Visitors to next week’s Fleet Management Live event at Birmingham’s NEC will be able to get expert advice on reducing fuel costs at a free-to-attend fuel clinic.

The clinics, which are being held in the centre of Hall 7 (by the Fleet News Hub), will look at how businesses and their drivers can be more efficient with their vehicles and ultimately reduce their costs and carbon footprint.

Many fleet managers still believe that fuel is a cost that cannot effectively be managed. However, there is a great deal that can be done to control fuel costs and a visit to the fuel clinic could be just the thing to kick start the fuel efficiency drive.

The single biggest influence on fuel efficiency is driving style and a considerate right foot could save hundreds of pounds in fuel costs compared to an aggressive driver who is habitually on the accelerator. The right driver incentives with driver training, worthwhile targets and rewards for improvements could conservatively result in 10% improvement in fuel consumption.

And while drivers may prefer a wide company car choice it could bring extra costs but by putting sensible limits in place, substantial fuel savings as well as across the whole fleet operation.

Fuel cards are obviously a solution but they are also a valuable tool. Using the data gathered from fuel cards, such as detailed reporting about fuel expenditure to highlight drivers and vehicles using excessive fuel, as well as a more robust system for reclaiming of VAT and probable elimination of any fraud that may exist, could also be a valuable source of fuel efficiencies. 

The fuel clinic experts are:

• Ken Rogers from Expense Reduction Analysts. Rogers has successfully used his in-depth knowledge and experience of fleet operations and costs to achieve substantial savings in fuel and tyres costs, as well as third-party Freight.  He has extensive experience in fleet cost categories (including tyres, diesel, derv, ULSD, fuelcards, and vehicle hire), and industrial fuels (e.g. gasoil, red diesel, kerosene, bunker fuels, burning oil, boiler fuels etc.).
• Thomas Bartsch from BP. Bartsch is a mechanical engineer at BP and is an expert technologist in BP’s global fuels technology/technology deployment team.  He will be on hand to answer all questions relating to everything from fuel technology to the procuring of fuel, including bunkering, hedging etc.

Simply visit the stand, which is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm, to book your free 30 minute one-to-one session with one of the experts who are on hand to offer practical support, give independent advice on overcoming particular problems or challenges fleet managers may face as well as get tips on how to maximise fuel economy.

To find out more about Fleet Management Live, which takes place on October 6-7, or to register for your free ticket, visit www.fleetmanagementlive.co.uk