Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would know that gas prices have skyrocketed in recent months.
This is not the first time gas prices have risen above their standard average, but the steep price increase in 2022 has gone far beyond previous norms.
Unsurprisingly, people are mindful of the higher prices and are changing their driving habits. Daily driving routines are being altered, long summer road trips are being reconsidered by drivers, and some are reevaluating the role of a personal vehicle in their lives.
It’s not just your average driver affected by the heightened gas rates. Businesses with fleets of vehicles are dealing with these higher prices, too, and that eats up a much larger portion of their operating budget.
Everyone is looking for a way to limit pain at the pump, but not everyone can drastically change their driving habits. With that in mind, here are some tips to help consumers and businesses save money on gas:
Fleet GPS Tracking –
Gas is a huge expense, typically 21% of operating costs or more, for any business that operates a fleet of vehicles, and that is even when gas was more reasonably priced. Not only that, higher gas prices for commercial fleets mean the cost of everything in the United States rises because it is more expensive to transport goods throughout the country.
One way to limit gas intake is with fleet GPS tracking. This type of technology tracks vehicle locations and keeps fuel usage data, which allows managers to see exactly where drivers are going and how much gas is being used.
Fleet GPS tracking also monitors driving patterns such as idling, harsh accelerating and braking, and other aggressive driving behaviors that waste gas. Most services have GPS trackers installed inside the vehicle that send data back to the home office so managers have up-to-date knowledge.
The information provided by fleet GPS tracking helps companies save money on their fleet because managers can use the information to coach their drivers out of gas-wasting driving habits.
Carpool
Whether it’s driving to work or driving kids to school, carpooling is a tried-and-true method to save gas money. Chances are you have coworkers, children’s friends, and other people in your life who live near the route to the main destination.
Just pile everyone into the car and get on your way. A lot of times, people rotate the driving responsibility each week to even out the load. If someone does not have familiar people to carpool with, many ride sharing apps also allow people to travel in groups, including Waze.
Gas Apps
End the days of roaming around searching for the lowest gas prices in your area. Solve this issue with money-saving gas apps.
There are many apps that help drivers find the cheapest gas prices by showing a map of their area with the best deals at local gas stations. Some of the apps provide directions to the selected gas station as well. Gas Guru, Fuelio, GasBuddy, and even Waze are some of the most popular gas apps that help drivers save money.
Lighten the Load
Your car probably has some extra stuff rambling around in it and that could be affecting your gas budget. All these items could be weighing down the car and causing it to be less fuel efficient, which means you are spending more on gas.
This is particularly prevalent among industrial vehicles that keep all sorts of tools and specified equipment inside the vehicle. Many of these tools may have been useful for one job, but if they are sent out for another job that requires different gear, then there is no reason to bring along unneeded heavy tools.
In the big picture, removing a few unnecessary objects from a vehicle will not affect fuel efficiency that much, but it could help on the margins. With gas prices so high right now, little changes can add up to make a big difference.
Route Planning
Make sure you take the shortest route possible to get to your next destination and a great way to do that is by planning the route beforehand.
You may take familiar routes to your normal spots, but that does not mean it is the shortest path. There is a chance the normal route you take is actually longer than it needs to be, which wastes gas by traveling unneeded distance. Leave the house with a plan and it will save you money in the long run.
The allure of the open road is tempting and sometimes it can be fun to aimlessly drive around, but those habits need to be cut out if you are trying to save on gas.
Get a More Fuel-Efficient Vehicle
One way to save money on gas is by filling up less often. That seems fairly obvious, and it could be accomplished by simply driving less frequently, but someone with a fuel-efficient vehicle can maintain their same driving habits and still fill up less.
With lower vehicle inventories across the globe, cars of all kinds are getting more expensive as well, including fuel-efficient choices like compact cars, hybrids, or used electric models. Buying one of these vehicles comes with a high up-front cost, even though you’ll save money later on by filling up less often. Heck, there’s always the option of switching to a bicycle, electric bike, moped, or motorcycle as a primary form of transportation.
Not everyone is in the financial position to be making a large purchase like this, but if you are thinking about ditching your gas-guzzler, then a car with better fuel efficiency could be the solution.
