34 March 2015 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com
FLEET MANAGEMENT
Fleet Cost Management
As a fleet manager, you probably spend a significant portion of
your time looking for ways to control your operating costs. Fuel
is always a big portion of a fleet's budget, so you may be con-
sidering strategies for reducing fuel expenses. There are many
technologies, including telematics, that can reduce the total miles
your fleet drives. Equipment that decreases unnecessary engine
idle time might also be worth evaluating. Another big factor in
the operating budget is direct vehicle maintenance costs. You
may find yourself evaluating preventative maintenance policies,
comparing the cost of in-house vs. outsourced maintenance, and
shopping for the best buy on repair parts.
While all of these actions are worthwhile, and will probably
generate some operational savings, many fleets have found that
the most effective area to address in order to reduce long-term
costs is vehicle acquisition. The impact of your new vehicle acqui-
sition program can be seen in multiple areas:
Initial acquisition costs
Vehicle productivity
Vehicle fuel efficiency
Long-term maintenance costs
AcquIsItIon costs
And vehIcLe productIvIty
Fleet acquisition costs include the actual costs of the vehicle and
associated upfitting, as well as the overhead costs of funding the
acquisition.
It starts with the trucks you buy
■ by RobERT "bob" JohNsoN
Image
©Istockphoto.com/porcorex
