It has been said that inefficiency costs many organisations up to 30% of their revenue, so it’s more important than ever for businesses to adopt sustainable time-saving techniques. When managing a fleet or running a business from the road, it can be tricky to keep on top of time management. In a study undertaken by TomTom, 81% of fleet managers agreed they could get more jobs done if they could automate and digitise more processes. Using a fuel card is known to increase efficiency for both fleet managers and drivers.
Fuel cards provide three easily implementable ways to streamline time spent on the road and make the most of your business:
While travelling on unfamiliar routes, more time can be spent by drivers leaving the motorway, finding somewhere to stop to use their phone or Sat Nav to find a fuel station, and then re-joining the road to fill up.
However, many fuel cards come with garage location apps. Garage Locator apps help drivers save time by locating fuel stations on the route in advance. If the apps are GPS-enabled, drivers can also stop to use the app in real-time to direct them to the nearest fuel station. A filter can often be used only to display fuel stations that accept your driver’s fuel card network to save time scrolling through fuel stations where you can’t refuel.
2) Save Admin Time
The same TomTom study mentioned above showed that 49% of fleet managers said at least one of their team members spends 1.5 to 2 hours per day on quoting and invoicing and 43% said the same about expense management. That’s approx. 520 hours or 65 workdays spent on invoices or managing expenses! Given that only 26% of fleet managers fully automate expense management, this is hardly surprising. One way around this is by using an account management tool linked to your fleet’s fuel card usage.
Most fuel card providers should offer a free account management service as part of their fuel card accounts. An online account management tool is usually a free service that allows you to automate the expenses and invoice process. Alongside the ability to monitor fuel card activity 24/7, you will receive consolidated weekly invoicing (HMRC VAT approved) and can request copies of invoices and download fleet management reports, so you’re not wasting time crunching numbers or chasing up drivers for their receipts. Depending on your provider, you can also use the online management tool to order more cards and deactivate cards as needed.
3) Quick and Easy Payment
With less time spent using cash machines, kiosks, and VAT receipts, your drivers can save time by paying at the pump using a fuel card and getting back on the road as quickly as possible. Paying becomes easy with a fuel card and, providing the fuel station operates on the fuel card network; there’s no reason for hold-ups when it comes to purchasing fuel.
If you are keen to streamline your fleet when it comes to fuel – whether that’s fuel spend, expenses, or admin time, using a fuel card can make a massive difference to your efficiency levels. Explore the possibilities today and compare fuel cards.
