Fleet managers typically invest in fuel card services to improve driver behavior. When it comes to alerts, many managers assume that the purpose of these notifications is to catch fraudulent behavior before it’s too late. Although this is a wonderful perk, there are plenty of other benefits managers gain from setting up fuel card alerts. Keep reading to learn how else you can benefit from card alerts.
One of the best parts of fleet fuel cards is the standardization that they bring across your team of drivers. Sometimes, restrictions can be hampering to the drivers’ schedule. If drivers are only permitted to make fuel purchases between certain hours, they are out of luck if a unique situation arises where they need to fill up.
Fuel card alerts are helpful in this kind of situation since the manager is instantly notified of the unordinary fuel purchase. Managers typically have to wait until the end of the week or month to receive the exception report. With alerts, they can communicate with drivers in minutes to determine the legitimacy of the purchase.
One of the best parts of a fleet fuel card is its ability to collect “level III data”, which includes the driver, vehicle, number of gallons, card number, fuel type, odometer, and more. Managers are given this data through their fuel card provider’s generated reports. However, they must cross check the accuracy of the reports by making sure the information entered by the driver is correct.
They can do this with the support of electronic receipts (e-receipts). Anytime a card is used, you can set up alerts to receive an email of the receipt from the purchase. If you’re suspicious of a particular team member, you can set up e-receipt alerts just for him, or you can implement them across an entire team. With instant access to transactions, managers can more easily assess whether the entered information is correct, rather than waiting until the end of the month when details could be forgotten.
With a solid driver fuel policy in place, the alerts you set up can quickly highlight noncompliance. By correcting their behavior, fleet managers can take control of their operational costs.
To maximize savings, it’s likely that you’ve told drivers to fill up at certain locations you’ve identified as having the lowest prices. If you provide fuel on-site, be sure your drivers know that you’ll be alerted if they fill up elsewhere. By setting up location-based alerts, you can see if drivers are abiding by policy and contributing to the fleet’s savings strategy.
Fleet managers are always looking for ways to save money, and fuel cards are a great way to do so. If you’re looking for a fleet fuel card provider, look no further than Fuelz. Our card was designed by a fuel company, not a credit card company. Give us a call to see how you can start saving today.