How do fleet fuel services work?

[y_p_w]

I've heard about how taxi, municipal, other fleet vehicles are fueled with a fleet program. I've seen dedicated fleet gas stations with bare bones setups, like no roof over the pumps and no retail sale. I've also seen this Valero station that seemed to have prices a dollar a gallon higher than any nearby gas station, but was frequented by city vehicles and taxis. I figured it must have been part of some fleet refueling system because no commercial driver would be that crazy to spend extra.

So how do these things work? I'd assume that at retail stations a fleet card probably gets fuel at less than the retail price.

 

[E150GT]

Im sure theyre independent fuel stations that just accept a commercial fleet card like fuel man. I think they are popular because big trucks can get in a fuel up without having to wait for the guy in his corolla that parks at the diesel pump and runs in to buy a big gulp. The drivers like it because they can be sure the fuel station accepts their card and they wont have to pay out of pocket.

 

[Danno]

I purchase about 5 million gallons of fuel per year for our Fleet.
Retail
The station can offer their own card or will accept a fleet card such as ARI. Backend discounts passed along on billing, discounts about 10 to 15 cents a gallon.
Cardlock
Typically proprietary setup, price calculated on rack price, plus taxes, plus delivery, less discount.
Bulk onsite
Same pricing structure as cardlock, but deeper discount.
Onsite wet hosing.
Think retail plus much more for the service.
Hope this helps.

 

[E150GT]

Originally Posted By: Danno
I purchase about 5 million gallons of fuel per year for our Fleet.


Thats a lot of fuel.

 

[Garak]

In addition to what Danno mentioned, up here, government organizations, too, will have one or more setups, including their own pumps where feasible, and sticking to a cardlock with a negotiated price (and/or whatever tax benefits the government has given itself) elsewhere.

Some fleet cards, notably ARI, can be a bit of a nightmare to deal with from a retailer perspective, and they often get more than their fair share from their clients, too. At one point, at least, some government agencies here insisted upon ARI being used only when absolutely necessary due to this. ARI, while providing great detail and loads of information to fleet customers, still has a clearing and settlement system straight out of 1978, with a very marginal nod to modern times. They must be the only organization left in the western world that still has any use for a card imprinter.