5 Reasons to Get a Fleet Card Now

Effective spend management is critical to optimizing trucking profits in an industry with higher fuel costs than ever. Fleet cards help control spending by allowing drivers to access discount fuel and features like one-click payroll and billing functions.
Some modern cards also have a dashboard to analyze data and turn transaction information into actionable insights to stop theft and reduce unnecessary spending.
Save Money on Fuel
Business owners, owner-operators, and OTR trucking companies are always looking for ways to optimize costs, and fleet fuel or discount cards are great options. These cards provide various cost-saving tools like security, tracking, and expense management.
Some cards are available with no credit check, while others require a credit score. In addition, many of the best fleet fuel cards offer discounts at specific gas stations and large partner networks that help reduce the overall cost of refueling. Additionally, these cards often allow for flexible purchase controls so that managers can determine which types of purchases each card can be used for. For example, a manager can limit a driver’s card to fuel expenses, while other cards can be used for maintenance or in-store convenience purchases.
Lastly, most fleet fuel cards also have reporting metrics businesses use to analyze spending. This can be helpful to monitor trends and identify patterns that may indicate fraudulent or misused activities.
Choosing your company’s Voyager fleet card locations is essential to optimize your business operations. Be sure to look for a card that offers a user-friendly online account management platform to make it easy to monitor transactions in real time, review invoices, report on spending, and manage cards from anywhere.
Stop Employee Fuel Theft
If you have a business that requires vehicles, fleet fuel cards are an investment that can save your company money over time. In addition to cost savings, these cards also come with various other valuable tools that can help you maximize your transportation budget. The most important features of these cards include month-to-month expense tracking and purchase controls. This allows business owners to keep tabs on how much is being spent and can flag unauthorized purchases. Many providers even require that drivers enter a PIN at the pump, which can help curb theft and unauthorized usage.
Another great feature of many fleet cards is that they allow you to set purchase authorization rules. These rules can be based on fuel type, dollar amount, day of the week, or other factors. This can help you limit the types of fuel or goods your employees can buy and ensure that they are only spending what your business requires.
A common problem in a transportation business is employee theft. Some employees will use a fleet card to fuel up their vehicle while working at your company, which can lead to a significant loss of profits over the long term. Some fleet card programs offer an advanced online expense management platform that lets you see what your drivers buy in real-time. This can prevent them from stealing fuel or other products that aren’t necessary for your business and give you complete visibility of how much is being spent on fuel and maintenance.
Save Time on Receipts
Fleet cards can improve business operations by eliminating manual processes like expense tracking, receipt collection, and invoice submission. Look for a card that never charges hidden fees and provides powerful online tools to help managers exercise control over spending and expenses. The best fleet cards also offer insights into each card purchase, such as who spends what, when, and where, so companies can take the right action to save even more money.
Consider a fleet fuel card to eliminate manual expense tracking and improve productivity. It offers benefits that credit cards can’t, including access to gas discounts and savings. Plus, it can also cut out the need for drivers to pay expenses out of pocket because it allows them to use a company card and have these expenses deducted from their paychecks.
Look for a fleet card that accepts all major brands, including truck stops, so that drivers can access the most affordable and convenient gas stations. It should also offer additional business perks, like cash advances, fraud loss coverage, and roadside assistance. Owner-operators should also ensure the card provides a flexible payment schedule and a one-click payroll option for employee and subcontractor payments. This can help prevent driver slippage and theft while making it easier to track fuel costs.
Increase Driver Retention
Driver retention is a big deal, especially for business owners with fleets. It is a significant part of running a successful business, and it can be hard to do when drivers are not happy in their jobs.
Keeping your driver happy by providing competitive pay is one way to encourage employee retention. Still, non-monetary benefits can also play a significant role in driving employee satisfaction and loyalty. This can include flexible schedules that respect drivers’ time, comprehensive health insurance that prioritizes their well-being, and retirement plans that secure their financial future.
Many fleet cards allow for same-day employee payments, which can help reduce financial stress while employees wait on client payments to cover expenses like fuel. In addition, advanced card systems provide an online management platform that makes it easy to set rules around purchases by day of the week, time of day, and even transaction amount. These tools, combined with features that eliminate cash outlays and automatically send digital records of transactions, can significantly increase fleet efficiency while helping you save money.
Whether you operate several work trucks for food delivery in an urban area or field eight work vans as part of a mobile repair service, fleet cards are a powerful tool to help your business reduce waste and improve overall productivity. Look for a fleet card that integrates seamlessly with your existing business system to automate activities, such as IFTA automation and tax calculation, bookkeeping, and route optimization, for increased efficiency.