Beyond MPG: How integrated fleet management transforms fuel efficiency from cost center to competitive advantage
August 8, 2025
August 8, 2025
Fuel is one of the biggest expenses for transportation fleets, making up nearly 24% of operating costs, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. For fleet and safety managers looking to cut costs across large, complex operations, even small improvements in fuel efficiency can have a big impact.
While you can’t control prices at the pump, you can influence how your fleet uses every gallon. A lot of it comes down to what happens on the road. In fact, industry research shows that driver behavior alone can affect fuel efficiency by as much as 15%. Other studies go even further: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center shows that safer driving habits—like easing off the gas, braking gradually, and cutting down on idling—can boost fuel economy by 15–30% on the highway, and up to 40% in stop-and-go traffic.
But it doesn’t stop there. Proactive maintenance and smarter routing also play a big role in how efficiently a fleet runs. When driver behavior, vehicle upkeep, and operational planning come together, they create more opportunities to get the most out of every tank.
An integrated fleet approach ties it all together. With an intelligent, connected fleet management system and comprehensive data, you can move beyond chasing short-term savings and turn fuel efficiency into a real competitive edge.
Fuel efficiency depends on a long list of variables like engine specs, load weight, terrain, traffic, and weather. But for fleet managers, the most immediate and controllable factor is the person behind the wheel.
Driver behavior has a direct and measurable impact on fuel use. And most times, the same habits that waste fuel—like speeding, hard braking, and rapid acceleration—also increase risk on the road. When those behaviors go unchecked, they lead to both higher fuel costs and more safety incidents across the fleet. In other words, the safest driving habits are also the most fuel-efficient.
Here’s how specific driving habits affect fuel economy:
Speeding
Fleet operators often face pressure to hit tight delivery or service windows, which may tempt drivers to speed. But fuel efficiency drops quickly as speed increases. For every 5 mph over 50, a truck's fuel economy drops by 7%. That means cruising at 65 instead of 55 might save a little time, but it costs significantly more fuel, especially over long distances.
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration, especially from a full stop, forces the engine to burn much more fuel to overcome inertia quickly. This often happens when drivers are trying to make up time at intersections, after stoplights, or when merging onto highways.
Harsh braking
Late braking, or harsh braking, often stems from aggressive driving or inattentiveness, and it typically goes hand in hand with hard acceleration and lane weaving. It doesn’t just wear down brake pads, it wastes fuel, too. The engine burns fuel to build momentum, but sudden braking wastes that energy. The engine then has to burn even more fuel to get back up to speed.
Idling
Some idling is unavoidable, like during traffic or loading. But other reasons—like running the engine to keep the driver warm in cold weather or cool in the heat, or to prevent fuel from gelling in freezing temperatures—can often be avoided. Long-haul trucks often idle for up to 6 hours per day, or more than 1,800 hours per year.
That adds up quickly. Idling a heavy-duty truck consumes about 0.8 gallons of fuel per hour. Even if fuel were just $2.50 per gallon, idling through a single 10-hour rest break can burn about $20 worth of fuel. Across a fleet of 500 trucks, that’s thousands of gallons burned with no distance traveled.
And idling has a regulatory cost, too. Many states and cities now enforce anti-idling laws, with steep fines for violations.
Schedule a demo to discover how our integrated platform helps enterprise fleets reduce fuel costs while improving safety. Perfect for operations with 500+ vehicles. https://www.netradyne.com/book-demo
A fuel-efficient fleet depends on more than what happens behind the wheel. The way vehicles are maintained, routed, and managed day to day can have just as much impact on fuel use and the bottom line.
Preventive maintenance
A well-maintained vehicle burns less fuel. Something as simple as underinflated tires can significantly reduce fuel economy because lower pressure increases rolling resistance, which forces the engine to work harder and burn more fuel. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by up to 3%.
Other common culprits include clogged air filters, misaligned axles, worn-out components, and overdue oil changes. When maintenance is reactive and based only on breakdowns or complaints from drivers, it’s easy to miss these small inefficiencies. But with a proactive approach, fleets can catch issues early, keep vehicles operating efficiently, and avoid fuel waste that’s otherwise easy to overlook.
Idle reduction
Idling isn’t just a driver issue. Things like scheduling gaps and delays between stops all contribute to extended idling across the fleet.
Reducing idle time starts with visibility. With the right fleet management system, you can pinpoint where and when idling is happening, and whether it’s tied to certain locations, time windows, or vehicles. That insight makes it easier to identify patterns and adjust operations.
Operational optimization
Fuel efficiency can rise or fall based on how well routes are planned and how schedules are built. Backtracking, inefficient stop sequencing, and inefficient routes all contribute to unnecessary fuel burn, regardless of how well the driver performs behind the wheel.
Fleets can make improvements by analyzing past routes, coordinating stops more efficiently, or refining dispatch protocols. Taking a close look at day-to-day operations often reveals clear opportunities to reduce wasted miles.
Fuel efficiency scoring can also help fleets identify drivers or groups, like regions or teams, that are performing well or may need coaching.
One of the most well-known examples of smarter routing comes from UPS. By redesigning routes to minimize left turns, they reduce time spent idling at intersections and avoid fuel-wasting delays. The result: an estimated savings of 10 million gallons of fuel annually.
While most fleets won’t see savings at that scale, the principles still apply.
Optimizing fuel efficiency requires more than one-off fixes. Fleet and safety managers must make smart, data-informed decisions across the entire fleet, every day. That’s where technology makes the difference.
