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Operators' efforts to increase fuel efficiency have seen them make a total of £190m in cost savings, says the latest survey from Freight Best Practice (FBP). Users of the Department for Transport-sponsored prog-ramme report average savings of £41,000 per company and £1,900 per vehicle, compared with £12,000 per company for non-users. Users of FBP attributed £83m of their savings to the  scheme.

Of more than 1,500 fleet operators surveyed, 54% have taken actions to improve fuel efficiency the most popular action being improving equipment and systems and developing driver skills. But just 32% converted to alternative fuels or used fuel management programmes. And while fuel efficiency measures are commendable, FBP urges more operators to get in on the act of measuring fuel consumption.

Spokesperson Peter Binham says busy operators think they don't have enough time to do what is perceived as a complicated task. "It doesn't take a great deal of time and effort. Our message is if you don't monitor it, how can you manage it?" he says. This is telling considering the assessment reveals that nearly 80% of those questioned believe efficient fuel use is critical to their business.

More fleets with 15-plus vehicles (92%) have taken action to improve fuel efficiency, compared with 68% of those with between two and 14 vehicles and just 37% of those with one.  Programmes manager John Hix points to the assessment as evidence of FBP's achievements in cost saving and highlighting fuel efficiency benefits. But he concedes there are some issues surrounding the scheme's coverage.

While 24% of operators are aware of FBP, just 9% use its resources. This has risen from 5% four years ago, but Hix says FBP is looking to close the gap between use and awareness. He adds that it has "more traction with bigger fleets" one reason being that own-account operators don't perceive themselves as part of the freight industry and view the programme as irrelevant.