Posts Tagged ‘fleet card’
Michelin Supports Rating Tires for Fuel Efficiency
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Michelin North America Inc. has filed comments with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that support a proposed program to provide customers with information about the fuel efficiency of tires. The program is currently in the rulemaking phase.
If the proposed program were to be implemented, a system of rankings for consumer tire fuel efficiency would be created “that will clearly communicate to consumers at the point of sale the fuel efficiency of individual tires via an objective rating system,” say MNA officials.
“Michelin further supports setting maximum rolling resistance standards for all passenger tires sold in the U.S. to guarantee minimum levels of tire fuel efficiency performance and spur further progress in tire performance.”
“Tires account for up to 20% of fuel consumption for passenger vehicles. Allowing consumers to understand this fact and compare fuel economy performance among tire brands at the point of purchase is an important step in improving the overall fuel efficiency of vehicles, reducing fuel costs to consumers and lessening the impact of road transportation on the environment.”
Photo courtesy of The Dana Files under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: fleet card, FleetCards USA, fuel efficiency, Michelin North America Inc, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA
Posted in Industry News | 4 Comments »
Is Your Fleet Ready for Electric Vehicles?
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
A new study conducted by Better Place shows that almost 30 percent of prospective car buyers in the United States are considering buying an electric vehicle as their next car. The study, which surveyed several nations, also showed a response of 57 percent in Israel, 40 percent in Denmark and 39 percent in Australia. On average, the data shows that almost half of the world’s population (a significant 48 percent) are considering the switch to electric transportation.
Domestically, most of the respondents’ reasons for switching to an electric vehicle hinged heavily on social concerns, including dependence on foreign oil and environmentalism. Also mentioned by many respondents was a desire to stimulate the US into becoming a leader in renewable energy. Younger people tended to be more likely to consider electric vehicles.
With electric vehicles becoming more and more mainstream, the choice to switch some of your fleet vehicles to electrics depends on your business model. Do you want your fleet to reflect your commitment to environmental issues? Are you looking to expand with more fuel-efficient vehicles to cut long-term fuel costs? If so, electric vehicles may be a good option (and the next best thing to a Fleet card!).
Photo courtesy of carrott under the Creative Commons License
Tags: Better Places, electric vehicles, environmentalism, fleet card, fleet vehicles, foreign oil, fuel efficient vehicles, renewable energy
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Free Gas for Summer (If You Buy a Suzuki)
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
If you’re looking for ways to save at the pump this summer, and you already have a fleet card, this promotion may interest you.
Suzuki just announced its ‘Free Gas for Summer’ sales event that offers car buyers three months of free gasoline with the purchase a new 2009 Suzuki SX4 Sedan or 2009 SX4 Crossover. Plus, to get you in one today, they’ll throw in $2,000 in customer cash on all 2009 SX4 models with manual transmission.
“Suzuki recognizes the economic challenges facing Americans and thought this promotion was a great way to provide relief for car buyers,” said Koichi Suzuki, executive vice president, American Suzuki Automotive Operations.
It should be noted, Suzuki’s four-door SX4 Sedan was recently named as one of the “Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000″ by Kelley Blue Book.
The Suzuki “Free Gas for Summer” sales program kicked off July 1 and runs through Aug. 31.
If you drive one off the lot let us know how it goes.
Tags: 000, American Suzuki Automotive Operations, fleet card, Free Gas For Summer, Kelley Blue Book, Suzuki, Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Average Gallon of Gas $2.12, Diesel $2.26 in 2009
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
If you don’t have a fleet card to lock in a rate or prevent unauthorized purchases, it can be difficult to manage, let alone predict, your fuel expenses. But having a good idea of what you’ll spend on gas this year helps.
The Department of Energy said the national average price for regular gasoline at the end of 2009 will be $2.12 per gallon, according to a story from businessfleet.com.
Diesel fuel will average $2.26 a gallon this year and rise to an average $2.48 in 2010. Gas prices will rise to $2.30 avg. per gallon in 2010, 12 cents under the previous forecast, while diesel fuel will rise to an average $2.48 per gallon next year.
For today’s average gas price in your city, click here.
As we mentioned above, a fleet card can better control your fuel costs while saving you cash along the way. If you don’t have one and would like to know more, visit fleetcardsusa.com.
To read the entire article click here
Photo copyright of Alberto.. under the Creative Commons License
Tags: avergae gas price, businessfleet.com, department of energy, Diesel fuel, fleet card, fleetcardsusa, gas, gas prices
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Find the Cheapest Gas Prices Online
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Know before you go to save money by finding the lowest gas prices
Gas prices change not only from day-to-day, but from station-to-station. The price can vary by as much as 20% within a few blocks.
By knowing what the average price of gas is in your area, you can pass this information along to your drivers so they don’t fill up on the most expensive gas when a cheaper station is just a few blocks away. Make sure your guys have a fleet card with universal acceptance so they can take advantage of the lowest prices no matter what station they are at.
Bookmark the following sites so you’ll be able to quickly and easily find the cheapest prices in your area:
- GasBuddy.com: Find the day’s highest and lowest prices by entering your zip code or clicking on the interactive map. GasBuddy can also tell you historical prices, calculate the cost of your route and let you know if prices in your area are on the rise or falling.
