subject: Preventing Fuel Theft With Fleet Cards [print this page] Fleet fuel management is an extremely important part of owning a fleet of vehicles used for business purposes. Fuel costs are one of the most expensive parts of owning a fleet, second only to the reality of depreciation. Even today, with gas prices at a significantly lower level than they were a few years ago, fuel cost still plays a huge role in the amount of financial success a fleet owner can experience. There are many reasons fuel has such a large effect on commerce, and the high cost at the pump is not only a cause, but a catalyst for other causes.
High prices of gas are difficult on everyone. Perhaps as a fleet owner you only consider the cheapest way to transport merchandise from one location to another. Remember that you hire drivers to operate your vehicles, and they are feeling the high prices of gas in their personal lives. This leads to temptation regarding the theft of company fuel. This often comes in the form of using company credit cards to purchase fuel for their own vehicles or using a company vehicle for non-work-related purposes. This is labeled as theft, and there is a way to put a stop to it.
Fleet cards are an excellent investment for any owner of a fleet of vehicles. These cards can be monitored with great scrutiny to ensure that gas for trucks and other vehicles is not being used for non-business-related driving. Also, fleet cards can be used to track odometer readings, which can also ensure that your drivers are not diverting gas to other vehicles. Each card has an ID number attached to it that combines the driver"s name with the odometer reading on his/her vehicle, the time of day the vehicle is refueled and how many times throughout a single day the refueling occurs.
Fleet card fraud can still be an issue, but it is quickly diverted with the requirement for fuel purchases to be paid for at the pump. It is unfortunate that measures such as this are required, but it is the reality during a time of economic unrest and high-priced fuel. Luckily, you can ensure that your carefully distributed money is going toward the purchase of fuel for your vehicles and not for any other purpose. Put your mind at ease by using a fleet card to control your fleet fuel expense.
