Sustainable ways to reduce transport costs for retailers

Discover sustainable solutions to reduce transport costs for your retail business with telematics technology.

As a retail professional, it’s extremely important to have products and shipments delivered on time, to retain customers, streamline processes and meet business goals.

However, with rising fuel pricing and car emissions, it’s almost always predicted to be expensive and horrid for the environment. So, as a business, how do you lower fuel costs and your carbon footprint without making a dent in the bank? It sounds like a difficult equation, but fortunately, there are a few easy solutions.

Lower fuel costs by half

Unsurprisingly, fuel is a huge expense in any business. However, it’s the misuse of company vehicles and fuel cards that ultimately drive costs up. For example, it’s not uncommon for employees to use a company card to buy more expensive fuel they could not afford. Poor driving standards, such as harsh braking and speeding also burn through fuel quickly.

By digitising vehicle fleets, retail businesses can track exactly how much petrol each driver is using, in addition to whether it’s being used for company or personal use. This will help companies better understand exactly how their vehicles and fuel cards are being utilised and ultimately can reduce fuel costs by 50%.

Lower fuel costs by improving driver behaviour

Following the simple cost of fuel – driver behaviour is the next step in lowering fuel consumption. While it is understandable that employees drive company cars differently than how they would drive their car, they are not responsible for footing the bill when it comes to petrol and maintenance charges. In some cases, this means that employees are often less cautious when it comes to driving company cars.

Changing employee behaviour can be quite difficult. However, if managed correctly, success can deliver improvements helping to lower overall spending on fuel. Software with telematics technology can help manage this change by providing drivers with tools to help improve their driving performance and behaviour behind the wheel.

For example, telematics software enables retail businesses to receive real-time feedback, collate different data points, and analyse driving styles to see exactly how their drivers are performing. These telematics solutions allow fleet managers to monitor a large number of driver’s overall performance simultaneously.

From speeding, fuel consumption to idling, green speed, driving events, gear shifting and harsh cornering, telematics solutions can provide a vast array of data for fleet managers to monitor. Retail professionals can then use these insights to reward good behaviour and promote a better, safer and more economical driving style.

Becoming sustainable without the price tag

Greater visibility and control over your mobile assets can help to slash fuel costs. It allows for greater optimisation, efficiencies, and driver performance. Integrating telematics solutions to help manage drivers will provide your company with a more sustainable and cost-effective business model.

Don’t let fuel guzzle away the finances. Instead, let technology help your business become more sustainable without making a dent in the bank.

About: TomTom Telematics is one of the world’s leading telematics solution providers with more than 861,000 connected cars worldwide. The company services drivers in more than 60 countries, giving them the industry’s strongest local support network and widest range of sector-specific third-party applications and integrations. For more information, visit telematics.tomtom.com

 

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