Fleet technology specialist Lightfoot’s in-cab driver coaching device monitors when vans are idling and when paired with telematics, can show where as well.
Analysis of the data shows the place where idling is at its most prevalent is in fast food restaurant car parks over lunchtimes, with plumbers, electricians, couriers and builders leaving their engines running for heating or air con. The practice is jokingly referred to as McIdling.
Lightfoot’s technology has detected the issue of McIdling during the ‘blind’ phase in the customer onboarding process. During this period, the installed devices operate in data collection mode, passively recording insights on driving habits without providing coaching. This data establishes a baseline for key metrics, such as carbon and NOx emissions, MPG, EV range, and fleet safety.
When customers transition to the live phase, the device is activated to provide real-time driver coaching, improving driving behaviour and enhancing these baseline metrics while reducing unnecessary idling and preventing harsh events. This transition also enables accurate measurement of improvements across the fleet.
McIdling may seem innocuous, but according to Lightfoot’s data, a diesel van left running for an hour will use around a litre of fuel – costing approximately £1.25 (excluding VAT), at current pump prices.
If a driver does this every working day (based on 240 working days – five days a week for 48 weeks) to keep heating or air con operating, they will use around £300 (ex VAT) of fuel a year just while on their lunch breaks. That’s equivalent to more than 2,000 miles at 35mpg, or around four tanks full of diesel for a medium panel van.
Lightfoot managing director Paul Hollick said: “Our data shows that the fast food car park, especially at lunchtime, is a major hotspot for idling. And if it’s not stopped, it could be costing employers thousands of pounds a year while all their drivers to stop and have lunch.
“If a driver sits in their cab eating a Big Mac Meal, and leaves the van idling while they do it, the cost of that lunch goes up from £7.10 to £8.35 with the extra fuel used. That can really add up over the course of the year.”
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