Gas prices are not getting lower and that’s especially hitting businesses that rely on vehicles to conduct their operations. This forced many business owners to cut costs in other areas of business. However, if rising gas prices are negatively impacting your business, it’s important to find ways to save money on gas before deciding to cut funds anywhere else. To help you, we’ve prepared tips for saving money on gas. To make our explanation simpler, we’ve decided to take a moving company as an example. They rely a lot on vehicles and according to moving trends 2022, they’re expected to get even busier this year.
Simple yet effective tips for saving money on gas
When running a moving company, a huge amount of your monthly expenses is probably dedicated to purchasing gas so rising gas prices can really take a toll on your business. Even the relocation cost calculator you have on your website will start showing higher prices to your customers and potentially make you lose business. Therefore, by finding ways to save on gas, you won’t have to increase how much you charge for your services. This will help you not only keep existing but attract new customers as your competitors will probably have to raise their prices, too.
But how is it possible to save money on gas when the prices are not getting any lower? Below, you’ll find tips that will help you do just that. However, keep in mind that every change needs time to give results. So be patient and in a couple of months, you’ll see your efforts paying off.
Encourage your employees to drive more economically
The first thing to do when trying to save money on gas is to talk to your employees and explain to them how important this is. As they’ll be the ones driving and handling the vehicles, it’s important to introduce them to different methods for cost-efficient driving. You can also try giving them different incentives.
Here are some ideas that might help you encourage your employees to drive more economically:
- Did you know that driving erratically and aggressively can lower the gas economy by up to 33% at highway speeds and by 5% on urban streets? For that reason, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promotes sensible and conservative driving. Why not start promoting it within your company? Making this an official company policy will ensure your business is saving a lot of money on gas. Plus, you’ll ensure you’re employees are driving safely.
- It’s simple – the heavier the vehicle, the more gas it will burn. Therefore, ask your drivers to remove any surpassed equipment, tools, and parts before heading to their next job. Sometimes, even the smallest efforts pay off.
- A good way to save gas is to encourage your drivers to use cruise control. This feature keeps a vehicle moving without the driver having to step on the gas pedal, which consumes gas. Plus, this feature also helps create safer driving conditions. It’s a win-win!
- At the end of the day, if you don’t try to save money on gas, you’ll have to cut costs somewhere else. This means that you probably won’t be in a position to give out raises or promotions. Knowing and understanding this might motivate your employees more.
Keeping vehicles in good shape is one of the essential tips for saving money on gas
Maintaining your fleets regularly will ensure your vehicles are safe and working efficiently. Even poorly-tuned engines and clogged air filters will hinder the fuel economy of your vehicles. However, regular maintenance is not the only way for saving money on gas. Below, you’ll find additional tips for keeping your vehicles in good shape.
Ensure tire pressure is at optimum levels
Another important thing EPA concluded is how important tire inflation is in vehicle inspection programs. Namely, just a simple task of keeping the tires of your vehicles inflated to their proper pressure can improve the overall gas economy by 3.3%. If you’re running a big moving company, this could turn out to be a significant amount of money. Therefore, make sure the tire pressure is always at optimum levels.
Make sure that wheels are properly aligned
Wheels that are not properly aligned will put an unnecessary drag on a vehicle. In turn, this will cause even more damage such as reducing the vehicle’s gas efficiency. So make sure to have regular checks as just by doing that, you’ll save a lot of money on gas.
Ensure your divers take more efficient routes
Did you ever bother to check if your employees are using the most efficient routes to move your customers? If a route is short it doesn’t mean it’s efficient in terms of fuel consumption. This is especially true when it comes to driving through urban areas or any place that involves a lot of stop-starting.
So explain this to your employees and take your time to show them how to plan more efficient routes. There are plenty of apps that can help you do this. In return, you’ll manage to save money on gas and you won’t have to cut costs in any other part of your business.
And avoid heavy traffic
Vehicles are least efficient when they’re going nowhere. So being stuck in heavy traffic or just at traffic lights will make your drivers burn more gas. This can significantly increase your monthly gas expenses. Plus, it will probably take your drivers more time to get to the place of work.
Therefore, encourage your drivers not to schedule jobs during rush hours. Also, they should use traffic alerts via different notification apps. This will help them save gas as well as save their time.
Did you like our pro tips for saving money on gas?
We hope our tips for saving money on gas helped you find good ways to keep your business running without having to cut costs anywhere else. Even though it might not seem as much in the beginning, after a while you’ll truly start noticing the difference and realize how much money you’ve actually saved. This will also give you room to focus on other aspects of your business such as generating leads for movers and converting them into customers.
