Managing a fleet without the right tools can be a daunting task. However, adding a business gas card to your set of fleet management tools can help make the job easier. Fleet fuel cards provide real-time data that can dramatically impact how you run your fleet. Beyond up-to-date and accurate information, fleet cards include several features essential for small businesses looking to streamline their fuel management process. From fuel rebates to purchase controls to reporting and analytics, these cards are designed with fleet management in mind.
By embracing all a business gas card offers, you can better monitor vehicle fuel consumption, streamline the fleet management processes, enhance budgeting capabilities and optimize overall operational efficiency.
Imagine saving on every gallon you purchase, having precise, up-to-the-minute information on every purchase, total control over spending parameters, and the ability to create reports for any metric at any time. Do it all while providing a seamless flow of data to the fleet card’s dashboard. Adding a business gas card to your fleet management toolbox can help eliminate errors, assist you in making more informed decisions and can help boost efficiency as well as profitability.
How Real-time Fuel Card Data Works
Fleet cards gather real-time data with every purchase. When a driver refuels their vehicle using the gas card, transaction details are recorded immediately.
Real-time data includes:
- Amount of fuel purchased
- Location
- Date
- Time
- The dollar amount of the transaction
- Driver ID
- Odometer reading
Once a transaction is completed, this data is transmitted directly to a fleet card dashboard, which fleet managers can access through an online program. With immediate visibility into fuel consumption, it’s possible to track spending without the cumbersome need for manual record-keeping. By eliminating delays and inaccuracies associated with paper receipts, fleet managers can focus on other needs of the fleet.
A Great Gas Card for Real-time Fuel Data
When it comes to fleet management, choosing the right business gas card is critical. A well-suited card provides a wealth of information that can help improve operational decisions and increase efficiency – and the benefits don’t stop there.
Beyond being a powerful fleet management tool, a business gas card is also a great way to save on expenses.
Shell’s fleet cards stand out because they offer real-time data, competitive fuel rebates, purchase controls and seamless integration with fleet telematics solutions.
When choosing a fleet card, you should consider the various features they offer. Key features include:
- Competitive fuel rebates
- Real-time data/automated fuel expense tracking
- User-friendly dashboards for monitoring fuel spend
- Customizable purchase controls
- Access to detailed analytics
- Compatibility with existing accounting software
Each of these six features has unique advantages, but some have a greater impact on optimizing fleet management than others.
Key Features of Business Gas Cards Impacting Fleet Management
In addition to real-time data, gas cards have several features that directly impact fleet management. There are three most significant features.
Purchase Controls
So much of fleet management is affected by how drivers utilize fuel, which means behaviors at the pump are impactful.
Business gas cards are equipped with purchase controls. This feature allows fleet managers and small business owners to set limits based on the company’s needs.
With customizable purchase controls, you can:
- Limit purchases by fuel volume
- Set a max purchase amount
- Approve purchases for specific days or times
- Approve purchases by fuel type or grade
The more you can do to ensure drivers adhere to your fuel spending policy, the more you can help your bottom line.
Many fleet cards also include customizable alerts. Fleet managers can define specific thresholds for issues such as unauthorized fuel transactions or unexpected spikes in fuel usage. This level of customization helps mitigate risks proactively, allowing managers to intervene before minor problems escalate into larger ones.
Reporting and Analytics
Fleet cards, like Shell Fleet Cards, include comprehensive reporting tools. Fleet managers can generate detailed reports for specific vehicles, routes, or drivers. With easy-to-understand dashboards and visual summaries, these reports transform raw data into actionable insights. For example, analytics may show a need for better maintenance strategies, improved driver training, or higher utilization of in-network fuel stations.
Integration with Accounting and Bookkeeping Software
A huge advantage of business gas cards is their compatibility with most accounting and bookkeeping software. All your fleet card dashboard data can be sent directly to your accounting software, streamlining one of the most tedious elements of fleet management—tracking and running the numbers. With a fleet card, you can free up your accounting department to focus on the strategic and financial growth of your small business.
Maximizing Cost Savings and Rewards
Beyond being a powerful fleet management tool, a business gas card is also a great way to save on expenses. Most gas cards include fuel rebates and some offer discounts on parts and services at specific providers. As of 2024, Shell Fleet Cards provide in-network fuel rebates of up to 6¢ per gallon when used at Shell-branded gas stations and up to 20% discounts on parts and services at participating Jiffy Lube locations.
When fleet managers take advantage of the savings available on every fill-up and tune-up, they can add significant dollars to their cash flow.
Fleet Cards are So Much More than a Credit Card
Many small business owners use fleet cards as a payment method for fuel and fleet-related expenses and nothing more. When this happens, they’re using their fleet card as a credit card and miss out on many opportunities to optimize their fleet management. By embracing all a business gas card offers, you can better monitor vehicle fuel consumption, streamline the fleet management processes, enhance budgeting capabilities and optimize overall operational efficiency.