4 Ways Your Bus Fleet Can Save on Fuel Costs

Running a fleet can certainly be difficult. It takes a lot of work in terms of management. One of the things you need to be aware of is fuel costs to ensure you’re saving as much money as possible. So, in what ways can your fleet save on fuel costs? We discuss more below.

Check Your Habits

Driving habits are a key part of fuel management—especially if you’re leasing a tour bus. If you’re speeding on the street, this can lead to poor fuel economy. It’s also exceedingly careless to other drivers on the road. You shouldn’t make this a habit, especially since buses have many passengers. However, it’s also a fact that driving at higher speeds on intercity bus routes uses up a ton of fuel. To deter speeding, offer driver education and incentives to drive at a reasonable pace on the road.

Tire Alignment

Tires have to point straight ahead to roll with the least resistance. Even something as simple as axle misalignment—shifted by a few degrees—can cause fuel consumption to grow significantly. To correct this problem, ensure an effective vehicle maintenance program is in place. This is a key way your fleet can save on fuel costs, even though it may not appear that way.

Tire Maintenance

Tires don’t carry the load of buses; the air inside the tires does. Ensuring your tires are inflated properly is essential to properly maintain stress distribution. It also reduces the flexing and heat buildup that wastes precious fuel in the long run. The heat buildup has several negative effects, most notably causing tires to age faster. It also wastes fuel.

Vehicle Maintenance

Alignment isn’t the only issue. If you skip out on vehicle maintenance, that could also affect your fuel costs. Ensure you maintain fluid levels, check for fuel leaks, and replace filters regularly. You should also track maintenance calls. You should know what you worked on previously and when. This will help you keep track of what might need upkeep next.

In short, there are many ways you can reduce fuel consumption in your fleet. When you stack these best practices, you’ll find that fuel consumption is greatly decreased in the long run. All of these things help, but will you take advantage of them? The choice is yours.