--- title: Reduce fleet operating costs with tracking data description: Build a repeatable cost-control process using journeys, idle time, fuel, maintenance and route-planning evidence. --- [Skip to content](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/reduce-fleet-operating-costs-with-tracking-data#main-content) [![Knowledge-Base-Logo-2](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge-Base-Logo-2.png?width=319&height=60&name=Knowledge-Base-Logo-2.png)](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base?hsLang=en-au) - [Knowledge Base Home](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base) - [Sign Me Out](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/_hcms/mem/logout) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Knowledge Base Home](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base) - [Sign Me Out](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/_hcms/mem/logout) - - [Create Support Ticket](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/kb-tickets/new) [Create Support Ticket](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en-au) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Track My Ride Knowledge Base](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base?hsLang=en-au) 2. [Reports & Dashboard](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/reports-dashboard?hsLang=en-au) 3. [Reports](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/reports-dashboard?hsLang=en-au#reports) 28 August 2026 # Reduce fleet operating costs with tracking data ## Build a repeatable cost-control process using journeys, idle time, fuel, maintenance and route-planning evidence. Use Track My Ride data to find avoidable fuel use, unnecessary travel, prolonged idling and upcoming service work. The platform provides operating evidence; your fuel receipts, labour rates, service invoices and business records provide the financial values needed to calculate actual savings. This workflow is most useful as a repeating review cycle. Measure a normal baseline, make one controlled operational change, then compare a similar later period before deciding whether the change worked. ## Before you start Choose a representative baseline, such as four complete working weeks. Avoid comparing unlike periods, for example a holiday month with a normal month or winter operations with a summer peak. Confirm that vehicle names, odometers, engine detection and driver assignments are accurate. Missing journeys, incorrect engine events or incomplete fuel records can make cost indicators misleading. Create a simple review sheet with these fields for each vehicle: **Distance, journey time and stop time** **Journey Summary** **Engine-running time without a journey** **Engine Idle** **Fuel quantity, price and calculated consumption** **Refueling** **Approaching service interval** **Maintenance** **Repeated route distance and duration** **Route Planner** and **Journeys** ## Steps ### 1. Establish the baseline 1. Open **Reports \> Journey Summary** and select the baseline period and fleet. 2. Export or record distance, journey duration and stopped time by vehicle. 3. Open **Reports \> Engine Idle** for the same dates. Set a minimum idle duration that excludes brief operational stops, then record repeated or long periods for investigation. 4. Open **Reports \> Refueling** and confirm that consecutive entries represent complete fills before using the calculated consumption or deviation. ![Refueling report used to record fuel quantity and price before comparing fleet operating costs.](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/hubfs/track-my-ride-support/screenshots/reduce-fleet-operating-costs/refuelling-record.png) Refueling report used to record fuel quantity and price before comparing fleet operating costs. Do not treat an unusual value as proof of waste or misuse. First check missing receipts, partial fills, tracker configuration, GPS gaps and the work performed during that period. ### 2. Select one improvement Choose a change that has a clear owner and can be measured against the baseline: - Combine or reassign repeated journeys that cover the same area. - Use **Route Planner** to compare stop order and route distance before dispatch. - Investigate recurring idle locations and confirm whether engine-on time is operationally necessary. - Move work from an overloaded vehicle to an available suitable vehicle. - Book service before an overdue vehicle causes avoidable disruption. ![Route Planner showing ordered example stops with route distance and estimated duration.](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/hubfs/track-my-ride-support/screenshots/reduce-fleet-operating-costs/route-planner.png) Route Planner showing ordered example stops with route distance and estimated duration. Record the date, affected vehicles and expected result. Avoid changing several unrelated processes at once when you need to understand which action produced the difference. ### 3. Monitor the operating signal 1. Use **Reports \> Utilisation** when an engine or connected equipment event has a meaningful duration target. 2. Set the event, benchmark, direction, daily target and working days to match the operation. ![Utilisation options for setting an operating-duration benchmark and daily target.](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/hubfs/track-my-ride-support/screenshots/reduce-fleet-operating-costs/utilisation-options.png) Utilisation options for setting an operating-duration benchmark and daily target. 1. Schedule the relevant report for a regular authorised recipient when the account supports scheduled delivery. 