Connecting Fuel Use, Vehicle Operation and Fleet Efficiency
Fuel economy isn’t determined only at the fuel pump.
How a vehicle is operated can matter, too.
Idling, acceleration, routes and other operating factors all contribute to how efficiently a fleet runs. For years, fleet managers have known this—but modern telematics gives them much better information for actually seeing those patterns.
At Greg’s Petroleum Service, that’s another area we’re gaining greater visibility into through our use of Samsara.
Start With Idling
Idling is one of the easiest examples.
A truck can burn fuel without traveling a single mile.
And if you’re only looking at odometer mileage and total gallons purchased, it may be difficult to understand exactly where that fuel went.
Samsara’s Vehicle Gateway includes fuel and idling reports, which the company positions as tools for helping reduce fuel consumption.
For a fleet manager, identifying unusually high idle time provides an opportunity to ask why.
Is it necessary for the job?
Is it route-related?
Is it seasonal?
Is it driver behavior?
Is there an operational change that could reduce it?
You can’t answer those questions until you can see the pattern.
Driving Behavior Provides Another Piece of the Puzzle
Acceleration, braking and turning events can also be captured through the Samsara platform.
Again, an individual event doesn’t necessarily indicate a problem.
But repeated patterns give fleet managers information they didn’t previously have.
And that information can create opportunities for coaching, route evaluation and more efficient fleet operation.
Look Beyond Miles Per Gallon
MPG is valuable—but it tells you the result.
Telematics can help you investigate why you’re getting that result.
Samsara’s broader telematics platform includes advanced fuel analytics, performance insights, actionable alerts and reporting.
That creates the opportunity to compare vehicles and operating patterns rather than looking only at total fuel purchases.
A truck with lower-than-expected efficiency might be experiencing more idle time.
Another might operate on a significantly different route or duty cycle.
The goal isn’t simply to say one vehicle is “good” and another is “bad.”
It’s to understand the difference.
Fuel Efficiency and Maintenance Aren’t Separate Conversations
This is also where fuel management and preventive maintenance begin to overlap.
The way a truck operates affects much more than the gallons it consumes.
That’s why fleet managers should look at the entire operation rather than treating fuel, maintenance and driver behavior as completely separate categories.
At Greg’s Petroleum Service, that’s a conversation we’re particularly interested in.
We already help customers think about fuel, engine oil, grease, coolant and other products that keep equipment operating. Connected fleet technology provides another source of information that can help businesses better understand how that equipment is actually being used.
Turn Data Into Decisions
More data by itself isn’t necessarily valuable.
The real value comes from knowing what to do with it.
A useful fleet-management program turns information into questions:
Why is this vehicle idling more?
Why are we seeing repeated hard-braking events on this route?
Is this truck showing signs that maintenance needs attention?
Are there operating patterns we could change?
Can we coach a driver before a behavior becomes a larger problem?
Can we better schedule maintenance rather than reacting to an unexpected breakdown?
Those are the kinds of questions that can lead to meaningful operational improvements.
We’re Learning From Our Own Fleet, Too
At Greg’s Petroleum Service, we don’t just talk to customers about operating equipment efficiently. We operate our own fleet every day.
Our trucks travel throughout Central California delivering the fuel and lubricants our customers depend on.
Samsara is giving our team another tool to understand those trucks—how they’re operating, when they may need attention and where there may be opportunities to improve.
And we’re excited to share what we’re learning with the customers we serve.
Because whether you’re operating five trucks or fifty, the goal is ultimately the same:
Keep equipment running. Keep people safe. Reduce unnecessary costs. And get more out of your fleet.
Interested in learning more about the technology Greg’s Petro is using in our own fleet? Contact your Greg’s Petro representative to learn more about Samsara and connected fleet fueling management.