Mobile Fueling Can Save Fleet Owners Money
With rising fuel prices, workforce shortages and the growing pressure to prioritize sustainability, these can be complicated times for fleet owners. And while sustainability is a priority for many, investing in it often leaves them faced with choosing between progress toward environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, or business productivity. For most, one step forward toward decarbonization equals two steps back on driving free cash flows.
But in a time when a potential recession looms, alongside a widening recognition of climate change as a defining issue of our time (75% of Americans agree that human activity contributes to climate change), many fleet owners must reconcile the cost of sustainable initiatives with the need to decarbonize transportation — an industry which contributes nearly a third of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Although wide-scale electrification will be key to the long-term global decarbonization effort, breaking the world’s dependence on fossil fuels will take time, especially as several well-known challenges currently prevent the wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). In addition to gaps in supply and demand, shortages in batteries, barriers to medium- and heavy-duty fleet electrification and deepset challenges to expanding wide-scale charging infrastructure, fleet electrification requires significant capital investment from fleet owners. The significant costs associated with purchasing electric vehicles (especially as prices skyrocket due to shortages in batteries, lithium, semiconductors and used cars) and installing on-site charging infrastructure prevent many fleets from electrification at this time.
Luckily, there is a way to increase sustainability without breaking the bank: mobile fueling on demand (MFOD), like that offered by Booster™. In fact, MFOD saves fleet owners money compared to reliance on traditional fueling infrastructure by diminishing on-the-clock time, fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear, and administrative duties associated with fuel card programs.
To put it simply, MFOD eliminates the gas station errand by delivering fuel directly from the terminal to the fleet vehicles. Fleets who used Booster’s MFOD model saw 8% more employee productivity, 3% fewer miles traveled and 4% reduced fuel costs overall.
At an average of 2.2 miles driven and 20 minutes spent per gas station trip, times the the nearly 8 gas station trips per month for each vehicle (according to Booster’s 2021 customer data), the time and fuel — and consequently, money — spent by fleets each month on the gas station errand adds up quickly, to no small amount. The total cost of labor for these trips adds up about $750 per fleet vehicle annually, plus an additional $100 in ownership, maintenance and wear & tear costs.
On top of the operational efficiency and cost benefits, MFOD advances sustainability of fleets by reducing spillage, need for USTs, and toxic emissions or pollution associated with traditional fixed gas station infrastructure. MFOD even expands access to sustainable fuels, making low-emissions fuels the easy choice. Booster has already transitioned more than half of our California-based fleets to renewable diesel (with plans to transition more soon), which can lead to up to 70% lower lifecycle emissions without any upgrades to vehicles or equipment.
Whether you’re looking to boost sustainability, cost savings, or both, MFOD can help. Starting each day with a full tank of fuel helps keep your team focused on the activities that deliver value to your business. More than a convenience, fuel delivery for fleets unlocks hidden savings and efficiencies.
