Fuel costs are spiraling out of sight, and the higher costs for fuel are putting greater attention on fleet — and fuel — management.

Anything and everything that can be done to minimize routes and maximize fuel efficiencies has gained new importance in every industry from manufacturing to air transportation.

The management of fuel costs is particularly essential for distributors and distribution fleets, where razor thin margins have turned into deep razor cuts that are bleeding cash.

Two months ago in this space I talked about global positioning systems and their value for to monitoring the location and speed of delivery trucks and assuring deliveries to customers.

While customer service and satisfaction is a great benefit from a GPS system, the growing costs for fuel have put a new emphasis on GPS as a tool optimize delivery routes and save fuel.

Associate Editor Clare Goldsberry writes about fleet management practices in this issue and focuses on managing the costs for fuel.

As Clare points out, based on the today's prices for fuel, cutting the speed of a truck to gain 15 percent in fuel economy can provide $150,000 a year in savings for one truck. And, because there seems to be no end to the rising prices for petroleum, the costs for that truck can be expected to grow.

Global positioning systems are effective tools to help to manage fuel use, and their development is opportune in consideration of the need to cut fuel use.

These computerized systems require an upfront investment, but they can take some of the pain out of the current fuel crunch and they seem to be a technology made these difficult times.