Blog – Vernfonk Insurance

Need any more incentive to find the most affordable commercial auto insurance rates for your company? How about the fact that doing so can at least partially offset the expensive gasoline your business puts in its tanks? That’s true whether you have a single vehicle to run the occasional errand or an entire fleet. 

Adding to the challenge, the cost of your business gassing up here in Washington just got worse as our state recently took the top spot nationally for the price of a gallon of fuel. 

That’s right — we’re number one according to a recent ranking. So…yay? 

Uh, not quite. The ranking will fluctuate over time, so Washington won’t always own that top spot. But it’s likely that Evergreen State business owners like you will pay more than it might cost your non-state competitors to fuel up their vehicles for the foreseeable future. 

Fortunately, there are moves your company can make to keep your charges as low as possible. 

Combine Trips, Just Like with the Family Car

You might have long ago learned to combine trips to reduce your family’s gas pump exposure. Now take the same approach with your company cars. If you send an employee on a work errand, think of what else they can do along the same route to reduce total trips. 

This means planning ahead. Where do you plan to send your people today? What do they have to accomplish? What’s the most fuel-efficient way of meeting your company’s needs? 

Assuming you’re paying by company credit cards, you should be able to quickly see improvements when you commit to more travel pre-planning and efficiency. 

Keep Your Vehicles Well Maintained

Regular tune-ups can dramatically increase your fuel efficiency and help counterbalance the effect of expensive gasoline. So can the use of synthetic motor oil. Make it a habit to check the air pressure on your company vehicles. Underinflated tires can result in a fuel-wasting drag effect. 

Small steps like this can have big effects on your company’s bottom line, especially if you do those regular tune-ups and properly inflated tires on behalf of an entire fleet of vehicles. 

Give Training and Get Employee Buy-In

Your workers tend not to treat company vehicles like their own rides. They’re rougher on the brakes, shocks, and fuel efficiency. All of those misuses cost your company money. 

Train your employees to drive in ways that help extend the lives of your vehicles and save on gas. These can include warnings against such driving practices as quick in-town acceleration and hard braking, taking corners too fast, frequently switching lanes, and leaving their vehicles idling for too long. 

On a related note, make sure your drivers aren’t so deadline-challenged that they feel forced to drive at excessive, fuel-guzzling speeds. 

Use Technology

For company vehicles that are frequently on the road, GPS can streamline routes, get your drivers to travel in the most fuel-efficient ways, and ensure that your drivers take such advice. 

Trucker apps can help find truck stops with constantly updated fuel prices. Back to our employee training tip, make sure your drivers know the value and importance of seeking out the best Washington state gas prices. 

Shop Smart

You have a lot to think about when you go to the car lot, whether you’re buying a single pickup truck for occasional local deliveries or an entire fleet of vehicles. Fuel efficiency should be at the top of that list. 

Brand or dealer loyalty might be an easier way to shop for company cars. Simply call up the broker you’ve always dealt with and buy another of what you’ve always bought. This might be especially tempting if your company is small, and maybe you only buy or lease a single vehicle every few years just for knocking around. 

Another top concern — and for good reason — might be sticker price. Just remember that this is not the only way to save money for your company. 

Among your highest priority considerations should be gas mileage. The fuel efficiency of your vehicles is always a critical factor, but never more so than when you’re doing business in the most gas-expensive state in the union. 

Think Electric

While paying attention to fuel efficiency can reduce your total gasoline consumption, transitioning to an electric vehicle, or EV, lets you ignore the gas pump altogether! 

Crunch the numbers. It might make little sense to switch to EV if you find that its sticker price and the cost of recharging the electric battery is more than the purchase price plus gasoline of a conventional vehicle. 

But keep in mind that advancing automotive technology keeps driving down the total cost of owning an EV versus a fossil fuel company car. That’s why you owe it to your bottom line to at least do the math — or give your accountant this task — before you make your next purchase or lease decision. You might find that the time is right, and your company will come out ahead in overall costs by going electric. 

Or split the difference, so to speak, by considering hybrid vehicles that use both gasoline and electric power. 

Now Bring Your Car Insurance Rates Into the Equation

Another key way of reducing the overall cost of your company’s transportation is to find savings opportunities regarding your commercial car insurance. In fact, this might be your easiest budget cut of all. 

Make an appointment with an independent auto insurance agent and discuss your options. An independent agent can shop rates from multiple major car insurance carriers to bring you the most affordable auto insurance, whether it’s for one company vehicle or one hundred. 

Reach Out for Affordable Auto Insurance Regardless of How Gas Goes Up or Down in Washington

Washington won’t always be ranked number one in a less-than-stellar category. Or at least that’s what we hope. But you’re likely to pay a lot more for fuel than residents of most other U.S. states. That’s why you have to find savings elsewhere. 

Call your independent Vern Fonk Insurance agent at (800) 455-8276, and we’ll help you save dramatically on what your company pays for your auto insurance. You can also get a quick online quote or use this Washington office locator to set up an appointment.