Why Managing Fuel Consumption Matters for Every Trucker

By Asparuh Koev, CEO, Transmetrics
Special to The Digest

The Trump administration’s plan to scale back the Biden-era fuel-efficiency standards may trim compliance costs for manufacturers and even reduce the sticker price on new vehicles. Yet for fleet owners, any upfront relief is likely to be short-lived. Lower efficiency means higher fuel burn, and industry analysts point to rising operating expenses that could quickly outweigh any initial savings.

State jurisdictions are taking matters into their own hands; California’s lawsuit against four major truck makers over emissions commitments signals that heavier regulatory scrutiny is coming to fleets as well. As manufacturers and regulators clash, the motive for fuel efficiency and alternative fuel strategies becomes more urgent.

The pressure for fleets to innovate comes from all angles, as shippers also increasingly demand sustainability metrics from their partners. It was recently reported that 37% of shippers turned to greener carriers. Fleets that demonstrate effective control over fuel use will secure more work in a market shifting toward green credentials.

Is biofuel an affordable alternative?

By 2030, renewable energy for road transport will grow by roughly 50%. Road biofuels, including liquid biofuels and biogases remain a major part of that growth. Since IEA’s last forecast, total biofuel demand in 2030 has been revised 10% upwards, largely reflecting increased transport fuel demand in the United States, Brazil, Indonesia and India.

However, the same report finds that in the United States, biofuel production is down nearly 15%. In the United States and Canada, several plants have been idled or had their output reduced because of policy uncertainty, low credit values and higher feedstock costs.

Later reports claim that environmental gains outweigh the economic costs, finding that for every additional £1 cost to buyers, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) has achieved an average £5.70 worth of carbon saving.

Nevertheless, there are mixed reports on how renewable biofuels really are. A new investigation is casting doubt on the integrity of biodiesel, suggesting that some producers may be disguising virgin palm oil as POME, or palm oil mill effluent. POME is a byproduct of palm oil processing, and global supplies are estimated at roughly 1 million tonnes. Yet, European biofuel makers reported using more than twice that amount in 2023, raising serious questions about the source of the additional POME.

While investigations like these are important for transparency and maintaining trust in the biofuels supply chain, many shippers are also focusing on operational efficiencies that reduce fuel use regardless of feedstock. Practices such as route optimization, smarter load planning, and more efficient scheduling are proving to be powerful tools for cutting emissions and costs, complementing the benefits of cleaner fuels.

Operational levers are ready to use

Fleet owners face tight margins, regulatory pressure, and rising fuel costs, so managing fuel efficiently is a strategic move to stay competitive in 2026, not just an environmental one.

Simple transitions such as opting for shorter, faster, or less congested routes reduce fuel burn, driver hours, and wear on vehicles. However, this is not always such a simple calculation. Fleet owners have a wide number of map services offering the fastest available route based on live traffic data, but these are often blind to the unique locations of a trucking company’s specific assets and maintenance contractors. Having this information integrated enables dispatchers to assign incoming orders to the closest available vehicle and plan smarter routes, reducing empty miles and lowering fuel waste further.

Meanwhile, load planning ensures trucks carry the right cargo at the right time, maximizing fuel efficiency per tonne-km and reducing unnecessary journeys. Syncing this to automatically update when route plans change could be another efficient way for fleet owners to streamline operations. When fleet owners combine refueling with route and load planning, they ensure that fuel costs are minimized while maintaining operational flexibility. Recent findings suggest that AI-enabled route optimization can produce significant carbon and fuel savings, achieving up to 30% reductions in specific scenarios with a robust digital infrastructure and data platforms.

In a market shifting under the weight of rising fuel prices, regulatory pressure, and growing demand for sustainability from shippers, designing fuel-efficient operations is a huge advantage. By synchronizing real-time route planning with load-allocation optimization and smart refueling, fleet operators can reduce fuel consumption by substantial margins. Layering in renewable fuels not only uses less fuel overall but also reduces their carbon footprint, helping meet sustainability requirements while remaining competitive. Together, biofuels and smarter operations work hand-in-hand, giving fleet owners a tangible advantage in both cost management and environmental responsibility.

About the Author

Asparuh Koev has worked in the transport and logistics sector for more than two decades. Over the years, he has established several companies, including Sciant, an engineering services company later acquired by VMWare, and IntelliCo Solutions, which delivers IT digitization for the transport industry. Koev co-founded Transmetrics in 2013, and as CEO, he combines IT and domain expertise to grow a company that brings truly cutting-edge technologies to the sector.