Written by Roger Jowett, Brainiact Mascot business coach
I have a healthy dose of paranoia when it comes to business.
Not the kind that paralyses you, but the kind that keeps you alert. A former chairman once told me that in business, you always need to be in an athletic stance. Things will hit you. Markets shift, costs rise, staff leave, suppliers fail, and sometimes a risk appears that most people did not seriously plan for.
The current fuel situation is one of those moments. The Federal Government has moved to secure additional diesel shipments, and rationing remains a last-resort measure, but the broader issue is clear: fuel security can no longer be taken for granted.
For service-based businesses with technicians on the road, this is not just about the price of fuel. That matters, of course. But the bigger question is: what happens if you cannot get enough fuel to keep operating?
Because if service stops, revenue stops.
Plan harder, plan smarter
The first thing I would be doing is getting much closer to the service roster.
In many businesses, rostering is left to someone in the office who is doing their best to juggle planned maintenance, emergency callouts, minor works, staff availability and customer expectations. That is already a difficult job. In a fuel-constrained environment, it becomes a leadership issue.
Business owners need to personally understand the plan. Where are the technicians going? Are they crisscrossing the city unnecessarily? Can jobs be brought forward? Can quarterly or monthly visits be adjusted slightly so one regional run replaces two or three separate trips?
Most customers will understand if you communicate clearly. If you are heading to Mudgee, for example, it may make sense to bring one client forward by a week and push another back slightly so the work can be completed in one efficient run. That kind of planning does not just save fuel. It saves time, reduces waste and improves productivity.
Maximise every kilometre
In service businesses, kilometres matter.
Every minute spent driving is a minute not spent invoicing. That has always been true, but fuel pressure makes it more obvious. If your technicians are travelling from North Sydney to Wollongong and back across the city in one day, there is probably money leaking out of the business.
The smarter approach is geographic density. Cluster jobs. Pair visits. Double up staff in one vehicle where it makes sense. Eliminate unnecessary travel. Avoid quoting work that is too far outside your core area if you already have enough opportunity closer to home.
Even small behaviours add up. Driving more moderately, avoiding overloaded vehicles, checking tyre pressure and planning routes properly can all help stretch the tank. None of these things are revolutionary, but together they create discipline.
Change how you operate
In uncertain times, small operational habits matter.
One simple rule is to refuel early. Do not wait until the tank is nearly empty. In a genuine shortage, the businesses that maintain fuel discipline early will be in a stronger position than those reacting late.
You may also need to consider temporary changes to operating hours. Longer days or a four-day week, with agreement, may allow a business to complete more work with fewer trips. Non-essential vehicle use should be reviewed immediately, including weekend use.
This is not about panic. It is about control.
The businesses that cope best are the ones willing to adjust how they operate before they are forced to.
Protect your margins
A fair and transparent fuel levy may be necessary.
Many customers will accept it if it is explained properly and applied reasonably. Some may question it, and a small number may push back, but that does not mean the business should absorb every increase.
The key is fairness. If the situation normalises, review the levy. If fuel costs continue to rise, monitor them properly. Do not just look at the bank balance and hope the margin is still there.
Fuel is not a background cost for service businesses. It is directly connected to the ability to generate revenue.
Lead from the front
This is where leadership matters.
You cannot ask the team to be disciplined while the owner ignores the same standards. If the business is asking technicians to reduce waste, plan better and stretch every tank, the leader needs to model that behaviour too.
Bring the team into the discussion. Ask for ideas. The best plans often come from the people closest to the work. A technician may know that two jobs can be paired. Another may suggest leaving one vehicle behind and travelling together. Someone else may identify a recurring trip that could be avoided.
Then celebrate the wins. If the business completes the same number of service visits while using 20% less fuel, talk about it. Put it on the meeting agenda. Make efficiency part of the culture.
The broader lesson
This article may have started with fuel, but the lesson is much broader.
A fuel shortage simply exposes what was already there: loose rostering, inefficient travel, weak planning, unclear communication, poor use of vehicles, and a lack of operational discipline.
The best business owners will use this moment as a prompt to review the way their business runs. Not just for the next few weeks, but for the long term.
Because an efficient operation is not only valuable in a crisis. It is valuable every day.
If your business relies on vehicles, technicians, site visits or service delivery, now is the time to ask the hard questions. Are you planning properly? Are you maximising every kilometre? Are you protecting your margins? Are you leading the team through uncertainty with clarity?
You can’t assume this will all be fine.
The wheels need to keep turning. And that starts with leadership.
—
Roger Jowett is a Brainiact business coach and former CEO of Motion Asia Pacific. With over 35 years of global leadership experience, Roger specialises in strategy, succession, operational performance, and helping small to medium business owners achieve sustainable growth.
