Oil prices have gone through the roof in the past 2 years. When COVID hit, oil plummeted to USD20 per barrel. Since then, and thanks largely to the war in the Ukraine, oil prices have increased five-fold which means the operators of heavy machinery need to find ways to reduce their fuel consumption. Here is one tip to help you protect your bottom line.
Rayneau Rentals & Sales estimates that on average, a machine will spend about 40% of its time idling when in service. So, what is the impact of idling? Idling wastes fuel, however efficient the engine is. If machines are left idling for a long time, this will increase fuel costs. A machine idling for an hour can use up to 4L of fuel.
Idling drives up fuel costs fast. If on average you log 1,500 hours per year on a machine, and your operators spend 20% of that time idling, that’s $4,785.00 in wasted fuel (using the present fuel cost - $15.95/gallon). But experts say it’s not unusual for idle time to represent as much as 40-50% of total running time. So double that number — you could be wasting fuel to the tune of $9,570.00 or more annually. And if you plan on owning the machine for five years, that’s a total of $23,925.00 lost. Think of what else you could have done with that money.
How do you get a handle on idle time? Here are a
few simple tips:
- Limit
idle at shutoff to two minutes for older engines, almost none for newer
ones.
- Turn
off trucks waiting more than five minutes to load or unload.
- Restrict
morning warmups to three to five minutes.
- Turn
off equipment during lunch and breaks.
- Use
automatic shutdown when available.
Looking for more ways to increase fuel efficiency
across your fleet and cut down on fuel costs? Check out our blogpost on Strategies
for Improving Fuel Efficiency and Productivity on the Worksite here.
Give us a call at (758) 450 7368 or drop by today to see how we can help you save on your fuel costs. We are located at Vide Bouteille along the Gros Islet Highway.
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