Managing costs during the busy winter period can pose additional difficulties for transport operators, with fleets facing greater demand and tight deadlines. Plus, supply chain issues and a growing body of regulations aimed at reducing emissions are increasing pressure on UK businesses, making it difficult to predict delivery times and quantities. Under these challenging conditions, monitoring fuel consumption, vehicle performance and driver behaviour can help fleet managers to achieve valuable cost savings. We explore how the right fuel card can support more efficient everyday operations throughout the winter, helping you to keep your fleet moving the right way.
Track fleet spend with fuel cards
With more fleet drivers likely to be on the road in the run up to Christmas than any other time of year, it’s important to have visibility of where, when and how much your workforce is spending on refuelling. Data supplied by fuel cards allows transport businesses to better monitor their fuel consumption trends over time, helping to manage their everyday operations more efficiently.
By regulating access to fuel and creating a clear audit trail of usage, fuel cards can help to protect businesses from costly fraudulent behaviour. They also integrate with the latest telematics systems, offering transport operators a complete view of fleet fuel spend and vehicle activity for accurate miles-per-gallon figures and fraud detection.
Plan ahead with fixed pricing
Fuel is one of the biggest expenses for fleet owners and it’s essential for fleet managers to procure this valuable asset at the best possible price. The Certas Energy fuel card offers fixed weekly pricing, Platts-linked pricing and discounts on diesel purchases at Certas Energy HGV refuelling sites nationwide. Prices for AdBlue and gas oil are also fixed at many sites, meaning customers are not impacted by external market fluctuations and can plan in advance for outgoings.
Fuel up fast, all winter long
Getting drivers back on the road quickly and safely after refuelling is an important way to maximise efficiency and save costs—particularly during winter, when roads are busy and forecourts are bitterly cold. Certas Energy offers almost 30 specialist high-speed HGV refuelling bunker sites, as well as a number of LCV/LGV refuelling locations. These specialist HGV sites enable refuelling at up to 120 litres per minute, compared to just 40-60 litres per minute at a standard motorway forecourt, which saves crucial time for drivers on the road.
The value of this became even clearer during the recent fuel crisis – as Certas Energy’s high-speed refuelling sites are not open to domestic car users, we were able to fill 36,000 HGVs in a single week. We also provide personalised maps of all fuel card-friendly forecourts and high-speed refuelling sites along chosen routes, which makes it easy for drivers to find the closest source of fixed-price fuel. The Certas Energy fuel card is accepted at almost 3,400 refuelling sites across the UK, including all main motorway refuelling locations as well as a large number of supermarkets. This means you can rest assured that your fleet can fuel up right when and where they need to.
Today, fleet managers have access to a broad range of fuel management solutions, and fuel cards are one of the most essential when it comes to creating a reliable overview of a fleet’s fuel usage – essential information for resource planning and cost control. Talk to one of Certas Energy’s experts today about the available options, from fuel cards and beyond, and discover how we can help you keep your fleet moving the right way this winter and beyond.
