Three ways to increase fuel efficiency during PTO use

Fuel costs add up, and so do savings when you effectively control what you can, such as idling.

For fleets with specialized PTO vehicles, optimizing fuel efficiency used for working idling adds savings to those realized by controlling true idling. Let’s dive in to three ways to do it.

• Distinguish true idling versus working idling.
• Keep assets healthy so they don’t need too much fuel.
• Train the people who use PTO systems to do so efficiently.

Distinguish true idling versus working idling.

Specialized vehicles with external power take-off (PTO) systems use fuel to power auxiliary equipment, accessories or attachments. Unlike a car sitting in drive-thru, these vehicles idle to power their external PTO systems. The vehicle is stationary but the engine is running so crews and operators can do their job, which can take hours.

According to this FleetOwner article, 100 diesel trucks can hypothetically spend up to $720,000 on idling annually. Can’t avoid all idling, but you can minimize wasteful idling with clear visibility into fleetwide performance, idling and activity.

Create custom data reporting that will adapt to your specific business and operations and generate daily, unique insights specific to your fleet. All this creates actionable data and alerts that when addressed immediately result in savings.

• Monitor both types of idling for a clear understanding of fuel consumption and fuel waste.
• Adjust strategies and policies for each type of idling to increase fuel efficiency.
• Explore more ways to enhance health and efficiency for vehicles and PTO systems alike.

Measure multiple factors that influence PTO fuel consumption.

No single factor determines fuel efficiency; not for the vehicle nor for its PTO system.

Capture a wide scope of telematics data to identify areas to increase fuel efficiency during true and working idling. Make informed decisions about fuel control, fleet health and idling policies based on real-world insights and trends.

• Use high-quality telematics that captures real-time data, including location, diagnostics, activity and speed, directly from the vehicle.
• Monitor real-world PTO events through each vehicle’s discrete input/outputs (I/Os).
• Optimize vehicle, engine, driver and operator efficiency to optimize PTO fuel efficiency.

Keep assets healthy so they don’t need too much fuel.

Performance suffers when something’s wrong with the system; like a weightlifter with the flu. Low hydraulic levels, worn parts and clogged filters make the engine work harder to power the PTO system. Even if the PTO system is in its prime, an engine that needs attention may still need to work harder.

Protect performance and fuel efficiency with telematics alerts, proper inspections and predictive maintenance.

Set telematics alerts to stay in the know.

Quality fleet telematics stream vehicle data, in real time, directly to the cloud for secure online access and management. Set alerts so that when your fleet’s telematics technology detects an issue, people who need to know, know.

• Have authorized personnel receive an alert when a diagnostic issue is detected.
• Determine when a current issue will worsen based on predictive fault codes.
• Know when a vehicle idles outside of defined acceptable threshold.
• Find out when a required vehicle inspection is incomplete or skipped.

Look inside your PTO systems with detailed reporting.

Know, in detail, how much fuel your PTO systems consume by themselves. Monitor equipment usage and performance, and how they affect your bottom line. See the cost of each idle event, where it took place, and who was operating the vehicle or equipment. All online, using custom utilization reporting to see engine hours and total PTO by trip and event.

Dig a step deeper with insights into the percentage of engine hours during which the PTO system was used.

Know more about your PTO versus engine usage, and save more fuel than you would by trying to manage without data.

Leave no room for doubt about thorough inspections.

Electronically verifiable inspections are one way to ensure vehicle and PTO system are free of defects—such as poor lubrication—that can inhibit fuel efficiency.

• Customize inspection configurations to accommodate specialized vehicles.
• Check hydraulic systems, gear ratios, filters, lubricant levels and alignment and anything else that could impact PTO fuel efficiency during working idle.
• Electronically verify, online, each inspection for vehicles and their PTO systems.
• Prioritize defects as soon as inspection results are uploaded.
• Integrate with your maintenance software to streamline the work order process and address defects faster.

Add an extra layer of care with predictive maintenance.

The greater your visibility into fleet health, and the more effectively you’ll influence cost savings, including fuel efficiency. Look for AI-powered predictive maintenance software that supports all vehicle types, makes, models, years and major components. And that’s based on decades of experience with monitoring manufacturer fault codes.

• View each vehicle’s health, fault codes and location in a single view.
• Identify fault codes that impact fuel economy, and prioritize to optimize efficiency.
• Consolidate shop visits to address potential downstream faults that could impact performance.

Download this complimentary white paper to learn more about saving costs with data-driven predictive maintenance. And read about how one construction fleet avoided a $40,000 engine replacement by paying attention to a single issue.

Train the people who use PTO systems to do so efficiently.

Crews drive the vehicles and operate the accessories, attachments and auxiliary equipment. Train them to use the PTO system only when necessary, and on the correct settings. Ensure they run the engine at an optimal speed for that vehicle and system, which can significantly reduce fuel consumption. Also remind them to turn off engines when not actively using neither the vehicle nor its PTO system.

Track to make sure training sticks.

People are more likely to adopt better habits when they’re being graded. Vehicle data shows how each person performs behind the wheel and when using PTO systems. Coach drivers individually and as groups based on fleetwide trends.

• Track performance habits and PTO data to make each training count.
• Identify necessary trainings to address inefficient habits.
• Know where to adjust training as needed.

Remember to reward top performers based on their driver scorecards to keep them motivated.

Control fuel costs, regardless of fuel price fluctuations.

If only fuel prices stayed the same…but they won’t. Control what you can: Inform idling policies and strategies with reliable fleet, vehicle, driver and fuel data. Keep assets healthy and capable of optimal fuel efficiency. And engage drivers to operate vehicles and PTO systems thoughtfully.

Inform your company’s approach to minimizing fuel waste and saving fuel costs with reliable, real-time data pulled directly from across your fleet. Download this complimentary white paper to learn more about custom reports for idling, as well as for asset utilization, usage, inspections and performance.

Contact us with questions. And tell us what you’d like to track and monitor.

Helpful reading

White paper: GPS-only vs. TCU telematics: The difference runs fleet deep.

White paper: Control more costs with custom data visualizations.

Infographic: Track & manage almost any asset. All together. Across sites.