TMW announced that Knight Transportation has licensed its IDSC ExpertFuel software, which is designed to deliver optimized fuel purchase and route plans for drivers based on best-in-class pricing and routing data.
For a major carrier like Knight Transportation — which operates more than 3,700 trucks to provide dry van, refrigerated and brokerage services — savings on fuel purchases can have a multimillion dollar impact. “Based on recommendations from people we trust and the demos we saw, we felt that choosing IDSC ExpertFuel was a meaningful way to lower our fuel costs,” says David Jackson, chief financial officer for the Phoenix-based company.
With the software now installed for several months, Jackson says he and his team are seeing benefits: Driver compliance with fuel plans is up significantly and climbing, and drivers also have had input to the new fuel program as well, helping to fine-tune tractor burn rates and highlighting the need to raise allowable tank level minimums for travel in northern states, particularly during a colder-than-average North American winter.
The company says it is able to use IDSC ExpertFuel throughout its 35 regional operating centers. “The software allows us to include our terminal fuel locations amongst our over-the-road network of stops,” Jackson says. “Using real-time pricing, the optimizer will direct our drivers to the best options. Whether diesel prices are high or low, pennies per gallon make a huge difference for our fleet.”
“As a rule, IDSC ExpertFuel customers enjoy savings of 4 to 11 cents per gallon, per truck,” says David Schildmeyer, vice president of Cleveland-based TMW. “On average, customers see savings of four cents per gallon on a restricted network and eight cents per gallon on an unrestricted network. IDSC ExpertFuel can be more than a fuel purchase optimization tool. It can also provide useful leverage in fuel contract negotiations, as many of our customers have found. This product integrates with all major dispatch and mobile communication platforms and works effectively with companies running 50, 500, 5,000 or more trucks. Bottom line? The software reduces your fuel purchase costs, often dramatically.”
