The cheapest energy-saving upgrade isn’t a new machine it’s better operator behaviour.
Across ports, terminals, and industrial sites, companies invest heavily in cleaner engines, Stage V upgrades, and electric or hybrid heavy equipment. But one factor often receives far less attention than it deserves: the behaviour of the operator behind the wheel.
Data from OEM telematics and fleet-performance studies consistently show that: Two identical machines can differ 15–25% in fuel or energy consumption purely because of operator behaviour.
In a world where energy costs are rising and sustainability targets are tightening, this is a massive and often untapped opportunity!
We would like to give you a hands on summary of the areas where you can simply improve and train your drivers in order to save costs!
- Acceleration and braking behaviours
Harsh acceleration and abrupt braking increase:
- Fuel burn in diesel machines
- Energy spikes in electric forklifts and yard tractors
- Wear and tear on tires, brakes, and hydraulic components
For electric vehicles, sudden high-power draws also shorten effective battery runtime and accelerate degradation.
Smooth acceleration = 5–10% energy savings on its own.
- Idle time (the silent cost driver)
In many terminals, machines idle 20–40% of all operating hours often without operators realizing it.
For diesel units, this is literally money burning away. For electric units, idle time can drain a battery significantly, reducing productive operating time.
Training and monitoring can reduce idle time by 30–50%, with immediate financial impact.
- Load Positioning & Lift Technique
Incorrect lift technique leads to:
- Longer cycle times
- Higher hydraulic pressure
- Increased pump load
- Up to 20% higher fuel or energy usage
Electric equipment is especially sensitive to inefficient lift movements, which drastically affect energy draw and battery discharge patterns.
Optimizing lift technique extends both battery life and component lifespan.
- Route Planning & Yard Awareness
Inefficient route choices cost time and energy:
- Unnecessary deadhead travel
- Wrong sequence of container or load moves
- Bottlenecks caused by poor spatial awareness
Telematics shows that inefficient routing alone can account for up to 10% additional consumption.
Small behavioural adjustments can have a large operational impact.
- Behaviour Analytics (Telematics Insights)
Modern fleet systems such as:
- Kalmar Insight
- Konecranes TRUCONNECT
- Hyster Tracker
- SANY EVI
- And independent fleet management tools
…show exactly how each operator influences:
- Fuel burn
- Energy spikes
- Idle behaviour
- Safety exceptions
- Battery degradation trends
This shifts training from generic to data-driven coaching, improving results quickly and sustainably.
Training Produces Measurable Results
Terminals that combine telematics insights with targeted operator coaching typically achieve:
- 12–18% reduction in diesel consumption
- 15–25% longer battery runtime on EVs
- Lower component wear
- Fewer unplanned service calls
Training costs are low and often pay back within 2–4 months.
The biggest question we hear a lot is: “How do I motivate my drivers to follow through on saving costs by changing their driving behaviour?”
We recommend that you organize a gathering to discuss internally on this topic and there should be an incentive for the drivers too. As an example we know of a customer that keeps track of the drivers’ individually and offers them an individual bonus based on the savings that the drivers make. We know from another customer that they initiated a similar setup, but only for the team efforts (e.g. going from 20 liters per hour to 17 liters per hour fuel consumption will trigger a celebration in a local pub).
We hope we have been able to give you tangible and hands-on tools to improve your efficiency and save costs! In case you have any further interest, questions or struggle with saving costs don’t hesitate to contact us!