Start with visibility - you can't cut what you can't see. Pull your cost per mile by vehicle and you'll quickly identify which units are carrying a disproportionate share of your maintenance spend. If a large number of your vehicles are high mileage, this list might be longer than you'd expect. From there, fuel and replacement cycle are your biggest levers. If you're holding vehicles past their optimal cycle point you're paying for it twice - in maintenance and in lost residual value. High mileage accelerates that curve faster that most people budget for. Finally, what types of vehicles are you running? Is there an opportunity to replace them with smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles?

A strategy for identifying cost savings is reviewing your fleet policy. During the review, you can identify, clarify and possibly amend key areas that can lead to savings. A few key areas to considers are: - What are the mileage requirements to be eligible for a fleet vehicle? What do we do if a driver is under the threshold? - Can drivers use the vehicle for personal use? Are the drivers being charged monthly for this benefit? - Are cycling parameters set appropriately and followed? - Do we have the right vehicle for the job? Can we look at alternatives that would lead to savings? - Are hybrids part of our 3-5 year fleet initiative? Looking at your fleet policy can help answer questions on the current financial state of the fleet and forecast savings based on strategic positioning of eligibility, vehicle type and leveraging the newest technologies.