Becoming a fleet manager involves a lot of responsibility, and it’s not as easy to manage trucking employees as it seems. Whether your business operates only one vehicle or has a large fleet, you need various programs and tools to help you manage your vehicles and their expenses, cut down expenses, and improve efficiency. Here is where Bird Fuels Cardlock comes into play.
One of the most valuable tools for managing fleets is cardlock. Such systems are known by other names as well, such as fuel credit cards, fleet cards, and fuel cards. It can be best understood as a business credit card that provides more perks. With a Bird Fuels cardlock, fleet owners can not only streamline their business processes cost-effectively and conveniently, but they can also revolutionize their business. With cardlock, managers and owners can better control expenditures, track employee fuel usage. Apart from all the cost-savings that come with cardlock, you can also expect various other benefits that can help you take your company ahead of the competition.
Today’s economy has made it imperative for businesses to cut expenses and improve efficiency, but they also want convenience and reliable service. With our cardlock, you can get constant access to fuel for your vehicles along with top-notch equipment at a competitive price.
What is a Bird Fuels Cardlock?
A cardlock is a term that describes a dispensing pump that works when you insert a coded card. They are quite common in commercial installations, like fuelling facilities owned by taxicab companies. Each driver is given a coded card that activates the pump. This way, refuelling doesn’t involve any transactions. Instead, the driver only has to insert the specially coded card.
The cardlock doesn’t only record how much fuel is dispensed, but it can also enter information in the database that can be printed out later to identify the driver. You can also get to know other information with the cardlock system.
Cardlock Benefits
As mentioned earlier, a cardlock system comes with a number of benefits. These include:
1. Helps to save drivers time
More often than not, commercial fleet drivers have tight schedules, and even a few wasted minutes can be quite costly for your company. Wasted time not only frustrates drivers, but it also affects your workflow, disrupts schedules, can even lead to a loss. However, with a cardlock, your drivers can expect faster fuelling times along with greater efficiency.
2. No long lines to deal with
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of having a cardlock system is that drivers won’t have to stand in long lines at a commercial fuelling station, waiting for their turn. Drivers can just quickly locate the service stations and fuel their vehicles without waiting around.
3. Saves money
A fleet management survey shows that 23% of trucking fleet companies state fuelling costs as one of the biggest challenges. Fleet companies have many employees that they need to track, schedule, and manage. However, most such companies find themselves stuck when it comes to their expenditures, particularly when they don’t have a reliable way of tracking how and where their employees are spending the company’s money. Fleet cards, however, can change how a company tracks its monthly and yearly budgets.
With cardlock systems, managers can determine the expenses allowed on the card. In other words, they can regulate employees’ spending. Similarly, owners can set up their cards such that they restrict frivolous purchases like pop, gum, and candy bars and only allow purchasing fuel.
4. Inculcates accountability
With cardlock, you can ensure accountability in your employees. Instead of giving unrestricted credit cards and cash to drivers, you can get peace of mind. It also lets you authorize purchases needed only for your employees to go from point A to B.
5. Allows to efficiently manage the fleet
Regardless of the niche, efficiency is the top priority for a business. As a fleet manager, you know effective productivity can only come from careful planning. Cardlock makes it easier to coordinate trucking routes. These systems include digital tracking, making it easier to review the general trends in the workers’ data.
You can highlight routes with fuel stops. This would, in turn, streamline your employees’ daily routine. Plus, location mapping allows you to review all your drivers’ schedules and then coordinate the fuel stops that are more efficient and cost-effective for your business.
6. Ideal locations
Cardlock is accepted across Canada, regardless of where your drivers are traveling. In addition, cardlock fuelling sites are open 24 hours throughout the year, so you can leverage your cardlock benefits at any time.
Plus, cardlock locations are generally not only more accessible, but they are also more accessible than traditional fuelling stations. Drivers get sufficient space to maneuver their commercial vehicle and fuel it up easily.
7. Control fleet purchases
Apart from restricting purchases on things like pop and candy, fleet managers can also customize cardlock options to restrict the kind of fuel that can be bought with the card. For instance, if your fleet uses only diesel, then you can restrict other types of fuel. The ability to select product types allows owners and managers to minimize expenditures and buy only what’s necessary.
Managers can also control the time and day when workers can use the card. For instance, if your drivers only work on weekdays from 9 to 5, you can set restrictions, so the card is only usable within the time frame. This adds additional security and gives owners and managers peace of mind. It also assures them that the card won’t be used outside of work times.
8. Options for customization
Cardlock is customizable, and the statement can be divided according to what you prefer. For instance, the statement can be divided by card number, time, location, taxes, etc. For vehicle tracking, the statement can be divided by odometer data, which is recorded at the time of fuelling and then tracked throughout the shift.
9. Reduces chances of theft
Apart from personalized restrictions like fuelling options, date, and time, a cardlock system can also help you catch suspicious activities and even theft. When it comes to cash or company credit cards, there’s always the chance of drivers unlawfully taking these items or pedestrians stealing them and using them for their personal purchase. However, with constant monitoring, fleet managers can be informed of suspicious activity instantly. This way, company theft can be completely avoided.
10. Makes expense tracking easy
Like the benefits listed above show, cardlock nearly eliminates the hassle of fleet expense tracking. In addition to that, it can help companies go entirely paperless. With online data management, companies can monitor and track expenditures and identify places of unusual spending.
Paperless billing also allows you to stay on top of the daily activities without printing out documents. This consolidated billing platform will not only save time, but it will also allow you to become eco-friendly.
Why choose Bird Fuels Cardlock for your business?
Opting for Bird Fuels Cardlock for your commercial fleet comes with a lot of benefits. These include:
- It makes bookkeeping easy as the harmonized sales tax (HST) is conveniently mentioned separately on the statements.
- All the statements can be divided by cardlock location where the fuel was purchased, the amount of fuel, card number, time, type of fuel, odometer, unit price, and taxes.
- All access cards come with their own pin numbers. Cards can also be activated or cancelled at any time.
- You can get receipts after every transaction.
Bird Fuels Cardlock Locations
Bird Fuels has five conveniently located, well-maintained, and clean automated cardlock systems. Bird Fuels Cardlock locations include Collingwood, Orangeville, Owen Sound, Shelburne and Stayner.
Bird Fuels Cardlock is safely lit and promises 24-hour access. In addition to that, it provides individual driver-issued access cards. So, whether you have a big fleet or a small one, you can definitely benefit from our cardlock system and take your business to new heights! To learn more about cardlock and get one for your fleet, too, visit https://birdfuels.ca/cardlock/
