A Windecker Inc. CFN account allows you to set profiles for your individual drivers, departments or your entire fleet. Set up fueling times, gallonage limits and product controls will help you manage fuel consumption.
Why CFN?
CFN’s industry-leading controls help fleet managers prevent unauthorized use by drivers, but it can be difficult to determine which controls to enact. We’ve summarized the best practices of each control so you can make the right decisions for your fleet. To ensure your team understands these restrictions, we recommend outlining them in your driver fueling policy as well.
Setting up individual PIN numbers for each driver is one of the biggest benefits of CFN cards. Every company should be utilizing this technology and controls. Upon setting up your program, each driver will be able to select a 5-digit PIN that will be unique to them. We do not recommend birthdays and special dates or any other easily-identifiable numbers to prevent others from using their PIN.
Choose between driver and vehicle cards when setting up your program. Individuals can be issued a card with their own unique PIN to make purchases. Vehicle cards work with a pool of driver PIN numbers where each drover will have their own PIN that will work with every vehicle card.
When setting up your program, you will have the option of choosing between driver and vehicle cards. Driver cards are issued to a single individual, and they have to enter their unique PIN to make purchases. Vehicle cards work with a pool of Driver PIN numbers. Each driver will have their own PIN that will work with every vehicle card. Both options provide accountability for your employees, ensuring that they are not purchasing more than necessary. The main determinant in picking the right type of card is whether your drivers switch vehicles. If vehicles are shared between drivers, a vehicle card is the best option for your business.
Product Limits
CFN cards have the ability to limit by product and provide multiple protections for your fleet. i.e if your vehicles only run on diesel, there is a “diesel-only” restriction that can make it more difficult for employees to steal fuel for their personal vehicles. This restriction can also prevent an employee from accidentally filling up with the wrong fuel type, which can cause extensive damage to your engines. Preventing drivers from accidentally purchasing premium fuel can also help save you extra costs employees may incur by accidentally purchasing premium fuel.
Product controls are a great option, however, they only work at CFN cardlock sites. Retail gas stations have multi-product dispensers, meaning there is no way to control which fuel the driver selects. For complete product control, you may want to restrict usage to CFN sites, which we explore below.
Transactions Per Day
As a manager, it is easy to determine how many times a day your drivers need to fill up. Enacting transactions per day controls are an easy way to prevent employee misuse, though managers should be mindful of complications at the pump when setting this limit. Occasionally a faulty pump may cut off the fueling part way, leading to a frantic call from a driver when their card won’t work due to the transactions per day limit. That’s why we recommend allowing for one extra fueling than expected. This is the perfect balance of convenience and security!
Gallons Per Transaction
The fluctuation in prices may cause issues when limiting by dollar amount per transaction. This can lead to a mismatch between the transaction limit and the fuel tank capacity. You may be exposed to additional risk is you prevent drivers from filling your vehicles completely or having too high of a limit. Limiting by gallons provides a precise limit to every transaction that is independent of gas prices. Researching the specs for each vehicle should be done to set maximums.
Gallons Per Day, Week, or Month
To prevent theft or overuse, managers can restrict by the number of gallons per day, week, or month. These amounts can be adjusted throughout the year to coincide with peak seasons while still protecting your company from unauthorized use. Managers can determine what limits to set by examining previous invoices or reports to determine their average use for each period. We recommend setting the number slightly higher than the average to give your drivers the flexibility they need to operate efficiently.
Managers can restrict by the number of gallons per day, week, or month. The amounts can be adjusted to coincide with peak seasons while protecting your company from unauthorized use. Examining previous invoices or reports to determine their average use for each period can help when determining and setting limits. Setting numbers slightly higher than average can give your drivers the flexibility they need to operate efficiently.
Day of Week
If your fleet operates on a set schedule this is a fantastic option. Eliminate weekend transactions, pick designated fueling days, and more. When enacting these controls, make sure there is no reason for drivers to be working outside of restricted days. For instance, if your driver typically only works Monday through Thursday and a situation arose that might require them to work on Friday or over the weekend. If there was a situation like that you would need to leave those days open as well. However, you can set alerts to notify you when weekend fueling occurs. If these exceptions are unlikely, restricting by day of week is just another way to secure your fuel card program.
Time of Day
Eliminating fueling after hours might be helpful for businesses that operate on set schedules. To restrict purchasing after hours limit the time of day they can order. If there was a special situation that you must leave the card open for, then create alerts for those times. For instance, your drivers typically work 7am to 4pm, but occasionally someone may need to work late. You could set the time of day allowed to 7am to 11pm and an alert for any fueling between 4pm and 11pm.
Limiting to CFN Cardlock Sites
Even though some retail sites accept CFN cards, they do not have the technology to enforce product controls, unfortunately. It may be best to lock out retail sites entirely to ensure that your drivers remain compliant with your policies. Fleet managers can assess the region to determine if this is the right decision. If drivers have access to ample CFN sites, managers can restrict retail sites without worrying about access. If drivers often find themselves out of range, it may be best to allow retail sites as an option.
Locking Out Retail Sites
Drivers have the option to fuel at 55,000 CFN gas stations and truck stops. One of the best benefits is access to discounts in regions where these sites are plentiful. Locking out retail locations ensures you always get the discounted pricing. Unless your drivers travel to areas where there are not enough CFN sites, you may need to access the additional retail sites.
It is easy to determine how many times a day your drivers need to fill up. Implementing transactions per day controls are an effortless way to prevent employee misuse, through managers should be mindful of complications at the pump when setting limits. On occasion a faulty pump may cut off the fueling part way, which may lead to a frantic call from a driver when their car does not work due to the transactions per day limit. We recommend allowing for one extra fueling for convenience and security!
Emailed Invoices
Opt to receive your invoices by email so you can review them as soon as possible and to monitor your activity. This is the best way to monitor suspicious behavior or charges that need to be confirmed. Check your invoices consistently because most vendors have a time limit to report any fraudulent charges.
Email Alerts
If you believe that certain purchase controls may impede your business, you can create alerts instead. Alerts can be created for all of the controls listed, and they will still allow the transaction to process. You will receive an email alert with the details of the purchase which then allows you to follow up with the driver to verify the purchase and remind them of your fueling policy.
E-Receipts
You may want instant notifications for all transactions if you manage a small to mid-sized fleet. This allows for the utmost control of your fleet, however, it may be overwhelming for companies with dozens of vehicles in use.
Since 1993, Windecker Fuel Services CFN fueling program has provided fuel management solutions of fleets of all sizes helping commercial fleets improve fuel purchasing strategies control fleet expenses and streamline expense reporting. The reporting solutions we provide help accounting departments to streamline expense reconciliation, including fuel costing, IFTA, fuel tax refunds and owner-op deductions. CFN offers the most advanced controls and more than 50,000 sites including card-locks for control, retail for convenience and truck stops for over the road. We provide you a fueling program tailored to your fleet’s requirements including an unrivaled diesel network, best in class security controls, 24/7 access to fueling locations and account management, along with a single detailed invoice for optimum fuel management. Our goal is to use our industry expertise to create smarter solutions that simplify the daily management of your fleet expenses and support the evolving needs of our customers.
