Vnomics Corp. is an advanced analytics provider, aiming to improve driver and vehicle performance. Its patented, stand-alone True Fuel system “significantly” improves fuel economy through real-time driver coaching and precise, comprehensive fuel-use analytics for fleet managers.

What sort of improvement? How about a 400% return on investment by way of fuel-economy gains within a year? That’s the latest claim, and it surprises even company CEO Alan Farnsworth, who recently told us that the ROI was typically in the range of 300%-plus. New calculations and the latest results confirm the higher figure.

True Fuel can be used by any fleet, regardless of its telematics platform or its size, says Farnsworth. It’s been proven to provide a 3-10% fleet-wide fuel saving on several thousand vehicles. And it’s easy to install the little black box at the heart of things — think 10 minutes.

True Fuel precisely monitors each vehicle’s actual fuel usage in real time and compares it to the maximum achievable fuel economy for that specific truck under its current operating conditions. The system calculates that maximum by analyzing the truck’s spec and its age in some detail, as well as accounting for terrain and load.

It then lets the driver know when he’s off the mark by way of subtle audio alerts for improper shifting, speeding, and idling; they signal only when he’s not optimizing fuel consumption. One alert only for each ‘infraction’, a gentle coaching tool.

One of the keys here is that it produces a fair and balanced scorecard for drivers, detailing only the fuel-loss factors they can control. Comparing drivers — and their trucks — becomes dead easy because the results are specific to a given rig and its pilot at a given time. If driver A is hauling heavy and driver B is not, even if their trucks and routes are the same, their fuel efficiency will differ, and this tool will show how and why.

Managers can use True Fuel’s web portal to access comprehensive fuel-use analytics and summary dashboards to gain instant insights into causes of wasted fuel — for the entire fleet or for specific vehicles and drivers. It provides a solid basis for incentive programs.

It’s offered on a monthly subscription basis.