few factors may contribute to this benefit. For example, one fleet equipped with FleetPulse uses the engine’s temperature warning diagnostic codes to ensure that the car dealerships complete repairs under warranty due to a thermostat recall by the manufacture – repairs that would otherwise be performed by the fleet’s staff at fleet expense. In another example, diagnostic trouble code reports from the engine are eliminating unnecessary shop service trips by identifying instances when the “check engine” light activates due to a loose gas cap.
- Optimized resources – by automating tasks such as odometer capture and fuel consumption correlation, fleets can redeploy human resources to more productive activities and lower overtime costs. Fleet managers can also better optimize their fleets. For example, advance warning of charging system and battery concerns are drastically reducing the number of “no-starts” by giving garage staff a chance to rectify the concerns before vehicles are sent out. And, at another FleetPulse site, the data was used to reduce the costs of an ‘over-equipped’ fleet by identifying a number of vehicles that went unused for months.
Based on your fleet data, Netistix can develop a business case analysis for the FleetPulse system in your fleet. Remember, you can’t manage what you don’t measure, so contact Netistix today for a custom business case and FleetPulse trial.
