impac Archives

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How Do Fleet Managers Reduce Fuel Spend?

August 30, 201910Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet Fuel Cards, fleet fuel management, impac, universal fleet card

There are several ways a fleet manager can reduce their fuel spend and waiting for fuel prices to go down is NOT one of them. In this post I’m going to answer several questions and share some of our best strategies to save money on fuel, understanding fuel management and fleet fuel cards.

Will Improved Driving Behavior Help Increase Fuel Efficiency?

Yes, this could be one of the most important ways to reduce your fuel spend. Educating and monitoring your drivers to eliminate speeding, reduce idle time and avoid accelerating too quickly is all key to reducing your fuel usage.

Does the Type of Tire Impact Fuel Consumption?

Yes, a great option is low rolling resistance tires. These are specifically designed to improve fuel efficiency, and don’t forget to check tire pressure. A study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that for every one psi (pounds per square inch) drop in the tire pressure of your tires will lower gas mileage by 0.4%.

Does Fuel Grade Matter?

Yes, check the vehicle owner’s manual to determine the lowest fuel grade suggested by the manufacturer. Then let the drivers know the type of fuel to purchase.

Will a managed fleet fuel program reduce fuel spend?

Yes, the substantial savings associated with a properly managed fuel program far outweigh the cost of the program.

Managed Fuel Programs and Fuel Cards

While vehicle maintenance, tire choice and driver behavior play a critical part in fuel conservation, understanding how to implement a fuel management program can be like putting all the puzzle pieces together to get the big picture.

At impac we use a collaborative, consultative approach. The goal is to help the Fleet Manager be more informed when it comes to making decisions in the following areas: controls and fraud reductions, compliance, fuel and maintenance transaction integration, discount merchant networks and ease of reconciliation & payment.

Our impac fleet fuel card program is designed around the need for a single-source provider for all card issuance, billing, payment and customer service. impac brings it all together for a complete and comprehensive fuel and maintenance fleet solution. Click Here for a comparison of our universal card and truck stop fleet fuel card.

Best in Class, Individualized Fleet Fuel Management Solutions

Control costs and significantly reduce the risk of fraud for your fleet
Set fuel and maintenance limits using a wide variety of hard and soft controls
Fleet managers can review all fuel and maintenance purchases online
Unmatched and dedicated personal support & customer service
Customized solutions and recommendations
Receive a consolidated invoice and cut one check for all fleet fuel card purchases
Over 25 custom and standard reports giving you the information you need

With impac – it’s like having your own fuel management department.

Route Tracking

Another key element to monitoring fuel spend is route tracking. Tracking the routes that the fleet drivers take on a daily basis has become easier with the development of telematics and software.

Having a good GPS device and routing software will save on fuel usage and help maximize the most efficient routes, cutting down on out of route miles driven. With the right setup you can separate personal miles from work miles and allocate some of their fuel spend to the personal use category.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, aggressive driving can reduce highway fuel efficiency by 33% and city efficiency by 5%.

Labor Day 2019 Fuel Prices

“For Americans who bookend summer with road trips, they will find gas prices this coming weekend that are cheaper than this past Memorial Day and last year’s Labor Day holiday,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “At the start of the week, two-thirds of all states have gas price averages that are nearly a quarter cheaper than last year.”

Want to learn more about how impac can help you reduce your fleet’s fuel spend? We would be happy to schedule time to meet with you and discuss a custom designed program specific to your company needs.

Telematics Solutions: When is it Time to Make the Switch?

January 31, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Data, Fleet, Fleet Fuel Cards, GPS System, impac, Solutions, Telematics

All fleet industry professionals know that telematics defines the future of all forms of transportation, including their fleets.

If a fleet company has not yet implemented telematics into their daily operations and their current fleet management system isn’t positivity transforming business, they may want to reconsider.

