How to Track Fuel and Mileage in a Fleet and Spot Waste

Fuel is the largest running cost for most transport owners, and it is also the hardest to control from a distance. A truck can leave with a full tank, return with a bill and a story, and you have no easy way to judge whether the number is right. The fix is not suspicion but measurement: consistent fuel entries, odometer readings and a comparison of mileage across similar vehicles.

What to record at every fill

For each fill, capture the vehicle, date, litres, amount, fuel type, station or place, odometer reading and whether the tank was filled to full. The full-tank flag is important because mileage is calculated between two full fills. If the driver tops up a few litres here and there, the maths drifts. Teach drivers to ask for a full tank when they can and to note when they did not.

• Vehicle number and driver
• Date in BS or AD, consistently
• Litres and amount paid
• Odometer or running hours
• Station name and slip number
• Full tank yes or no

Calculate mileage the right way

Mileage equals distance travelled between two full fills divided by litres put in at the second fill. Software does this automatically once entries are consistent. Compare each result with the vehicle's normal range, not with a brochure figure. A loaded truck climbing from Mugling to Kathmandu will burn far more than the same truck returning empty. So compare like with like: same route, similar load, same vehicle type.

Know why numbers move

A drop in mileage does not always mean theft. Common honest causes include heavier loads, hill routes, traffic jams, long idling at checkpoints, poor tyre pressure, a clogged filter and worn injectors. Dishonest causes exist too, but you will only find them after ruling out the honest ones. A good practice is to ask the driver and workshop to explain a drop before drawing conclusions, and to check the vehicle if the drop continues.

Sign	Possible honest cause	What to check
Mileage falls slowly	Wear, tyre pressure, filters	Service history
Sudden big drop	Leak, injector fault, different route	Workshop inspection, trip record
Fill larger than tank size	Entry mistake or slip issue	Slip, tank capacity
Two drivers differ	Driving style, route	Compare same route trips

Control entries without friction

Match fuel slips to trips. If a vehicle is recorded as parked on a day when it also bought fuel, the system should show the mismatch. Where you have an agreement with a station, collect slips weekly and reconcile them with entries. Keep one person responsible for entering fuel so the data stays consistent, and keep editing rights limited with a history of changes.

Fuel prices change, so store what you paid

Fuel prices in Nepal are revised often by the authorities. Do not rely on a remembered rate when calculating cost. The software should record the amount actually paid per fill, so your cost per kilometre always reflects real purchases. Only the totals you enter matter, not a rate typed once and forgotten.

Make the driver a partner, not a suspect

Drivers resent being watched but respond well to fair comparison. Share mileage by route, not just by name, and discuss the best result openly. Some owners give a small mileage-based incentive for drivers who consistently beat the vehicle's normal range, which turns the log into a reward system rather than a policing tool. Explain that slips and readings protect honest drivers, because when a number looks odd the record shows it was real.

Be careful with load and route differences when you compare. A driver who regularly takes the steepest route will always look worse unless the comparison adjusts for it. Label trips with route and load so your comparison is fair.

Use cost per kilometre, not just mileage

Mileage tells you litres per distance, but cost per kilometre combines fuel, tyres, service, driver and other running costs. Two vehicles with the same mileage can have very different cost per kilometre because one needs frequent repairs. Review this monthly by vehicle and decide which vehicles need attention, which routes pay well and which ones barely cover costs.

Review fuel weekly, not yearly

A weekly fifteen-minute review catches problems while they are small. Sort vehicles by mileage change from their own average, look at the three biggest movers and ask for explanations. Check that every fill has an odometer reading and a slip number. A short weekly habit is far more effective than a long annual audit, because the driver still remembers the trip and the evidence is fresh.

Handling machines and generators

Excavators, loaders and generators run on hours, not kilometres. Record running hours at each fill and compare litres per hour across similar machines. The same logic applies: consistent readings, comparison with like machines and investigation of sudden changes.

Next step

Pick your three highest fuel-using vehicles and start logging odometer and litres at every fill for one month. Then compare. WebsNP fleet management software keeps this log, calculates mileage and shows cost per vehicle. Message +977 9846280400 on WhatsApp for a demo. If you also operate a pump or buy in bulk, you may find petrol pump software useful.

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