With the price of fuel at record highs of 137.44p/litre for petrol and 144.60p/litre for diesel, companies are increasingly turning to their fleet suppliers for strategic advice to help them reduce operating costs. Whilst  a cost-effective  fleet policy, funded in the most efficient manner, are obviously key considerations,  it’s “on the road” where significant savings can also be made.

Telematics is one technology that businesses are increasingly embracing to deliver cost savings, with particular emphasis on helping reduce their fuel bill. In separate research conducted by ALD Automotive, over one third of UK companies employing over 500 staff have introduced telematics technology within their fleet to help reduce fleet costs. Over 37% of those surveyed responded saying they use telematics now or are currently trialling the technology.

ALD Automotive’s award winning ProFleet2 telematics solution is one such service being used to tackle the issue. Key vehicle and journey data can be analysed by authorised fleet contacts to identify, potentially, costly driver behaviour which contributes to excessive fuel consumption such as excessive speed, unnecessary idling or harsh acceleration. The fleet manager can then take the necessary steps to improve driving behaviour either by, simply, raising awareness or through driver education programmes, thereby reducing fuel consumption and other associated costs.

Commenting on the survey results, Keith Allen, managing director of ALD Automotive UK, said: 'As the fuel price continues to rise, it has become increasingly important for UK fleet management suppliers to work with their customers much closer in helping deliver initiatives that can help them achieve cost savings.'

Keith Allen concluded: 'On a daily basis we work with our customers to ensure they have the most cost-effective fleet policy in place. Coupled with our continued investment in ProFleet2 and other innovative products recently launched, we believe that we have the most comprehensive range of fleet management solutions available to help deliver the necessary cost savings.'