So, there’s no better time than the present to assess your operation’s mileage usage and determine if there are a few bucks to be saved by implementing smarter mileage strategies.

“High fuel prices have made mileage one of the largest operating costs for beverage fleets,” says Bryan Karp, associate vice president, optimization, for fleet connectivity solutions provider Geotab. “The good news is that fleets have several immediate opportunities to reduce unnecessary miles and fuel consumption through better planning, routing, and execution.”

The ultimate goal, Karp adds, should be to eliminate wasted miles through programs that combine efficient routing with safe driving practices. Smoother, better-planned routes are often safer and more fuel-efficient.

Karp recommends five actions that fleets can take today to get the number of wasted miles closer to zero:

1. Optimize the entire fleet, not just individual routes.

Sequencing stops more efficiently is important, Karp says, but the most significant gains come from optimizing deliveries across all customers and drivers at the same time.
 “A route that appears reasonable on paper can be 10% to 20% less efficient than a route built through fleet-wide optimization,” Karp says.

2. Cluster deliveries by geography and service day.

Any time you must backtrack, that quietly consumes fuel. Keeping nearby accounts on the same route and, when possible, on the same delivery day helps create denser, more efficient routes. “Flexible delivery windows,” Karp notes, “can give planners additional room to reduce mileage.”

3. Set delivery windows that reflect operational reality.

Effective route planning combines a number of factors including geography, travel times, and realistic service times at each stop. It’s a no-brainer that a grocery store delivery requires a different time commitment than a convenience store drop-off, and routes should reflect those differences. “Delivery windows should improve customer service, not force trucks into inefficient zig-zag patterns,” Karp points out.

4. Match the vehicle to the route.

A surefire way to waste fuel is to send a larger-than-necessary truck on smaller-volume route. To ensure that that doesn’t happen, match the vehicle size, capacity, and compartment configuration to each route. Not only will it help reduce fuel consumption, it’ll also help you avoid costly return trips caused by loading mismatches.

5. Re-evaluate end-of-route return policies.

Requiring every truck to return to a central facility could involve lots of unnecessary miles driven. For a particular route, it might be more economical to finish at the last stop or at a facility closer to that stop. The decision, the Geotab team says, should be evaluated route-by-route, rather than enforced as a blanket policy.

There’s also a productivity argument to be made for smarter mileage management.

“Every mile eliminated gives drivers time back,” Karp says. “In beverage distribution, that time can be used to improve on-time performance, properly stock and rotate products, reset displays, and strengthen customer relationships. “In direct-store-delivery operations, where drivers often serve as salespeople,” better routes don’t just reduce fuel costs, they also create more opportunities to sell and service accounts.”