Here are a few signs that it may be time to switch to telematics solutions:

#1 Lack of integration. To optimize an operation’s integration efforts to be both efficient and competitive, there needs to be a cohesive element of all aspects of daily operations. The right telematics system will integrate seamlessly with existing fleet software and other productive solutions–allowing a business to achieve growth and success.

#2 Limited scalability. If a fleet business is not noticing continuous business growth, it may be time to implement a new data system. This solution will help address current business problems while promoting growth within the industry. To remain competitive in today’s market, fleets of every size can benefit from utilizing the features and options that telematics has to offer.

Choosing a new, innovative fleet solution may be the next step towards success as a digitally involved and competitive operation. These solutions can increase efficiency, productivity and market reputation while cutting costs.

Impac offers a comprehensive fleet fuel card program and GPS tracking and reporting system–creating a true turnkey solution for all types of fleets within the industry.

When you’re ready to make the switch, choose Impac. Contact our professionals today!

Safe, Distraction-Free Entertainment for Fleet Drivers on the Road

January 17, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Distraction Free, Entertainment, Fleet Drivers, Fleet Fuel Cards, Fleet Safety, GPS, impac

For fleet drivers riding solo when traveling, boredom can become a minor setback–eventually leading to drowsiness.

Because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suggests fatigue to be the cause of over 20,000 fleet accidents per year, it is important for fleet drivers to find safe and distraction-free methods to stay entertained and focused while on the road.

Apps

Smartphones provide limitless entertainment opportunities for drivers on the road, like Pandora or Spotify to listen to music. In addition, Voice Text Pro can be used to safety drive and text or write novels, and audio book apps can help drivers stay occupied while driving.

Collecting

Fleet drivers sometimes travel vast distances. When stopping to refuel or grab a bite to eat, pick up a small souvenir from each new location to remember each destination when traveling.

Exercise

According to the National Institute of Health, more than half of fleet drivers are obese. In order for drivers to maintain a healthy weight, staying active is important. Every time a driver stops for fuel or decides to pull over at a rest stop, hike a simple trail and conduct leg stretches to rejuvenate the body and mind.

Reflection

Many fleet drivers enjoy utilizing the solitude of driving for a time of self-reflection. Not only can drivers have ample time to reflect on their life, but it’s a great method to keep their minds occupied and help pass time.

There are many ways for drivers to stay entertained on the road while remaining distraction-free. To help fleet managers ensure their drivers are performing safe, compliant behavior, Impac offers a comprehensive fleet fuel card program and a robust GPS tracking and reporting system–aimed to optimize all fleet operations.

To learn more about how our systems can provide improved safety to your fleet, contact Impac today.

How Universal Fleet Cards Can Reduce Costs

January 11, 201900Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet, Fleet Fuel Card, Fuel, impac

Although there are many fleet fuel cards to choose from, universal cards offer many benefits for fleet businesses within the industry.

Price fuels vary by gas station. However, possessing the knowledge about which stations offer the best prices and directing drivers to fuel at those fuel locations can lower overall operational costs. Universal fleet cards offer minimal brand restriction–providing consistent savings by shopping across brands.

Universal fleet cards can save significant both driver and managers time. Cardholders can conveniently fuel anywhere, without having to expend time trying to search for a specific retailer. Therefore, it is important to evaluate discount networks and ensure fuel locations along driver routes.

By allowing drivers to fuel at the most competitively priced locations, universal fleet card programs can bring cost savings not typically found in other fleet card platforms that have limited or brand specific fuel options.

Impac offers easy-to-use universal fleet fuel cards that can be used at almost any retail site across the country. With 98% of all stations accepting our fleet cards, drivers can better focus on their main job while saving the company money.

Impac utilizes the industry’s most robust and user-friendly fleet management tools through a secure, web-based online portal. In addition, Impac’s fleet card program sends fleet managers automated instant alerts via texts or email that provide real-time insight of driver activity and behavior.

With universal fleet cards, the possibilities are endless. Contact Impac today.

To read more about our universal fleet cards, view our universal card page.

