August 30th, 2010
In the last article we mentioned the excessive price of petrol and diesel and looked at ways you could save money by not using as much fuel. We started our two part article looking at driving style. Here we will look at satellite navigation systems.
Save money using satellite navigation systems
If you drive a van you can save a considerable amount of money otherwise spent on fuel if you use a satellite navigation (Sat Nav) device.
The latest satellite navigation devices use GPS technology so your van’s position can be located on a digital map within a few feet. This means that using the mapping system that comes with the Sat Nav device you can map out a route to your destination. So how can you save duel? If travel by the shortest route you can save fuel and hence money. And you should not get lost and waste fuel driving around to find your destination.
Some satellite navigation devices also have the option of traffic alerts so can warn you if there is a traffic jam ahead. You can thus change route and not waste fuel sat in a queue.
August 29th, 2010
If you drive a van for business purposes, you will undoubtedly realise that the price of petrol and diesel can impact on the profit you make. Rising fuel prices cause problems for any company that uses a fleet of vehicles for its day-to-day operations. However, they can save some of the money they usually spend on fuel if they become more efficient. But how can they do this?
There are quite a few ways by which you can save some money spent on fuel if you drive a van. In this two part article we will look at some of the easiest and cost-efficient ways.
Driving style
If you drive your van erratically you will use an excessive amount of fuel. So what can the van driver do?
• Don’t speed – this uses excessive fuel
• Don’t brake heavily – you use more fuel when you have to pull away
• Try to drive consistently – if you accelerate rapidly you will use more fuel
If you throw the van around when you drive, you will use more fuel than if you are careful. You might even avoid potential accidents so won’t have to make a claim on your van insurance. In the next article we will discuss Sat Nav systems and how they can save you fuel.
August 18th, 2010
It can be expensive if you drive a van. Just travelling to your next job can cost a lot of money in petrol or diesel costs. And this is money that will have to be recouped by increasing the prices you charge.
However, there are a few things that you can do to decrease the amount of fuel that you use:
• Use satellite navigation systems – If you use SAT NAV systems you will always be able to find your destination and get there by the quickest route, hence you can save money on fuel costs.
• Drive sensibly – If you accelerate quickly or brake harshly you will end up using more fuel.
• Remove roof racks – If you drive with a roof rack in place, the wind resistance will mean you use more fuel.
• Don’t drive around with things you don’t need in your van – if your van is fully loaded and you drive around this way all the time, you will use more fuel than if you just take the things you need.
• Check tyre pressures – if your tyres are under inflated you will use more fuel.
These are just a few ways you can save money on fuel.
August 10th, 2010
If you use a van for business purposes, you will need to save every penny you can to make a tidy profit. And putting fuel into your vehicle is one area where you can make savings.
If you follow a few hints and tips and make use of new devices like satellite navigation systems,you should be able to make considerable monetary savings over the course of a year.
Satellite navigation systems
Many firms now use satellite navigation systems to keep a check on the whereabouts of their fleet of vans. However, they can also be used to save money on fuel. Some ways you can do this include:
• If you follow the shortest route given by a satellite navigation system you will use less fuel than if you use a longer route.
• Because a satellite navigation system can direct you to your destination using the latest mapping software, wrong turns can be avoided.
• Some satellite navigation systems give you up to date information about traffic congestion, so you won’t have to waste fuel sitting in a traffic jam
These are just a few of the ways that a satellite navigation system can help. So when you weigh up the benefits to your business, it seems silly not to use one.
July 31st, 2010
If you run a delivery business, then the likelihood is that you will have a fleet of vans that will be travelling all around the area delivering goods to customers’ homes. Those customers will be relying on you to get their items to them on time and intact.
So it’s no good if you turn up three hours after the allotted delivery time, or even worse than that; if you don’t turn up at all!
This is why it is vital that any company that relies on a fleet of vans must make use of SatNav systems.
These can be invaluable no matter where you are travelling. But when your business relies on you delivering a certain amount of items at certain times, then they can be life savers.
With the help of a SatNav, you are able to determine the best route to take and on some systems, you can see if there are any problems on the roads and choose an alternative route if necessary.
By taking more efficient routes, you could also save yourself a lot of petrol money. So if you run a fleet of vans, make use of SatNav systems to ensure that you can run efficiently and for the best price.
July 30th, 2010
If your business relies on a fleet of vans, then there are certain things you can do in order to keep the costs of running these vans to a minimum.
