Fuel Cards Have Helped Monitor Charges, Repairs, Fleets Say

leet executives say fuel cards have evolved into a data-gathering tool that allows them to alert drivers to the best fuel prices across the country, track and plan vehicle maintenance and repairs and monitor driver spending by comparing fuel expenses with operating data.

For example, truckload carrier TMT Inc., Madisonville, Ky., told Transport Topics it uses fuel card data to “track how many miles a driver has run in a particular state . . . with how much fuel he has purchased” to make sure the purchases are appropriate, said Randy Workman, vice president of administration.

Similarly, TL Express, Bedford, Ohio, said it cross-checks a driver’s log with his or her fuel card expenditures to ensure the company is not overpaying for the number of miles driven, said Gary Wassil, quality assurance manager at the truckload carrier