Are Fleet Fuel Cards Worth It?

December 14, 201800Articles, Company NewsTags: Business, Fleet, Fleet Fuel Cards, Fuel Cards, GPS, impac

Are fleet fuel cards worth it?

Within the fleet industry, each fleet company is unique in business efficiencies and operations. However, many are alike in the fact that the significant question at-hand is pondered at least a few times throughout the duration of business practices.

Both fleet fuel cards and bank-issued credit cards offer fleet managers the ability to track and set controls on their fuel expenses. But the similarities cease there.

Although tried and true, bank-issued credit cards do not offer the ability for fleet managers to distinguish an itemized list of purchased products from a location–allowing fleet drivers to abuse or misuse their cards for unauthorized purchases.

To avoid this, fleet managers could set their purchase controls to “island reader only”, which shuts out stations that do not offer pay-at-the-pump service. However, this results in a set of new problems and excludes drivers from making acceptable purchases.

On the other hand, fleet fuel cards provide a more in-depth range of transaction data, greater flexibility, and tighter controls than bank-issued credit cards.

These cards allow fleet managers to customize card controls on dollar-spend at the transaction level, including limits on daily and weekly dollar amount limits, fuel quantity, and time frame of purchase.

Fleet fuel cards provide instant alerts of suspicious behavior and easy-to-read reports for managers to wish to review their business expenses in full and take immediate action.

These cards are fuel specific, while bank-issued credit cards open up the fleet to any merchandise that may be available at a certain retail channel.A

Impac offers the most comprehensive tracking and reporting system in the industry through an innovative fleet fuel card program. Our flexible point of sale prompting, card level exception reporting, purchase control parameters and innovative reporting products allow fleet managers to manage their fuel programs with ease.

If you’re still unsure if fleet fuel cards are worth it for your fleet business, contact Impac today to speak with a professional. A

More Than Numbers: How to Effectively Use Telematics Data

December 6, 201800Articles, Company NewsTags: Fleet, Fuel Cards, GPS Sytems, impac, Telematics Data

More Than Numbers: How to Effectively Use Telematics Data-Impac Due to fluctuating fuel costs in the market today, fleet companies are constantly seeking innovative methods to reduce fuel expenses while improving overall business operations. Telematics data has become a popular way for fleet companies to improve and impact their bottom line.

Fleet telematics not only tracks and reports driver behaviors, but they can be a useful tool in identifying fuel efficiency opportunities within a business.

However, in some cases, the raw data alone may not enough to reveal issues or identify areas of improvement–thorough analysis of several influencing factors can uncover a fleet’s true fuel patterns. For the end user, efficient usage of the data will pay off.

Driving patterns. Although fleet managers use their data to primarily monitor and manage driver behavior, they should also be using it to improve fuel economy. Compiling this data will reveal which specific vehicles and drivers burn the most fuel.

Vehicle maintenance. Regular maintenance is an often underestimated way to improve fuel efficiency. Effectively used, fleet telematics can be set up to alert managers when certain maintenance needs to be performed to their trucks. More Than Numbers: How to Effectively Use Telematics Data-Impac

Staff involvement. To achieve vast efficiency, involving fleet staff with telematics analytics will address concerns and behaviors as a early as possible, which will encourage proactive resolution.

Best routes. With telematics, managers can see the real-time location of vehicles and drivers. Using this data allows managers to assign the most direct routes to the closest drivers–saving time and fuel.

There are a multitude of ways optimize telematics data, and if used effectively, can prove to promote sustainability within a fleet.

Impac offers the most comprehensive tracking and reporting system in the industry today through their fleet fuel card programs and GPS systems. At Impac, our fleet professionals strive to assist companies with effectively using their telematics data to promote continuous business growth and generate accelerating profits.

Defeat Fuel Theft: Fuel Cards & Tracking Systems

November 30, 201800Articles, Company NewsTags: Defeat, Fleet, Fuel, Fuel Cards, Fuel Theft, GPS Tracking, impac, Theft

Defeat Fuel Theft: Fuel Cards & Tracking Systems-Impac A rising and recurring issue with fleets has been fuel theft.

