Building an Effective Fleet Fueling Policy

Starting a fleet fuel policy from scratch can seem daunting. Once you have spent time and hours selecting the fleet card for your business, you need to decide what parameters you will put around your policy, who will have a card and what reports you will need to efficiently manage your fleet. Here are six tips in putting together an effective fleet fueling policy for your business:

• Once your fleet fueling policy is in place, the next step is to clearly communicate the new policy to each and every driver in your fleet. Let them know that all fuel purchases are being monitored and that all exceptions, especially repeated infractions, will need to be justified.

• Every time a driver fills a tank with a premium or mid-grade fuel, it costs the company as much as 10¢ to 25¢ or more per gallon. This can add a lot of money to your fuel management program, so make sure you establish the desired grade of fuel for each vehicle and have controls in place to monitor it.

• Enforce limits at the time of purchase. The most effective way to enforce a fleet fueling policy is to set limits so that purchases outside the limits are not allowed. For example, if you restrict transactions to two per day, the third transaction will be declined at the point of purchase.

• Restrict non-fleet fuel products and services. Many fleet managers find it helpful to place restrictions on the kinds of products drivers may purchase with their fleet fuel card: soda, coffee, car washes, etc. This helps to control costs, quality, and consistency.

• Control the location, days, and times of fuel purchases. Frequent fuel purchases made with the company’s fleet fuel card outside of regular business hours can be a sign of waste and abuse. Make sure your drivers purchase fleet fuel only during business hours, look for fuel purchases that exceed fuel tank capacity, and where possible, eliminate multiple purchases in a single day.

• To help control quality, consistency and cost, mandate the fuel brands your drivers can purchase. Take a close look at fueling stations in your area and select those that offer the best quality for the best price. Those that offer biofuels can also help lower your carbon footprint, which is becoming a large national topic.

Looking for a fuel card to meet your business’s needs? We can help! At Fuelz, we can tailor a program to meet your needs. With realtime reporting, you can get an in-depth look at your fuel usage. Give us a call and let’s get your program kicked off right!

Source: Ezine