{"id":2220,"date":"2019-12-31T19:01:51","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T19:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=2220"},"modified":"2019-12-31T19:02:37","modified_gmt":"2019-12-31T19:02:37","slug":"a-fuel-card-and-enforcement-discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/a-fuel-card-and-enforcement-discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fuel Card and Enforcement Discussion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are two things that routinely rank in the top of things trucking companies think about. One is safety and enforcement and the other is fuel costs. Yet, is there more your fleet can do? Sure, there is. There could be better ways to manage a fuel program or more emphasis on recognizing what to expect from enforcement. Let\u2019s dig a little deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Should You Use a Fuel Card?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can fuel card data be used to make smarter business\ndecisions? One major benefit of fuel cards for small business owners is their\neffectiveness at capturing an array of data, such as vehicle mileage, how much\nfuel was used in each vehicle, and whether vehicles need to be serviced or\nrepaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact is this: Small businesses can better track, control\nand forecast expenses by monitoring the data associated with each transaction.\nBy monitoring this data, small business owners can get ahead of problems before\nthey arise and by doing so, minimize costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology can go a long way to helping business owners\nreduce their fuel spending. If you think about it, fuel card programs typically\nhave an online program management administration system whereby business owners\ncan view dashboards and pull customizable reports. There are highly\ntechnological ways to be involved with your fuel card program. And if you\noutsource, make sure you use a vendor who can offer you unique features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some fuel cards also offer telematics, which can provide\nimpressive tracking and control over vehicles. For example, a small business\nowner could monitor a driver’s odometer reading to make sure they’re abiding by\nthe speed limit \u2014 not just for safety reasons, but to help hold the line on\nfuel costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can fuel card data be used to provide better\nsecurity? Fraud remains a concern for plenty of small business owners, and fuel\ncards can help minimize these concerns. Fuel cards are safer than cash, both\nfrom an internal-abuse standpoint and for external loss coverage. Plus, with\ncentralized billing, fuel cards can provide far more control over the business.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When fleets give them to their truck drivers, they can set\nusage for fuel use only. By collecting and making sense of fuel card data,\nsmall business owners \u2014 no matter the size of their fleet \u2014 can solve major\npressing issues, boost operational efficiency, protect their business, and\ncreate more effective business models for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Closer Look at Enforcement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nationwide, law enforcement officers are being trained on\nhow to identify different violations during a roadside inspection. Armed with a\ngeneral understanding of the most typical violations officers are looking for,\nyou can stay on the right side of the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, live by the cardinal rule. Always know what is going\non with your equipment. As simple as it may seem, be very specific when\nanswering whether you are on AOBRD or ELD. While both may, in a technical\nsense, be electronic logging devices, when it comes to inspection criteria, it\nis imperative to start out on the right foot with the officer. AOBRDs are\nsubject to less stringent regulations than ELDs; keep it as simple as possible\nfor the best result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common confusions at roadside right now is a\ndriver indicating they \u201chave an ELD device,\u201d when they are actually operating\nAOBRD device that is compliant due to the grandfather clause. If you are on\nAOBRD, be very clear from the start to avoid being inspected incorrectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, always make sure that your ELD is on display. It must\nbe visible. During an inspection an officer will first check if the ELD\u2019s\ndisplay screen is properly visible from outside the vehicle, as well as mounted\nto a fixed position. If the officer cannot see the screen without entering the\nvehicle or it appears to be in a position not visible to the driver, they may\nissue a violation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should also have any necessary paperwork on you. Every\ntime a driver hits the road it is essential to carry proper documentation,\nspecifically an ELD user manual, instructions on how to perform the data\ntransfer and how to manage malfunctions. Not knowing how to perform a data\ntransfer electronically could result in a citation being given. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truck drivers should know if their device is FMCSA self-certified and on the ELD registry. Additionally, drivers must always carry and be able to produce a supply of blank driver\u2019s records-of-duty status graph grids. Not having these items is an easy inspection item for violation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cooperation and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officers will request access to a driver\u2019s communication\nrecords, as well as driving logs to be transferred either through the\ntelematics or local method on an ELD device. A violation occurs if a driver\nrefuses to provide supporting documents upon request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once an officer obtains the ELD records they will check the\nhours-of-service log. If unassigned driving miles belonging to the driver are\nuncovered and a driver fails to accept the unassigned driving, they may be\nplaced out of service for attempting to conceal hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way for a truck driver to be cited is by\nneglecting to follow the basic ELD requirements. To avoid a citation a driver\nshould always: <\/p>\n\n\n\n