owner operator with own icc authority, whom can i apply with to get a fuel card with. how does one go about applying for one.

 

If you are a member of OOIDA, you can apply to Truckersadvantage. It is part of Fleet One.

 

You can also consider the option of using checks.

If you sign up with Natso Check Link, most truck stops will take your check- but I warn you, sometimes it takes an act of congress and I often get told that my check has the numbers backwards. It's $30 or $35/ year for Check Link. Pilot, TA, Petro all honor check link. Not the TA at Ontario West, though.

You can also sign up with Flying J to have them take your checks- they don't use Check Link. They sign you up for free.

It's a cash transaction, so you pay cash price at the pump. And there's no transaction fee - other than the Natso $30/year.

Both Flying J and Natso will allow you to sign up with multiple checking accounts- and Natso doesn't charge extra for multiple accounts as long as they're YOUR accounts. So, if you have a line of credit, you can use that account in a pinch. Not that I suggest buying fuel on credit- but this IS trucking after all. And sometimes things happen.

For Flying J check writing, Click Here

For NATSO Check Link, Click Here

 

Also, think about a card with cash rebates. My card gives me 5% back on fuel, cell phone, & office supplys. American Express Open for Business. No limit on how much cash back you can earn.

 

Out where you are, you may not run into the 5 cpg they charge extra for credit purchases. We use the Visa at the Vince Lombardi or New England Truck Stop where they don't charge extra.

But at Flying J, Pilot, Petro and most truck stops I know of, they do charge.

If you buy 200 gallons of diesel at say $2.60/gallon cash price which is $2.659/gallon credit, you're paying $10 more for your diesel. Your 5% cash back earns you about $26 so I guess that's the way to go. But only if you have the self control/discipline to pay that off. Otherwise, the interest you end up paying in the long run makes the 5% cash back a bad choice!

That's the Dave Ramsey in me coming out!

Unless you're using a debit card direct from your checking account. I know some Visa debits have rewards programs.

 

I agree on paying it. It's all in the budget. Instead of coming out of business checking it gets charged to Amex, then right after the charge shows up you pay it online. Then deduct from checking. It's almost like using your checking account, with one extra step.

 

You can get most any of the cards if you want to fund it in advance. TCH, Comdata, Fleet One, T-Check will all set you up to use their cards. You will need to make a deposit into the account much like a checking account. There may minimum amounts of money you will need to deposit to get the account open. The card company can take money through a debit from your checking or savings accounts or you may be able to make weekly or even daily deposits or transfers to fund the account. They also have a credit program where they will give you a weekly credit limit. They will automatically deduct any charges from your bank account on a certain day each week. There are fees with most fuel cards when you use them. Your best bet may be a PDCA card from Flying J. Although it is a debit card, you can use it anywhere MasterCard is accepted just like a credit card. When you use it to make fuel purchases at Flying J you get the cash price. You can make a deposit in minutes with a gift card at any Flying J. You can also fund it with an express code from any of the major fuel card companies, such as Comdata.

 

Just curious- and I know it's not on topic but I think this thread has good information in it so it's worth bringing back to the front- does anyone else write checks?

I never see anyone doing it. For the small fee from Natso ($35/year) and NO fee from Flying J, I find it very convenient.

I haven't used a fuel card in years. We did used to get a discount when we had one with a company we leased to a few years ago- but only if other drivers from the company (O/O or company) also fueled at the same truck stop on the same day. Not just any TA... that particular TA. So, other than defering the payment for a while, I never really saw the use in fuel cards.

 

Some fuel cards offer a cash discount if you fuel at certain fuel stops. The Truckers Advantage Card (fleet one) offers cash discounts at many truck stops when you use their card. I have gotten up to $0.20/gallon at one stop. Most are only about $0.02/gallon, but it all adds up at the end of the year. With Truckers Advantage, there are no transaction fees. Most have a transaction fee attached. It is sometimes more convenient to use a fuel card rather than a check. I rarely see anyone using checks at the truck stops. Cash is always better. The important thing is to avoid any transaction fees, when possible.

 

I take it that the discounts you get (when you add it all up at the end of the year...) are more than the transaction fees you pay?

I write checks- sometimes it's a pain (Pilot truck stops- ugh- I've had to walk the cashier through the Natso process...), sometimes it's easy- Flying J- easy as pie.

But I never see anyone else do it.