Companies change their logistics strategy and even give a prize to a driver to reduce the cost of diesel

The price of diesel, which represents up to 60% of freight costs, is leading companies to review their logistics strategies to minimize impacts on cash. From grouping delivery routes to better occupancy of trucks, passing through vehicle monitoring, many companies have been using planning and technology to face the increase in fuel.

In the last 12 months, diesel had a high of 56.36%, according to the IBGE. This year alone, the increase was 33.39%.

Nestlé reinforced its investment in transport management tools. Through algorithms that optimize the routes and loading of vehicles, it manages to increase the occupancy of trucks by 3%, on average, which represents 12 thousand fewer trips per year.

Routing was also the solution adopted by Plena Alimentos, in the beef protein segment, to carry out around 600 daily deliveries in 20 trucks in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte.

Using software from the technology company Lincros, it is possible to concentrate deliveries on certain days and distribution routes, within the time frame that customers can receive.

— Our strategy is to concentrate the service, establish standardized days by routes — says the Plena logistics manager, Anderson Alves Gomes.

At Dimensional Engenharia, fuel costs correspond to 35% of logistics. The company started monitoring carbon emissions and saw the monitoring system as an ally to also reduce diesel consumption in the fleet of 300 vehicles.

Savings vary around 5% per month. Vinicius Benevides, operational director, explains that it is telemetry, which sends information online, showing, for example, if the vehicle is moving or stopped or if the driver has accelerated a lot, which impacts fuel consumption.

The Pague Menos pharmacy chain — which currently commits 40% of its freight costs to diesel — is negotiating solutions with carriers.

— The carriers asked for a readjustment, which is still under negotiation. While we are not finished, those that have a fleet dedicated to Pague Menos have asked to transport other goods, to occupy the vacant space on the trucks,” says Raíssa Lemine, the group’s Freight coordinator.

up to date maintenance

According to her, L’auto Cargo, one of the network’s contractors, has also adopted driver training for economic driving, incentives with bonuses for those who meet their performance targets, installation of probes to detect losses and deviations and negotiation with service stations, among other measures.

Cargosoft Serviços Logísticos, which also serves Pague Menos, in addition to rewarding drivers and limiting speed to 80km/h, has six bases with their own tank for refueling.

Anderson Benetti, from Senior Sistemas, of people management and software for logistics, recalls that maintenance can represent 15% to 18% of fuel cost reduction per month in a truck. And he highlights the importance of monitoring vehicles:

— It is possible to receive data such as unnecessary acceleration and braking, as well as excess weight in the vehicle.

In the case of Cargoblue — which has 40 trucks and provides e-commerce services — fuel accounts for 60% of freight costs. One of the solutions to reduce expenses was to use the Gasola application, which negotiates directly with the stations and offers discounts on the liter of fuel.

According to owner Rodolfo Gonzalez, the economy is around 5% per month, which means about 14,000 kilometers:

“You can cross the country about three times. There are three freights from Fortaleza to Porto Alegre.

other sources

In addition to alternatives to reduce diesel consumption, companies are also paying attention to other sources of fuel. At Nestlé, since 2021, more than 1,700 vehicles have been fueled only with ethanol. And since 2020, electric vehicles or vehicles powered by CNG or biofuels from renewable sources, such as biomethane, have entered the fleet.

Companies change their logistics strategy and use technology to reduce the cost of diesel — Photo: Roberto Moreyra/Agência O Globo

— We have a goal, by the end of 2022, to have more than 100 vehicles of this type transporting our products — says Marcelo Nascimento, VP of Supply Chain at Nestlé in Brazil.

Fuel distributor Vibra (formerly BR Distribuidora) started the delivery of gasoline, ethanol and diesel in July with a truck converted to CNG. Preliminary calculations by the company indicate that the financial savings with the operation reach 10%, compared to a traditional vehicle.

— We discussed the possibility (of conversion) with the approximately 50 contracted carriers and the feedbacks have been very positive. Next week we will have another gas truck going into operation — says Aurélio Souza, director of logistics planning at Vibra.

Carrier Jomed, which operates routes between São Paulo, Curitiba and Rio, bought nine 100% gas-powered trucks two years ago, representing 5% of the carrier’s fleet. Each vehicle carries eight cylinders with a capacity of 25 cubic meters, which can ensure that a truck with 20 tons of cargo, for example, can travel up to 550 km.

The savings, in comparison with a diesel truck, can reach 17%, in the case of CNG, and up to 20%, if the vehicle is biomethane.

The transport company Rodofly converted ten trucks from its fleet of 160 vehicles to CNG, in a partnership with 4 Rodas CNG.

“Diesel is at the top. From the calculations we make, it is an advantage to use natural gas for both small cars and trucks — comments the owner of 4 Rodas GNV, Deivid Araújo.

Source: The Globe