For a start, you can reduce the costs of your van insurance by ensuring that your van is kept secure overnight. By keeping your van on secure premises overnight, you are reducing the chance of it being stolen or damaged and therefore reducing the costs of insuring it.
Similarly, if you install an alarm or tracking device, this provides protection to the van, reducing the chances of anything happening to it and in turn, reducing the costs of your van insurance.
As well as saving money on costs such as the van insurance, you can also save money on fuel prices. And a lot of this can be done by changing the way in which you drive.
Driving at high speeds and braking heavily can really affect the amount of fuel that you use. But if you drive smoothly, using the highest gears possible, not driving too fast and not braking heavily, you can really reduce the amount that you spend on fuel.
July 30th, 2010
Most businesses are struggling following the effects of the recession. And plenty of them are looking for ways that they can reduce their costs. If your business relies on a fleet of vans, there are plenty of ways that you can reduce your outgoings.
Firstly, you can really make a difference to the cost of your van insurance by changing a few key things. By making sure that your vans are kept secure, you are limiting the chances of any damage being caused to them and you are also limiting the chance of a theft and this means that the cost of your van insurance can be reduced. By fitting the vans with alarms and tracking devices, you can have a similar effect on the costs of your van insurance.
You could also reduce your costs by changing the ways in which your vans are driven. By driving carefully, you can really reduce the costs of petrol.
For example, by not driving aggressively and by not braking too hard, your engine will use less fuel. If you switch your engine off while you are stationary, this can also affect the cost of petrol.
So if you’re looking at ways of cutting costs, consider changing your driving habits and making your vans more secure to save money on van insurance.
July 25th, 2010
Driving a van can be expensive, but if you use a GPS system you could save yourself hundreds of pounds a year otherwise spent unnecessarily on fuel.
Satellite navigation systems have come a long way over the past few years, and most models now automatically update maps when road systems change, a problem that could not be solved with older systems.
The benefits of using satellite navigation systems include:
• Using a satellite navigation system, you can reach your destination by the quickest possible route. This can save unnecessary fuel wastage.
• Satellite navigation systems can give traffic alerts so you can avoid queues and make better use of your time.
• Some satellite navigation systems have traffic camera safety alerts, and also tell the driver what speed he or she should be travelling. This can make you drive more conscientiously which will save fuel.
These are just a few of the benefits that satellite navigation systems offer. So if you run a fleet of vans, you can save a huge amount of fuel over the course of the year.
July 22nd, 2010
The Volkswagen Caddy EcoFuel and Caddy Maxi Ecofuel vans will be released later this summer. The Ecofuel vehicles use compressed natural gas (CNG) as a source of fuel instead of the regular petrol or diesel that most other manufacturers use.
The benefits of this are:
• Major reductions in fuel costs for the driver (about 50%)
• Cleaner emissions from the vehicle
The engine in the EcoFuel Caddy can run on CNG or biomethane which is slowly being introduced at forecourts across the country. However it also contains a 13 litre petrol tank as a backup in case you can’t fill up with the cheaper alternative.
The driving range of the standard Caddy van, when filled with CNG, is estimated to be 270 miles, or 350 miles if you also use the reserve petrol. With the Caddy Maxi offering a combined range of 430 miles.
All the Eco Caddy’s are sold with the same type of warranty as a standard VW van and the van sees no reduction in performance when it runs on CNG.
All these plus-points means that you should be able to save hundreds of pounds every year otherwise spent on fuel if you buy a new VW Caddy Ecofuel.
July 19th, 2010
If you drive a van for business purposes, you will be aware how much petrol and diesel costs currently are. These costs, when added up over a few months can be quite considerable and can put a dent in your company’s profit margin. You can however do something about these costs so that over a year, you will be able to make significant savings.
Perhaps the first thing to do to reduce costs is to get a good deal on your van insurance. Van insurance can be expensive, but if you use a price comparison website to find a level of cover that suits you, with a price that is below your renewal premium, you are off to a good start.
To reduce your van’s fuel costs you can do a few things:
• Don’t drive with a full load – The heavier your van, the more fuel you will use.
• Remove roof bars – Roof bars can cause drag which will increase the amount of fuel that you use.
• Check your tyre pressures – Incorrectly inflated tyres can increase fuel costs.
• Turn off air conditioning – Air conditioning can account for excessive fuel consumption.
• Use a satellite navigation device – If you get to your destination by the quickest route you can save fuel.
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