2. Review exceptions with the driver or operations team while the context is still available. ### 4. Compare and calculate After a comparable period, rerun the same reports with the same options. Calculate financial impact using your own verified costs. For example: **Fuel cost change = (baseline litres - later litres) x verified average price per litre** For distance-based servicing, labour or vehicle replacement decisions, use invoices and internal rates rather than estimating from GPS data alone. Keep the report filters and calculations with the decision so another reviewer can reproduce them. ## What happens next Continue changes that improve the selected measure without harming safety, service quality or required work. Investigate a worse result before reversing the change; workload, weather, traffic, vehicle condition or incomplete records may explain the difference. Repeat the review monthly or quarterly. A stable process is more useful than a one-off report because it reveals trends and verifies whether savings persist. ## Troubleshooting - **Periods cannot be compared:** Choose dates with similar working days, workload and seasonal conditions, and record unavoidable differences. - **Idle time is implausible:** Verify engine detection and compare Engine On/Off, Journeys and Raw GPS before using the value. - **Fuel consumption jumps:** Check for partial fills, missing receipts, incorrect litres, the wrong vehicle or an odometer discrepancy. - **Route Planner gives an unsuitable order:** Lock required stops, respect appointment and vehicle constraints, and treat the suggested route as planning support rather than an instruction to ignore road or safety conditions. - **Savings cannot be valued:** Use verified fuel prices, wage rates, invoices and internal costs. Track My Ride does not infer accounting values from location data. - **A report is missing:** The account may require a reporting-enabled plan or additional permission. - [Getting Started](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/getting-started?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Account Setup](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/getting-started?hsLang=en-au#account-setup) - [Installation](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/installation?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Hardware Trackers](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/installation?hsLang=en-au#hardware-trackers) - [Live Tracking & Map](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/live-tracking-map?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Playback](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/live-tracking-map?hsLang=en-au#playback) - [Zones](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/live-tracking-map?hsLang=en-au#zones) - [Route Planning](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/live-tracking-map?hsLang=en-au#route-planning) - [Vehicles & Hardware](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/vehicles-hardware?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Vehicles](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/vehicles-hardware?hsLang=en-au#vehicles) - [Tracker Events](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/vehicles-hardware?hsLang=en-au#tracker-events) - [Trackers](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/vehicles-hardware?hsLang=en-au#trackers) - [People & Mobile Location Sharing](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/people-mobile-location-sharing?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [People](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/people-mobile-location-sharing?hsLang=en-au#people) - [Mobile Location Sharing](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/people-mobile-location-sharing?hsLang=en-au#mobile-location-sharing) - [Rosters & Reservations](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/rosters-reservations?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Rosters](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/rosters-reservations?hsLang=en-au#rosters) - [Reservations](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/rosters-reservations?hsLang=en-au#reservations) - [Reservation Portal](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/rosters-reservations?hsLang=en-au#reservation-portal) - [Alerts](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/alerts?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Alert Setup](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/alerts?hsLang=en-au#alert-setup) - [Alert History](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/alerts?hsLang=en-au#alert-history) - [Reports & Dashboard](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/reports-dashboard?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Reports](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/reports-dashboard?hsLang=en-au#reports) - [Scheduled Reports](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/reports-dashboard?hsLang=en-au#scheduled-reports) - [Sharing, API & Integrations](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/sharing-api-integrations?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Map Sharing](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/sharing-api-integrations?hsLang=en-au#map-sharing) - [API](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/sharing-api-integrations?hsLang=en-au#api) - [Account, Billing & Security](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/account-billing-security?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Billing](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/account-billing-security?hsLang=en-au#billing) - [Security](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/account-billing-security?hsLang=en-au#security) - [Account Settings](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/account-billing-security?hsLang=en-au#account-settings) - [Sub-accounts](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/account-billing-security?hsLang=en-au#sub-accounts) - [Troubleshooting](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/troubleshooting?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Account access](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/troubleshooting?hsLang=en-au#account-access) - [Tracking](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base/troubleshooting?hsLang=en-au#tracking) - [Home](https://www.trackmyride.com.au/) - [Products](https://www.trackmyride.com.au/shop) - [Pricing](https://www.trackmyride.com.au/pricing) - [Company](https://www.trackmyride.com.au/about) [![Knowledge-Base-Logo-3](https://support.trackmyride.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge-Base-Logo-3.png?width=319&height=60&name=Knowledge-Base-Logo-3.png "Knowledge-Base-Logo-3")](https://https://support.trackmyride.com.au/knowledge-base) [www.trackmyride.com.au](https://www.trackmyride.com.au) [mailto:support@trackmyride.com.au](mailto:support@trackmyride.com.au)