Will the price of diesel remain low?

It appears that the answer to this question is no. Although the average diesel price dropped to 144.63p in July 2023, it soon rose again, hitting a high in early October ‘23 of 162.49. (Statista) Since then the average price of a litre of diesel has been falling, dropping to its lowest point of 147.93 in the middle of January 2024.

Since then we have seen the price of diesel inching slowly higher, recently reaching 155p/litre in May 2024 (RAC Fuel Watch). This has given the United Kingdom the questionable honour of being the most expensive country in Europe for Diesel. (RAC)

With the price of crude oil increasing due to global factors, the price of diesel is expected to continue rising.

Reduce the impact of diesel price rises

Investing in Fleet Optimisation solutions will help to mitigate rising diesel costs 

Rising operational costs demand a response from fleet operators. This is where delivery scheduling and route optimisation will give you a benefit over inefficient routes and rising diesel prices. 

This technology goes beyond simple navigation. It leverages machine learning and AI to calculatethe most fuel-efficient routes based on dynamic traffic flow, delivery priorities, and congestion avoidance.  

Resulting in: 

• Reduced Fuel Consumption: Optimised routes ensure your fleet drives the shortest, most efficient paths for each delivery. 
• Improved Vehicle and Driver Utilisation: The software maximises the capacity of existing resources by enabling more deliveries to be planned per route and ensures your fleet is fully utilised. 
• Increased First-Attempt Deliveries: Customer notifications and real-time delivery tracking ensure that your customers are ready to receive their delivery, minimising costly re-deliveries. 
• Reduced Overall Costs: Optimised delivery routes resulting in a lower fleet mileage lead to less wear and tear, minimising maintenance costs. 

Fuel prices will always fluctuate, but the long-term benefits of fleet optimisation software are irrefutable. You'll see decreased operational costs, improved efficiency, and happier customers. In today's competitive landscape, smart delivery isn't optional, it's essential. Invest in delivery scheduling, route optimisation and delivery tracking with customer notifications and to minimise the impact of rising costs. 
 

Contact us for a free 30-minute call with a fleet management expert to discover how Descartes can help your business navigate the predicted diesel price increases.