During the third quarter of 2009 405 fleets failed. An astonishing 14,135 tractors were taken off the road. I repeat 14,135 trucks were taken off the road. That’s an improvement from the previous years third quarter. Considering prices for fleet fuel were at an extreme level that isn’t saying much.
Fleets failing can be for a number of reasons. It could be due to the industry that company is in, the state of the economy, high fleet fuel prices, or the demand of freight. Whatever the reason is many of them can be from poor fuel management. Believe it or not, but many trucking companies aren’t watching their fleet fueling purchases as close as they should be. They set it and forget it. That is not how the oil industry works. Prices of fleet fuel are constantly changing, and you need someone watching on a daily basis doing fuel audits of your fleet fuel purchases to ensure you’re getting the best possible fuel price. If you don’t watch your fleet fuel vendors they might take advantage and increase their margins day by day.
Here’s a perfect example. A fleet that Sokolis manages buys a lot of diesel fuel. They have sites all over the country and we have negotiated deals with those fleet fueling vendors. Just last month by doing our daily fuel audits of their fleet fuel, we found an overcharge of $748.04. We contacted the fuel vendor and immediately received a credit in that amount for our customer. This happens every month. If someone was not watching their fleet fuel purchases they would be spending more money for fuel then they need to be.
Not every company will succeed in their business, and that’s something that every business owner risks when he starts it. However, the more attention and effort you put in will increase your chances of succeeding. Sokolis helps tons of fleets across the country save money on their fuel management. We have a great fuel management team, and we enjoy saving money for our clients buying fleet fuel. Don’t let your fleet fail. Try our fuel management services and see where you could be getting charged to much.
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