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January 3, 2006 9 Ways to Save Money on Gas Oil prices are relatively still on the high side, causing a high cost for gas, leaving your company with lower profits. Susan Ward from “Your Guide to Small Business” provides us in today’s newsletter tips on how to save money on gas. For all businesses that run trucks on a daily basis and are coughing up a lot of money on gas, perhaps these tips will help you cut costs. Maybe the best way to save money is to get rid of your gas-guzzler or find alternative methods for fuel. 1. Ensure that all your vehicles are properly maintained. You can save up 10% when you make sure your vehicles are well maintained, such as making sure your tires are inflated properly, changing your oil on a regular basis, changing all filters, and making sure the engine is tuned properly. 2. Consolidate your trips. Instead of running your trucks 6 times a day, try making only 3 runs. Or wait until you know where all your trips are headed that day and make the runs together. Perhaps your business should make deliveries on certain days in certain areas. 3. Train all your drivers not to idle. “If you are going to be parked for more than 10 seconds, turn off the engine. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it” (Natural Resources Canada). 4. Decrease your delivery area. Instead of offering free delivery within a 50 mile area, you might want to only offer free delivery within a 20 mile area. Or you can simply charge a delivery fee and explain to the customer that fuel prices are not longer cheap and they will understand, especially in this business climate. 5. Have your clients come to you rather than going to them. If you are doing business in an industrial park and the surrounding area that is within 15 miles of your business, you can have your customers pick up the product, rather than having you start the vehicle and driving a short distance to only leave the truck idle and eventually turn around. A lot of food guys offer CashNCarry pricing to create an incentive to pickup. 6. Trade in your vehicle for vehicles with better fuel economy. 7. If you haven’t yet, join your Chamber of Commerce. Members of the Chamber of Commerce usually receive promotions and benefits for fuel cost savings. 8. Look for the “E-10 blend” of gas. “E-10 Blend” is a fuel blend of gasoline and up to 10 percent ethanol that can be used in virtually any gasoline-powered vehicle manufactured after 1980. In other words, if you can find it, you can use it without any modification to your vehicle, saving money on gas in the process. 9. Get vehicles that aren’t gas powered. A company by the name of Azure Dynamics is a developer of hybrid electric and electric powertrains for commercial and military vehicles. Another source is propane, which can be about 25 to 30 percent cheaper than gasoline.
You can Save Money even with High Gas Prices
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