Atlanta – October 29, 2026 -- Some 82% of respondents in a Geotab-commissioned survey said their organization's operating costs rose over the past 12 months, and fuel was the most frequently cited cause, named in 31% of responses. Endeavor Business Intelligence conducted the research for Geotab.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that on-highway diesel averaged $6.35 per gallon for the week of October 26, 71% higher than a year earlier. Fleets face pressure to optimize fuel use and to prevent fraudulent purchases to limit preventable losses.
Idling burns 0.95 gallons per driving day in Geotab's North American fleet data
A Geotab analysis of connected commercial vehicles across North America found an average idle time of 1 hour 25 minutes per driving day. That idling used 0.95 gallons of fuel. The highest-idling 10% of vehicles idled for more than three hours and used more than 2 gallons per driving day.
Geotab's Fleet Fuel Management tools show fuel consumption, fuel economy and idling in its platform. In-vehicle verbal feedback and buzzer alerts target habits such as idling, speeding and harsh acceleration. Maintenance reminders and inspection checklists support tire-pressure checks and other routines that affect fuel economy.
Geotab Fleet Card checks purchases against live vehicle data before they clear
The card verifies transactions against location and tank capacity data. Fleet administrators can set controls by amount, time frame, category, merchant or location. Geotab said the card gives fleets wholesale discounts at more than 34,000 U.S. fueling stations. Drivers can use the Geotab Drive app to see nearby lower-cost stations and compare prices.
Steven Berube, Vice President at Geotab, said managers need "a clear view of where and how fuel is being used," along with safeguards against fraudulent purchases.
Survey drew 497 trucking professionals, with a 4.4% margin of error
Endeavor collected 497 qualified responses from August 20 to October 6, 2026. Respondents were trucking professionals across multiple markets. The overall margin of error was ±4.4%, and subsection results carry higher margins.
The open-ended question on cost increases received 407 responses. Copilot assisted in identifying and quantifying response themes, and the percentages are approximate.