Five fuel saving tips for motor traders

The last few months have been tough on drivers. The steep rise in fuel prices has put pressure on anyone who relies on a vehicle –  and this is true for motor traders too. Petrol and diesel costs can be a significant spend for a motor trade business and, at DNA, we always want to help our customers where we can. So we’ve pulled together a few top fuel saving tips that you may find handy if you’re counting the pennies.

Read on for some friendly advice, like how to change your driving habits to getting the most for your money from your motor trade insurance.

1. Tweak how you (and any employees) drive

How you drive can have a big impact on how much fuel you save. If you or any of your team are on the road a lot in your line of work, then you should make sure you’re driving as efficiently as possible. Start with your speed – according to the RAC, cars are typically most efficient between 45-50mph.

If you drive a manual vehicle, aim to change your gears earlier and keep your engine revs lower. Limit when you use air con – if you’re driving under 40mph, opening a window is a better option. How heavy is your vehicle? Do you take a lot of tools out every day that you might not need? Keeping the weight lighter will help fuel efficiency, although we know this isn’t always easy in the motor trade.

Cutting your idling time is more straightforward. Did you know an engine idling for two minutes uses the same amount of fuel as needed to drive one mile? That’s according to a Driving for Better Business report – so switching off your engine if you’re waiting in traffic can help your fuel tank last for longer.

You can always consider offering training to your drivers too, so they know how to drive as efficiently and safely as possible. This can also help you save money on your motor trade insurance so it could be a long-term win-win – just ask about our risk management service.

2. Look after your vehicles

Simply making sure your tyre pressures are correct is a quick and easy way to improve your fuel efficiency. Plus it helps them last for longer, again saving you money. If you employ a team, make sure they know to keep their tyre pressures topped up so there’s no unnecessary drag.

Keeping on top of your overall vehicle maintenance also goes a long way. It not only helps the engine to run more efficiently, saving on fuel costs, but it’s also a long-term way to prevent unexpected costs if your vehicle breaks down or needs major repairs. After all, you could end up not being able to work if your vehicle is off the road for repairs – let alone the cost of having it fixed. So it makes sense to make sure your car, van or truck is always well looked after.

3. Keep track of how much fuel you use

Sounds simple, but one way to help save fuel is noticing how much you use. If you track how much you top up every time you stop at a fuel station, you’ll get a better grasp of how much you need on a daily basis. This in turn can help you spot areas where you could cut down on usage.

Consider keeping a fuel log in your vehicle and write down how much you fill up and where you’ve been in between refuelling. Just make sure you record the amount you fill up in litres, as the price may change but the fuel amount should stay the same.

4. Choose your route (and your sat nav)

From mobile mechanics to bodyshop repairs to vehicle recovery, many motor trades may send you driving all over the place in the line of work. So choosing your route is important to make sure you’re not driving further than you need to. If you’re in charge of your diary, see if you can schedule your appointments so they’re as close together as possible to reduce time spent driving back and forth.

Using a live sat-nav is also a good idea – it can help cut your driving time and avoid you getting stuck in traffic. These days, you can get sat-navs to suggest the most economical routes and Google Maps has a new ‘eco-friendly’ mode, which will direct you the most fuel-efficient route. This may take longer to get to your destination, but it will help keep your fuel costs down.

If you’ve got a fleet of drivers, think about adding trackers to their vehicles so you can keep an eye on the routes they use. This can help you budget for fuel, plus it encourages your team to drive as sensibly as possible – which, in turn, can mean cheaper motor trade insurance.

5. Don’t cut key corners to save costs

There’s a lot you can do to save money on fuel and we’ve only touched on a few tips here. But one very important thing to remember is this: however tempting it might be, don’t try and save costs by cutting down on key expenditure elsewhere. Things like your motor trade insurance are vital for the safe running of your business, so it’s important you keep up your cover.

We understand it’s not always easy to run a business. So if you’re looking for cheap motor trade insurance to help with your running costs during these tricky times, talk to us. At DNA, we’ll always try our hardest to find you cover at the best price possible – and if you need to save money on your motor trade insurance, we’ll talk through your options and see what we can do.

Just give us a call today on 01708 988952 or get in touch online.