Step 7: Identify factors that influence energy consumption

List all vehicles, by make & model

To understand where your transport fuel is used, you must build a profile of your vehicle fleet.

Fleet profile

Example headings to help you compile a profile of each vehicle and your fleet as a whole:

Your profile should include the make, model and engine size of each vehicle; classify vehicles as suits your business, differentiate between small and large vans, or those used for delivery and services as appropriate.

Note the type(s) of fuel being used on each vehicle. Often service vehicles will have gas canister on-board to provide heat for tools, refrigerated trucks may (or may not) have separate green diesel tanks for their refrigeration units.

Driver Profile

List all drivers by name, licence class and years of service, for example

    
As there may be sensitivity around driving performance at presentations, use employee ID numbers or similar.

Experience

Drivers with longer driving experience will tend to plan ahead more, and this should show in their reduced fuel usage.

Knowledge

Drivers, who have worked the same routes for longer periods of time, will anticipate issues and plan ahead; this should show in their fuel usage figures.

Advanced Driving

Advanced driving licence holders are trained to drive their vehicles in a sympathetic manner; again this should show in improved fuel economy vs. similar vehicles driven on similar routes by non-Advanced Drivers.

Odometer readings for period (e.g. Jan-Dec)

No matter how automated your reporting systems, you must check at least a sample of vehicles to ensure the veracity of your data.

Likewise you should walk-through the fuel purchase and refuelling process to ensure figures being reported are consistently accurate.

How will you know you’ve completed this step?

You will have a detailed picture of the vehicles, drivers, distances travelled, the fuels in use and usage in terms of volume and costs by vehicle, for example