Fuel theft can cost fleet companies significant amounts of money. However, fleet companies can become educated and aware of the fuel theft efforts that may occur within their operations to prevent such costs.

The three components that fall under the fuel theft umbrella include misuse, slippage and theft; misuse is when employees use company resources for personal gain, like fueling a personal vehicle with the company’s money; slippage is when an employee uses company dollars to purchase non-fuel items, like food; and theft is perpetrated by a third-party and may include stolen or skimmed card data.

Although the three forms vary from company to company, all equate to overall fuel theft.

Regular monitoring of employee actions through enhanced technology have helped detect and eliminate situations of fraud for fleets.

Fleet fuel cards present fleet companies with an innovative and easy approach to identify unauthorized employee behavior. A fleet owner or operator has the ability to set customized restrictions unique to each driver–including types of purchases, how much money that can be spent per day and where drivers can make purchases.

Defeat Fuel Theft: Fuel Cards & Tracking Systems-Impac

Along with instantaneous alerts, fleet card systems provide detailed reports that outline the specifics of each purchase made by cardholders. Due to the accuracy and reliability of the system, the administrative task of matching and organizing reimbursement checks is therefore neglected–ultimately saving the company wasted time.

In addition to utilizing fuel cards to conquer fraud, GPS tracking and reporting systems can show real-time employee location and has the potential to reveal important information, like underperforming vehicles or poor habits of drivers. This information can be used to track down the employees who may be responsible for such behavior and alter the issue almost immediately.

Contact Impac for a comprehensive solution to fleet fuel theft through fleet fuel cards and GPS tracking and reporting systems.

Stay Proactive: Equipping Fleet Trucks for The Upcoming Winter Months

November 14, 201800Articles, Company NewsTags: Equipped, Fleet, Fleet Fuel Card, GPS, impac, Proactive, Seasons, Weather, Winter

Stay Proactive: Equipping Fleet Trucks for The Upcoming Winter Months- Impac As the weather changes throughout fall into winter, the hazardous conditions of the roads pose a greater risk for accidents. Because of this, it is important for fleet companies to remain proactive and ensure all of their trucks are properly equipped for complied performance.

1. Use winterized fuel. To avoid the refusal of trucks from starting when temperatures dip below zero, invest in seasonally-enhanced fuels will. These fuels will operate in below-freezing temperatures and may also increase horsepower and fuel economy up to five percent.

2. Replace filters. In the winter, water can turn to ice in fuel storage tanks and filtration systems–plugging filters during the first couple of cold fronts. To avoid damaged fuel pumps and startup issues, replace water-absorbing filters and regularly rain the water separator.

3. Perform maintenance. Before winter hits, replacing worn belts, hoses and brake pads can save money on costly repairs down the road. In addition, it is important to test the battery and clean all connections to eliminate the destruction of wearable components.

4. Check fluids. To ensure all engine oils are properly utilized, check and top off coolant, power steering, brake and windshield washer fluids. For easier cold cranking and truck startup, refer to the owner’s manual for manufacturer cold-weather viscosity recommendations. Stay Proactive: Equipping Fleet Trucks for The Upcoming Winter Months- Impac

5. Ensure appropriate tires are used. Depending on the type of perception present, special tires may be required during winter months. In addition, a drop in ambient temperatures can drop a tire’s air pressure significantly. Perform regular pressure checks on every tire for all trucks to ensure consistent appropriate levels.

6. Check the truck’s interior. During the winter months, fleet drivers need to be safe. For optimal safety and comfort, check heater and defroster operation and equip every truck with an emergency kit containing water, road flares, a fire extinguisher, reflective triangles and jumper cables.

To sustain optimal safety and cost savings this winter season, contact Impac to learn about our fleet fuel card programs and GPS tracking and reporting systems.