Common refuelling mistakes your drivers could be making
Refuelling mistakes a guide by Steve Clarke, Marketing Manager, Fleetmaxx Solutions
As a fleet manager or business owner, you keep a close eye on fuel spend. Prices, mileage, routes, driver behaviour. All the usual pressure points.
But there’s a refuelling mistake many drivers make at the pump that often slips completely under the radar, quietly adding unnecessary cost to your fuel bill and potentially creating avoidable maintenance issues across your fleet.
The refuelling mistake happening on forecourts every day
Picture the scene. One of your drivers pulls into a filling station, starts refuelling, hears the pump click… and then keeps squeezing the trigger to top it off.
It’s a habit many drivers see as harmless, even sensible. In reality, it is a costly mistake.
Modern pumps are designed to stop automatically when the tank is full. Continuing to pump fuel after the click increases the chance of fuel spilling or evaporating, meaning your business pays for fuel that never makes it into the vehicle.
What this refuelling mistake means for fleet fuel costs
Individually, the waste may seem minor. Across a fleet, it quickly becomes expensive.
Motoring experts estimate that wasting just one litre of fuel per week per vehicle could equate to £50 to £60 per year. Multiply that across multiple vehicles and frequent refuelling schedules, and the cost escalates rapidly.
For fleets operating vans, HGVs, or high-mileage vehicles, this small driver habit can quietly turn into hundreds, even thousands, of pounds in avoidable fuel spend every year.
The hidden repair risk fleet managers need to know about
Fuel waste is only part of the issue.
Excess fuel forced in after the click can spill into a vehicle’s vapour recovery system. This system is designed to capture harmful fumes, not liquid fuel.
Repeated topping off can damage the system over time, leading to repair bills typically ranging from £150 to £500 per vehicle. For fleet operators, that’s downtime, unexpected maintenance costs, and vehicles off the road when you need them working.
Drivers who regularly ignore the click could be costing your business £200 to £300 per vehicle in wasted fuel and preventable repairs.
Why “topping off” does not benefit your fleet
Drivers may believe they’re getting better value by squeezing in extra fuel. In practice, they’re doing the opposite.
Fuel added after the click is more likely to be wasted or cause mechanical issues. The automatic shut-off exists to protect the vehicle, the fuel system, and your operating costs.
The guidance for drivers is simple and effective: when the pump clicks, stop refuelling.
Turning small changes into real fleet savings
Reducing everyday driver habits like this refuelling mistake is an easy win for fleet managers focused on cost control.
But for businesses operating vehicles across the UK, the biggest savings come from combining good driver behaviour with smarter fuel purchasing.
Thousands of UK businesses already benefit from measurable savings at the pump by using a discount fuel card from Fleetmaxx Solutions, the trusted partner for fuel and fleet cost reduction.
There are no hidden extras, no systems designed to gradually push prices up over time. Just transparent pricing, real savings, personal service, and the security that comes from knowing your fuel costs are under control.
If you want greater visibility, tighter fuel management, and genuine peace of mind every time your drivers refuel, it may be time to look at how a Fleetmaxx fuel card can support your business.
