If your business uses any type of transportation, then you might also be consuming fuel. It could be transportation for skies, lands, and seas. Fuel management software is an application that will help you monitor your fleet’s fuel consumption. With this tool, you will also be able to control and manage the fuel that your employees will use thus maintaining within a reasonable budget.
Because this tool can help business owners save a lot of money, there is a lot of software available in the market. There are some that comes at a low price while there are others that are excessively priced. The price of the software does not guarantee that it’s a good software. So here are some tips and guides you can use to pick the best software for fuel management.
What Will You Use the Software for?
Before you can go on looking for the best fuel management software, you have to be clear first on what exactly you will use it for. This is because there are different types of fuel management software, and it might be expensive if you already got a software and it turns out it is not what you need. Here are some of the types of fuel management software:
- Card-based. This is when the fuel transactions are tracked through the use of their credit card. There is also a PIN given to the driver that they will use so their credit card transactions can be tracked. The software will then generate a report for every driver for the company management.
- On-site. This is the type of fuel management where fuel tanks are provided for the drivers. These tanks are stationed in specific sites. The fuel pumped into the vehicles is tracked using the software. The fuel tanks are also monitored and managed.
- Total management system. This is a combination of the two types mentioned above. The drivers can use their credit cards to get fuel but on-site fuel tanks are also available for refueling.
Other than the type of software, you should also enumerate what you expect of the software. Are you getting one for simple tracking of fuel consumption? Or do you want more advanced features like vehicle tracking? These are the requirements that you should think of before you start approaching software providers. Additionally, you should already have a budget prepared so that you could tell the software company how much you have to spend. If you do not have a budget prepared, they might think you are operating with a bottomless pocket and might charge you more than what is right. You can check out reviews of fuel management software to know how much the ongoing rate is for this type of software.
What Features Will You Need?
Different service providers offer different features. Most of the time, the more features a software offers, the higher its price. That is why you should only get features that you will really need and use. Don’t be blinded by the additional features some companies offer because that might blow up your monthly fees or subscription rates. Here are some of the most important features that should be present in your fleet and fuel management system:
- Automated data collection. There are information, like fuel consumption, that the fuel management software will need to gather. Pick a software that can gather this information automatically and will not require the drivers to enter their data manually. This will also lessen the possibility of human error if things are done automatically. There are still software providers that offer manual entry to the system. It would be better to pick an automated software.
- Maintenance scheduling. The vehicles and transport systems that your drivers use need regular maintenance to make sure that they are safe when used and they last for a long time. Pick a software that has a scheduling feature, so you will know when one vehicle is due for maintenance. This will also prevent scheduling conflicts that might happen if maintenance is not scheduled properly.
- Vehicle diagnostics. This is a smart feature and it should be present when you choose a management software. This feature can remotely diagnose your vehicles and help monitor them. The mileage and other information can be gathered by the software even if the vehicle is in use and not in the near vicinity of the software. Not all software will offer this, so read fuel management software reviews to know which software has this feature.
- Monitoring for driver behavior. This is a safety feature that should be present in your management software. This will tell if your drivers are following traffic rules and regulations, especially speed limits. This will ensure that your drivers and their vehicles are safe when they go out to travel.
- Fuel management. This is the most important and what you are paying the software for. This feature will monitor and keep track of the fuel consumption of your drivers. It will help your company manage the amount of fuel you consume. This will also help with budgeting constraints since you can put a limit on the fuel that your drivers can consume. Read reviews on fuel management to know which companies offer this best feature.
- Easy exportation of data. If ever you plan to transfer from one management software to another, be sure that your data will be easily exported. There is software that allows this, so pick one of that software.
Price and Hidden Costs
According to Expert Market, an entry level fuel management system can be bought at $100 and then a monthly fee of about $18. For software with more advanced features, the price could be higher. If you do not need a more sophisticated software then you can just stick with the entry level software.
One more thing that you have to look into when selecting a fuel management system is the possible presence of hidden fees. These are fees that are not declared when a company advertises a product. You will just be surprised that you have additional fees to pay when your monthly bill comes. Because they are hidden, you wouldn’t know about them until you have to pay for them. It would be helpful to read fuel management software reviews so you can have an idea if a company has hidden fees. Reviewers usually mention these types of things in their reviews.
Free Trial
If you have researched a lot of software companies and have come up with a top 10 or 15, the final step you could do to pick the best is to try the software. Those that do not offer free trials should already be cut out of your list. With the free trial you will get to experience the real application, granted there might be features that won’t be available but at least you will get a feel for how to use the software. Here are some things that you should look into when using the free trial.
- Ease of use. When you use the free trial, try to see how easy it is to use. Is the interface easily understandable? Are the buttons and options with descriptions in case you have no idea how they are used? Is there a lag time when you are using the software? Overall, rate the ease of use of the software and compare it to the other software on your top list.
- Did you notice any bugs in the system? Are there inconsistencies, and are all the data that is in the database accurate?
Customer Support
Another thing you could look into when choosing a software is the company’s customer support. If you are new to this system you might have a lot of questions. There are also things that you might not understand with the software. There is no one you could go to for help except the software provider. This is why it is important that they have an available customer support. They should have a 24/7 customer hotline available because some of your drivers might work at night and the software still has to work during that night. You might encounter problems at all hours, so it is important that you have a number you can call in case something happens.
Make a list of the things mentioned above and make comparisons of the top companies that you have compiled. You could make a score for each category mentioned above and then total them. Then read reviews for fuel management software to get an idea of what others are saying about that particular application.
One criterion that you could use when choosing a software is if the company provides free training. Not all companies will provide this so it’s a good sign if a particular company will offer it. Companies who offer free training will be able to tell a more detailed and comprehensive information about their software. If you or your employees have questions, they will be able to answer it immediately.
Looking for a fuel management software? Check out CrowdReviews.com for rankings and reviews by other users.
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