Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/95199
technology in focus: FUEL PURCHASE CONTROLS Fuel on lockdown suspicions mostly are aimed at drivers attempting to use company fuel cards to purchase fuel for someone else. PIN numbers, daily purchase limits, W limited fuel locations and other security measures can be thwarted by a driver who keeps the pump active while another driver pulls up to the pump. Managing fuel cards also is an adminis- trative burden. Several years ago, two companies found a way to use technol- ogy to boost the security and efficiency of fueling at truckstops. These systems require that the proper vehicle be at the pump to authorize a fuel transaction. The Z-Con and QuikQ systems now are available at hundreds of truckstops nationwide. However, the growth of high-tech fueling systems has not detracted from the number of fleets using card-based purchasing systems. Recent acquisi- tions of companies that provide fuel cards and electronic payment systems show that the demand and growth op- portunity remains strong. hen fuel expenses rise, fleet owners naturally grow sus- picious of fuel theft. Their High-tech fueling systems minimize the risk of truckstop fuel theft BY AARON HUFF The Z-Con system, now available at hundreds of truckstops nation- wide, requires that the proper vehicle be at the pump to authorize a fuel transaction. High-tech fueling Electronic Funds Source has com- pleted installation of the Z-Con fuel purchase security system at all Pilot Flying J locations in the United States and Canada. The system combines ultrasonic and infrared technologies with vehicle telematics to authorize fuel transactions. Z-Con is offered for a small upfront cost and a monthly fee per truck and comes with a variety of products and options. While the base model is used for cardless fuel transactions, additional functionality can be added to capture information such as engine idle time, fuel tank levels prior to and after fueling, and odometer readings to calculate accurate fuel consumption and mpg. Z-Con customers also can use satellite tracking to monitor drivers' routes. Fleets that use Z-Con will continue to use the EFS fuel card for cash ad- vances and nonfuel transactions, and to purchase fuel at locations that are not equipped with Z-Con. Comdata sold its SmartQ RFID cardless fueling system to Love's Truck Stops and TA Travel Centers. Loves is further along in having the system 36 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2012 installed since they began before TA. "So far, it has worked as planned, and we continue to add fleets and transac- tions," says Randy Morgan, Comdata's executive vice president of corporate payments. While SmartQ was developed by QuikQ and is available to other fuel payment vendors, Comdata and Qui- kQ's DFConnect products currently are the only fuel payment methods using it. SmartQ uses a low-cost RFID tag placed in the vehicle. The software and RFID equipment are designed to de- tect a truck's RFID tags in the fueling lane and turn on dispensers wirelessly with little or no driver data input. Pumps are turned off automatically by RFID software after the truck leaves the fueling bay. Cardless fueling also has arrived for alternative fuels. Nopetro, a Florida- based provider of compressed and liquefied natural gas, recently opened a public fueling facility in Tallahassee, Fla., and has plans to open 15 more in the next three years. In addition to card readers, the Nopetro sites will have wireless op- tions for fueling, such as a vehicle tag, proximity key card or a transponder connected to the onboard vehicle computer. It also offers an online fuel management system adjustable to each fleet customer's needs. The house of cards Fleet cards have more value to fleets and cardholders than simply purchas- ing fuel. Fleet card programs are used The demand and growth opportunity for card-based purchasing systems remains strong.