Modern fleet management platforms bring all the moving parts together: driver behavior, vehicle performance, routing, scheduling, and fuel usage. Instead of managing each in isolation, integrated systems provide visibility and insights that help fleet and safety managers act faster and more effectively.
Helping drivers self-correct
With in-cab alerts, smart systems can flag behaviors like speeding, hard braking, and excessive idling, and provide feedback that helps drivers self-correct immediately.
Netradyne’s Driver•i™ system uses real-time insights to help drivers self-correct unsafe, inefficient behaviors. These are gentle, in-the-moment nudges that promote safer, smoother driving, not after-the-fact punishments. Over time, consistent coaching translates into measurable fuel savings and stronger safety outcomes.
Proactive maintenance
Instead of relying on fixed schedules or reactive repairs, connected systems can recommend service exactly when it’s needed. That reduces downtime, prevents minor issues from becoming expensive ones, and keeps vehicles running as efficiently as possible.
With Driver•i Fleet Management, you can monitor Diagnostic Trouble Codes by viewing the Engine Faults Report to prioritize repairs and reduce downtime. Use Preventative Maintenance Automation to set maintenance intervals for your fleet using odometer or engine hours, read directly from the vehicle.
Efficient routing and optimization
Integrated routing tools factor in traffic, road conditions, vehicle type, and delivery-time windows to recommend the most fuel-efficient paths in real time. This minimizes wasted miles, reduces time spent in traffic and idling, and keeps schedules on track—all while burning less fuel.
Netradyne’s Driver•i helps managers optimize routing to reduce fuel consumption and get to customers faster. They can view live traffic conditions and road closures, locate nearby drivers, and dispatch them directly using two-way messaging.
A clearer, comprehensive picture
The real power of integrated fleet technology lies in its ability to connect everything. With the full picture in front of them, fleet and safety managers can spot trends, measure progress, and continuously improve performance.
Discover how Driver·i can optimize your fleet's fuel efficiency while improving safety.
Contact our team to learn how transportation companies are achieving up to 15% fuel savings with Netradyne's comprehensive fleet management solution. https://www.netradyne.com/book-demo
Fuel efficiency might seem like a small win, but the savings add up fast, especially at today’s diesel prices.
Driver behavior: Industry research shows that improving habits like speeding, harsh braking, and rapid acceleration can increase fuel efficiency by up to 15%. For a fleet spending $10 million on fuel annually, that’s a potential savings of $1.5 million, just by helping drivers adopt smoother, safer habits.
Idling: A heavy-duty truck idling for 1,800 hours a year burns about 1,440 gallons of fuel. At today’s average diesel price of $3.67 per gallon, that’s $5,285 per truck per year—with no miles driven. Across a fleet of 500 trucks, that’s more than $2.6 million in wasted fuel. Cut idle time by just 25%, and you’re looking at $660,000 in savings.
Preventative maintenance: Properly inflated tires can improve fuel economy by up to 3%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s another $300,000 in savings for a fleet with a $10 million fuel spend, all without changing a single route or driver behavior.
These gains are within reach, especially when you have the tools to track, coach, and optimize across your fleet.
Turning fuel efficiency into a competitive advantage starts with a clear plan — and the right tools to support it.
1. Choose a technology partner that delivers comprehensive insights
Select a fleet management solution that offers full visibility into driver behavior, vehicle health, idle time, and routing—like Netradyne’s Driver•i Fleet Management solution. It combines video safety, GPS tracking, maintenance alerts, fuel analysis, and more into a single, integrated view powered by one device.
2. Train and empower drivers with positive coaching
Effective training emphasizes the benefits of safe, fuel-efficient driving, and supports drivers in achieving it. Driver•i provides real-time, in-cab feedback that helps drivers self-correct without feeling penalized. Netradyne’s proprietary GreenZone™ score highlights both positive and risky behaviors, giving drivers and managers a clear, complete view of what’s working and where there’s room to improve.
3. Foster a culture of recognition and engagement
Use driver scoring features—like the GreenZone scores or fuel efficiency scores—to create friendly competition and reward safe, fuel-efficient habits. Recognizing progress and celebrating milestones not only reinforces good behavior but also boosts morale and retention—turning efficiency into a team-wide win.
4. Connect teams with integrated data
Fuel efficiency is a collective effort. Netradyne’s platform integrates data across safety, maintenance, and operations, giving every team a shared, comprehensive view. This makes it easier to coordinate preventative maintenance, optimize routing, and reduce idle time more effectively, driving compounded savings.
5. Monitor performance and continuously improve
Set fuel efficiency benchmarks and use technology like Driver•i’s reporting tools to measure progress. Data and ongoing feedback help teams adjust strategies, build on results, and sustain improvements in efficiency, safety, and overall performance.
Discover how Driver•i can optimize your fleet’s fuel efficiency while enhancing safety. Learn more about Netradyne’s comprehensive fleet management solution at netradyne.com/fleet-management.
“The transformation of those drivers was just amazing. I had an owner-operator that came out [with a GreenZone score] in the low 400s, which is bad. He got the technology. We said, hey look, just try the app. He went into the 900s within a week and sent us a text saying it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He's getting much better mileage, a much calmer drive. It's a joy to watch happen."
Paul Schmitz
Director of Safety at Wayne Transports, Inc.
* Individual results and conditions may vary.
** Based on customer data.
† Netradyne must receive written approval to share client data.
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