How to Save Money on Fuel: Expert Advice for Courier Drivers

Being a courier driver can be quite chaotic.

You must get to the depot, load or locate your vehicle, organize your packages according to the manifest, and plan the quickest route. Then you have to locate and deliver to each address efficiently and accurately.

All this while making sure you have enough funds for fuel before you begin.

It's tiring and taxing. That's why you aim to hold onto as much of your earnings as possible by cutting down on fuel costs.

For courier drivers, time is the ultimate adversary. If you waste time retracing your steps, you'll waste both fuel and valuable time.

And as they say, time is money.

So how can you save money on fuel and make your stressful work more profitable?

In this post, we want to share a couple of hints and tips from the road to help keep those purse strings tight.

#1 Become VAT-registered

One of the best steps you can take is to become VAT-registered. If you're not registered for VAT, you're essentially losing money. Without VAT registration, you'll miss out on a part of every bill you pay—ten percent of it will vanish.

Any reputable courier will be VAT-registered, and you should be too. This allows you to reclaim the VAT and avoid losing money.

You can then divide the money saved towards expenses like tires and other vehicle maintenance costs.

Not sure how to get VAT registered? Don’t worry—the team at the Federation of Small Businesses has put together a helpful guide on how to become VAT-registered. We strongly encourage you to check it out.

#2 Obtain a Fuel Card

When you open a fuel card account, you'll enjoy a fixed price and a month to pay. Your fixed price will exclude VAT, allowing you to refuel anywhere without concern.

Additionally, for multiple vehicles in a fleet, you can expect to receive a group price discount.

Pro tip: Consider obtaining two or three fuel cards. This allows you to negotiate for a lower price between them. For example, if one card offers fuel at £1.03 per litre and another at £1.04, contacting many fuel card suppliers enables you to leverage one against the other to secure a better rate. This strategy has proven successful for many in the past!

What if you're unable to get a fuel card and are not registered for VAT?

Track the fuel prices. Begin to mentally take note of the costs while you're driving around. You'll likely discover that supermarkets are typically the cheapest places to refuel.

#3 Avoid wasting fuel

Avoid unnecessary driving and minimize your dead miles.

Understanding Dead Miles

Dead miles refer to the distance traveled between stops or after reaching your destination and returning. It's important to avoid situations where you find yourself far away from your starting point after completing a delivery run.

Get yourself a reliable multi-stop app, such as eLogii. With this tool, you can avoid unnecessary mileage between stops and optimize your driving route for efficiency.

Route planning apps like eLogii not only help save on fuel costs but also reduce vehicle wear and tear and save you valuable time throughout the day. This efficiency can open up opportunities for extra jobs or allow you to finish your day earlier.

Saving Money on Fuel: Bringing it All Together

Being a delivery driver is challenging, but there's potential to earn more by utilizing simple tricks like fuel cost savings.

To recap:

1. Become VAT-registered
2. Obtain a Fuel Card
3. Avoid wasting fuel

Time equals money, and the more you can save, the greater your earnings.

By following these tips, you'll likely save more each month, and every bit counts—especially in the courier industry.