Few things eat into the margins of small and growing trucking companies faster than rising fuel costs. With fuel often ranking as a fleet’s second-largest expense (after driver wages), even small price swings can quickly erode profitability. Unlike larger fleets, small carriers don’t always have access to bulk discounts, fuel-hedging programs, or advanced fuel analytics.
The good news? Small-to-medium-sized fleets are not powerless.
By making smart operational decisions, smaller fleets can manage volatility and improve efficiency without needing a big-company budget.
Know Your Baseline—and Monitor It Constantly
Before you can reduce fuel costs, you need to understand them. Calculate your average fuel cost per mile and track how that number shifts over time. Regularly reviewing this data can help you spot inefficiencies before they become major issues.
Many small fleets benefit from using free or low-cost tracking tools or building simple spreadsheets. Consider tying fuel monitoring into broader cost-per-mile calculations so you can view fuel within the full context of your operations.
Encourage Fuel-Efficient Driving Habits
Host brief training refreshers or toolbox talks that encourage techniques like:
- Reducing idle time,
- Maintaining consistent speeds, or
- Limiting hard braking or jackrabbit starts.
You can even gamify efficiency by tracking MPG performance and offering small rewards to top-performing drivers.
Use Technology to Find the Best Prices
There are now dozens of apps and platforms that help drivers find the cheapest diesel nearby. Some even integrate with dispatch or navigation software.
Encourage drivers to plan fuel stops based on price rather than convenience. Over time, even a few cents per gallon add up.
Optimize Routes and Reduce Empty Miles
Route optimization tools can help fleets find the most fuel-efficient paths based on terrain, traffic, and stop patterns. In addition, be mindful of deadhead miles. Maximizing loaded miles per gallon can have an impact beyond shaving off a few cents at the pump.
If you're still planning routes manually, this may be the moment to explore low-cost software that balances fuel use with service commitments.
Final Thoughts: Control What You Can
You can’t control the market—but you can control your response. Small fleets that stay proactive, track fuel use consistently, and engage drivers in the solution are in a much better position to weather price swings.
At Joe Morten & Son, Inc., we work with trucking operations to protect their bottom lines, whether it’s through smarter insurance strategies or operational guidance. If fuel is straining your growth, we’re here to help.
Note: These lists are not intended to be all-inclusive.
This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Joe Morten & Son, Inc. does not provide legal advice to its insureds or other parties, nor does it advise insureds or other parties on employment-related issues, therefore the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds or other parties. Legal advice should always be sought from legal counsel. Joe Morten & Son, Inc. shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein. Reprinted with permission from Great West Casualty Company.