Sinclair Fleet Track
Setup a Fuel Program
Now's The Time to Set a Fleet Fueling Policy
Establishing a fleet fueling policy makes sense.
After all, fuel is usually the single largest
variable expense for a fleet of any size. A fleet
fueling policy–carefully planned, implemented and
enforced–can be a company's most effective tool in
the battle to cut unnecessary costs.
Thanks to a revolution in the electronic capture
of fueling data at the pump through the use of
electronic fleet fueling cards, fleet managers now
have timely, accurate data they can use to battle
waste and abuse.
If a driver makes a purchase outside parameters
set by the manager–e.g., the driver buys premium
rather than regular gasoline–this information is
recorded instantly and appears on a regular
billing statement along with the individual driver
and vehicle number. Through the use of tools like
Exception Reporting and purchase alerts managers
can enforce cost-saving policies quickly, not
weeks after the fact.
Management by Exception
For many, highlighting problem areas is the most
cost-effective, accurate and efficient way to
implement, manage and enforce a successful fleet
fueling policy. With Exception Reporting, fueling
information is funneled through the company's
policy parameters and is sorted to show where,
when and by whom fueling policies are being
disregarded.
Four Components of a Fleet Fueling Policy
Here are 4 basic guidelines you can use to build
an effective fueling policy:
- 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 even allowed. For example, if you restrict
transactions to two per day, the third transaction
will be declined at the point of purchase.
- Restrict non-fuel products and services. Many
fleet managers find it helpful to place
restrictions on the kinds of products drivers may
purchase. This helps to control costs, quality and
consistency.
- Control the location, days, and times of
purchases. Frequent fuel purchases made with the
company card outside of business hours are a sure
sign of waste and abuse. Make sure your drivers
purchase fuel only during business hours, look for
fuel purchases that exceed tank capacity, and
eliminate multiple purchases in a single day
whenever possible.
- Stipulate the desired grade of fuel for each
vehicle. Every time a driver fills the tank with a
premium or mid-grade fuel, the company wastes as
much as 10¢ to 25¢ more per gallon - or
approximately $2 more per tank of gas.
This graph, based on data from a real fleet,
demonstrates how misuse declined after a customer
instituted a fleet fueling policy with the
assistance of Sinclair. The customer saved tens of
thousands of dollars by identifying problem
purchases quickly and working with drivers to
eliminate them.
Communicate the Policy
Once you have established a good, comprehensive
fleet fueling policy, the next step is to
communicate the new policy clearly to every driver
in the fleet. Let them know that all fuel
purchases will be monitored and that all
exceptions, especially repeated infractions, will
need to be justified.
Choose a Flexible Program
Sinclair can help you take a critical look at your
fleet, identify the areas where you have the most
problems and work with you to establish a fueling
policy.
To check on the status of an application, contact Sinclair Customer Service at 800-259-3745. To find out more about the Sinclair Fleet Track Card,
apply now (in
PDF or
Word),
request more information or
simply call 800-621-4519. |
