Using fixed fuel cards on motorways could cut bills
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By Joanna Bourke OPERATORS SHOULD use fixed fuel cards and stick to motorways if journeys are to be shortened and annual fuel bills cut by up to .£1 ,000, says research by The Fuelcard People.
Commissioned by parent company Fuel Card Services, the study claims that operators are losing money as drivers go off the motorway searching for cheaper diesel.
According to the study, which looked at fuel, time and depreciation costs, an artic could be increasing annual bills by £1,000 as drivers switch from the motorway to trunk roads hunting for better fuel deals. In the same way, 7.5-tonne lorries are adding £630 to yearly costs.
The Fuelcard People chief operation officer Ben Jordan says: "The figures show an alarming lack of understanding of the cumulative costs of making even a small deviation off-route."
General manager Steve Clarke proposes that weekly fixed-price fuel cards are a more practical option. -This will give a fixed rate on the motorway. Everyone is given a account manager. We deal with small, medium and a few larger companies. It is a big perk that drivers don't have to come off the motorway."
The cards recommended include BP Plus and Shell CRT, and function by using a fixed weekly price, which offers discounted diesel at a variety of service stations on the motorway network.