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Trucking fleet
Driving your long haul vehicle efficiently in urban areas
Urban driving presents all kinds of unique challenges for truck drivers — especially those behind the wheels of big rigs and 18-wheelers. Narrow streets and tight corners, heavy and congested traffic, and frequent stops can be stressful and even decrease efficiency.
The good news is that there are solutions to these challenges to help mitigate their impact on drivers’ fuel efficiency, time management, and safety. So, let’s explore some options.
Planning ahead with route optimization
There are lots of elements at play when it comes to route planning, meaning there are also options to consider when devising the perfect route. How you choose to approach routing as a fleet manager can directly impact your driver’s deliveries and perhaps even their well-being, so here are a few strategies to make dense city deliveries a little easier on everyone:
Plan for off-peak travel
Urban areas tend to have predictable traffic patterns. For example, it’s reasonable to assume heavy congestion during rush hours. As such, optimizing driving schedules to avoid peak times not only helps save fuel but also reduces the risk of delays.
Use fuel cards for fuel-efficient routes
Fuel cards often come with features that allow fleet managers to analyze fuel consumption and driver behaviors. Using these insights, route planners can prioritize the most fuel-efficient routes, avoiding ones with frequent idling or excessive stop-and-go traffic.
Fuel cards can also highlight preferred, partnered fueling stations along the route, allowing drivers to fill up at times when fuel prices are lowest. Moreover, creating strategic routes that consider preferred stations in the network can help minimize the need for detours.
Route around the city when it makes sense
Sometimes driving through a city is inevitable, like when drivers have a delivery right at the heart of a busy urban center. But even when they do, it doesn’t always make sense to send them through those congested streets.
When possible, optimize routes to bypass dense urban areas to reduce the chance of delivery delays and minimize vehicle wear and tear. Goodbye, urban gridlock!
Managing fuel efficiency
Planning urban routes for the most fuel-effect stops is one thing, but there are many other strategies for enhancing fuel efficiency in urban areas. From reducing idling time to creating the most efficient routes, there is a multifaceted approach to managing fuel efficiency which makes it easy to customize your approach based on your budget and goals.
Be careful of idle time
Some cities have strict rules and regulations about idling. In New York City, for example, Administrative Code, Title 24, Section 24-163 “establishes that no person should allow the engine of a motor vehicle to idle for longer than three minutes while parking, standing, or stopping.”
Ensure that drivers are aware of city-specific idling laws, but also encourage them to limit unnecessary idling as a general best practice, as it burns fuel without making any sort of progress. Setting clear guidelines around idling can reduce the chance of it happening and, therefore, help your fleet become more efficient.
Consider adopting hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles
If you haven’t already, consider incorporating hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs) into your fleet. Since these types of vehicles are optimized for efficiency, they can tackle tough city driving with ease and help reduce overall fuel usage.
If adopting EVs isn’t quite an option for your business yet, don’t sweat it. Other low-cost strategies for optimal urban driving exist—and they come in the form of mobile applications designed specifically for the unique challenges your fleet faces when navigating cities.
Using technology to your advantage
Beyond telematics and premium GPS tracking technology, fleet managers can offer drivers all kinds of mobile companion apps that can help alleviate some of the pressures of urban driving.
A useful app for reducing risk of fraud is WEX’s SecureFuel. SecureFuel helps protect your over-the-road fleet from fraudulent activity by providing real-time notifications about unauthorized purchases. It works by combining truck telematics with fleet card transaction data to pinpoint suspicious transactions—and can even dispense accurate information about drivers’ proximity to the pump and their fuel tank level after purchase to make catching fraud easier. And, there is no additional hardware needed to implement the solution!
In addition to SecureFuel, Dynamic Prompt is another tool that adds an extra layer of security to your fuel cards by enabling two-factor authentication for fuel purchases to mitigate card skimming. You can never be too careful, especially in busy cities where anything can happen.
Train drivers to adapt to urban driving conditions
Highway miles and city miles are vastly different. In urban areas, there is much more (and sometimes harsher) braking and accelerating, which takes a toll on trucks. If you anticipate your drivers will frequent congested urban environments with traffic lights and stop-and-go driving, providing related training can help reduce stress and boost efficiency.
Effective training material for navigating busy city centers should:
Emphasize patience
In cities, there’s often little advantage to driving fast. Frequent stops and traffic congestion make aggressive driving inefficient and stressful. Encourage drivers to slow down and maintain a steady speed. This can help reduce wear on the vehicle and make their overall driving experience a bit less worrisome.
Help drivers plan stops ahead of time
Urban environments offer fewer opportunities for easy parking or safe stopping, which can increase the stress level of your drivers. Before entering the city, drivers should use tools (like apps or fuel card services) to plan for fueling, rest breaks, and delivery stops.
Teach drivers how to anticipate traffic signals and road conditions
Urban driving often involves stop-and-go traffic. By anticipating traffic lights and slowdowns, drivers can reduce the frequency of hard braking or quick acceleration. This smoother driving style not only reduces stress but also saves fuel and lessens wear on the truck’s brakes and tires.
Tackle urban driving like a true professional
Driving long-haul vehicles efficiently in urban areas requires a combination of careful route planning, smart fuel management, and a heightened awareness of city-specific challenges. By leveraging tools like fuel cards, optimizing routes for fuel savings, and staying mindful of traffic patterns, long-haul drivers can navigate city streets with greater ease and efficiency.
Embracing these strategies not only helps reduce costs but also contributes to a smoother, safer driving experience, ensuring both the driver and the vehicle are well-prepared for the road ahead.
Browse WEX’s selection of fuel cards and fleet products to find the perfect solution for you. With the right tools, keeping your fleet moving—even through narrow city streets—is a breeze.
Learn more on how to better manage your over-the-road fleet:
All fleet cards are not the same, and different types of fuel cards suit the needs of different kinds and sizes of businesses. View WEX’s fleet card comparison chart to see which fleet fuel card is right for you.