- MSNAutos.com: Each night MSN Autos analyzes gas prices from more then 90,000 gas stations nation-wide. Enter in your zip code and MSN will tell you the average price for gas in your area, as well as the area’s highs and lows. You’ll get a complete list of prices by station and fuel grade.
- AAA: Similar to GasBuddy and MSNAutos, simply enter in your zip code and get a list of gas prices in your area.
- GasPriceWatch.com: You can perform a basic zip code search to find the cheapest gas, but we also like how you can also search by intersection or specific station brand.
Whichever site you use, it’s important to know what the average price is in your area and to pass it along to your drivers so they’ll know a good deal when they see one and to keep on truckin’ when prices are too high.
Help us add to this list: which sites do you use to find the lowest gas prices?
Photo copyright of riza under the Creative Commons license
Tags: AAA, cheap gas, fleet card, GasBuddy.com, GasPriceWatch.com, lowest gas prices, MSN Autos, universal acceptance
Posted in Fleet Resources, Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Tax Time doesn’t have to be so taxing for your business
Monday, April 20th, 2009
April 17th – Just two days after tax day. The perfect time to begin preparations anew for next year’s IRS deadline, and do it in a way that makes your life easier.
Start with a self-audit. Where did business fall short last year (besides the bottom line)? How can you create efficiencies? What can you do to get a jump on all that paperwork?
For several reasons, you might want to consider a fleet card that offers online controls and a reporting system. Not only will such a system aid in day-to-day organization, save time and money, it will prevent a last-minute scramble through damaged, dated and downright legitimate receipts. Some other benefits include:
- Document ALL purchases electronically for error-free record keeping
- Eliminate unwanted purchases and surprise expenses altogether, like hard-to-explain beef jerky, coffee and smokes
- Track purchases in real-time whenever you like
- Set the controls. You decide who gets a card, how much they can purchase with it, and where they can use it.
- Many happy returns. The right fleet card can save you thousands of dollars a year of fuel and maintenance costs, which is great for building your business.
If you don’t already have a fleet card, are looking for a more comprehensive fleet management program, or just want to get an idea of what’s out there, start at FleetMatch™. It was created to for the sole purpose of custom-matching fleet cards with fleet-driven businesses like yours.
Photo copyright of jacobms under the Creative Common license
Tags: fleet card, Fleetmatch, taxes
Posted in Fleet Resources, Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Do You Know Who’s Using Your Company Card?
Saturday, April 11th, 2009
A recent story that should be of interest to fleet managers and small business owners in general showed up in the news earlier last week, where a former employee was arrested for accumulating thousands of dollars in personal charges on a company card.
Tami Nation Trull, who used to work at the Sunshine House school in Greenwood, South Carolina, was brought into custody by authorities after running up personal charges on an American Express Business Card and a Wright Express fleet fuel card.
Trull had worked for the company for 10 years and had access to the company card as a part of her job where she made travel arrangements for other employees, but over time had used these cards to pay for items for herself and family members that included airfare, hotel rooms, rental cards, tickets to a variety of events, meals and much more. Trull’s charges quickly added up to more then $20,000 in unauthorized expenses.
Unfortunately for you and your business, hearing stories like these are not that uncommon. The challenge is being able to trust employees–especially if they’ve worked with you for as many years as Trull had for her company–but also creating a system of accountability so that there is more than one person looking at what is being spent on your cards.
For fleet managers in particular, entrusting a number of drivers with gas cards can prove to be a challenge. However, many fleet fuel cards allow you to monitor spending and put controls on what can and cannot be purchased on your company’s card. If you’re not already set up and working with these controls, be sure to contact your fleet card provider as soon as possible to ask about how to set them up.
The Sunshine House would also have benfitted from a corporate lodging card. Similar to a fleet card, a corporate lodging card will set restrictions on the types of hotels your employees can stay at (since they may want to stay at the W, but the travel budget is more Best Western) as well as electronically audit your hotel bill before your card is charged.
You’ll sleep better at night knowing there’s one more layer of protection over your company’s expenses.
Tags: controls, fleet card, fuel card, unauthorized spending
Posted in Small Business Help Tips | No Comments »
Spokane Man Pays $550 Million Per Gallon for Fuel
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Remember last summer when we thought $4 a gallon for fuel was bad? Well, one man in Spokane, Washington recently found out he paid $550 million per gallon when his bank alerted him to an $81 billion dollar charge on his account.
Juan Zamora thought he was putting $90 worth of gas into his car, until his bank alerted him of an $81 billion dollar charge. Yes, that’s billion, and yes, the bank tried to put it through. Zamora tried calling his bank, the gas station, even his card provider to get the charges reversed.
After a few sweat-inducing days with -$81 billion in his account, they finally traced the charge back to a computer error. The gas station indaverently used the station’s merchant ID as the amount.
Word to the wise: you can set spending limits with a fleet fuel card so you have 81 billion less things to worry about.
Tags: controls, fleet card, fuel prices, gas prices
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
