How to Overcome a Top Hidden Cost Driver: Excessive Idling

For many fleet operators, excessive engine idle typically flies under the radar, but it is actually among the top hidden cost drivers for fleets. In fact, on average, excessive idling burns about a half gallon of fuel per hour and equates to approximately 30 miles of wear and tear on the engine. In addition to inflating your fuel spend, this idling often leads to costly repairs since engines simply aren’t designed to sit still for extended periods and need to be driven to reach optimal operating temperature and burn fuel properly.

Unfortunately, the combination of colder weather beginning to descend across much of the country and shifts in operating patterns due to the ongoing pandemic may exponentially increase idle times if you don’t monitor your fleet’s performance closely.

Recently, ARI’s Chris Foster and Lou Vella spoke with Utility Fleet Professional to examine how excessive idling impacts fleet operators and they also offered some best practice recommendations to help you take control of this hidden cost driver.

In the article, Chris stresses the importance of looking at how your business may have evolved during the last several months and why you need to determine how those changes influence your approach to idling moving forward. Chris recommends carefully examining your specification and upfit strategy to look for opportunities to control excessive idling.

Additionally, Lou highlights how telematics can help fleet operators effectively monitor idle times to help make tangible improvements.

Do you know what idling is costing you? Use our interactive calculator to determine how much excessive idling is really costing your fleet. Be sure to visit Utility Fleet Professional to read the entire article and don’t forget to subscribe to our Morning Brake newsletter to receive the latest information on industry news and trends.