During fleet management, fuel quality is essential for maintaining efficiency, reducing the cost of maintenance, and ensuring smooth operations. Low-quality fuel could lead to serious mechanical issues, compromised performance, and other expensive repairs. But how can you tell if your fleet is using subpar fuel? Read on for a few signs that your fleet is using low-quality fuel and how you can improve it with high-quality fuel!
Sluggish Engine Performance
One of the top signs of low-quality fuel is a noticeable drop in the engine’s performance. If the fleet’s vehicles are experiencing sluggish acceleration, difficulty reaching top speed, and inconsistent power output, it might be because of contaminated and low-grade fuel. Poor-quality fuel could reduce combustion efficiency, leading to a lack of power and performance.
Frequent Engine Misfiring or Stalling
If the fleet vehicles stall a lot and misfire, it is a possible indicator that your fuel supply is compromised. Low-quality fuel could contain impurities or other contaminants that disrupt the fuel combustion process, which causes irregularities in the engine’s performance. Consistent stalling and misfiring can signal the presence of sediment, water, and other contaminants in your fuel.
Increased Amount of Exhaust Emissions
A crucial quality indicator is an uptick in your exhaust emissions. Once fuel burns inefficiently, it could produce increased levels of bad pollutants such as carbon monoxide, or nitrogen oxides, and other particulate matter. These emissions not only affect the environment, but they can also signal that your fleet is running on substandard fuel. If you ever notice thick black smoke from the exhaust, this is a serious warning sign.
Increased Fuel Consumption
Has the fleet’s fuel efficiency taken a bit of a nosedive? If you are noticing that vehicles are burning through fuel much quicker than usual, it might be a sign of low-quality diesel. Impurities in the fuel can drastically reduce its energy content, which requires engines to consume more to maintain the same amount of performance. Conducting regular fleet fuel quality checks could help you identify the root causes of the inefficiencies.
Partner with Howard Energy, Inc. for Alternative Fuel Supply and Services
We’ve moved! Howard Energy is now located at 34 Thomas Ave, Brooklyn, MD 21225.
At Howard Energy, we fully understand how your business depends on a reliable and steady supply of gasoline and diesel fuel to keep your operations at its peak. As a family-owned, commercial full-service gas and diesel fuel supplier, Howard Energy has been serving companies across Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern VA for over 25 years.
Our team of experts has a thorough knowledge of the petroleum industry to devise commercial and retail fueling solutions. As a result, we use our keen insight to build strong partnerships with commercial trucking, construction, manufacturing companies, and more. Howard Energy is proud to bring our products and services to gas stations, car dealerships, marinas, and beyond – 7 days a week with no surcharge on holidays or weekends.
If you need cost-effective and convenient wholesale fuel and related fuel tank storage or monitoring services, contact us to get started. Call us at 410-647-1500, and visit our website. Stay connected with Howard Energy on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.