Tag Archive for: automation

Everything you need to know about fuel tax refunds

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In 1933, the federal gasoline excise tax was implemented and taxed each gallon of gas at one cent. Current federal gasoline rates in May 2019 have escalated to 24.4 cents for each gallon of diesel and 18.4 cents per gallon of gas.

These tax refunds can reduce fuel costs, but still a lot of companies lose a lot of money each year by not accurately filing for fuel tax refunds.

When you purchase gasoline or diesel fuel, the federal government isn’t the only one taking a cut. You’ll also be taxed on gasoline by your state. Each state has its discretion as to the gallon rate of fuel you buy. States such as Pennsylvania, California, and Washington are at the highest level. Their tax rates range from 49.5 cents per gallon to 58.7 cents per gallon. States like Alaska, Virginia, and Missouri are at the low level with a range of 8.9 cents per gallon to 17.3 cents per gallon.

It would be impractical to set up separate gas stations and fuel depots all over the country to sell different taxed and untaxed fuels, so the government essentially taxes all fuels with a few exceptions, then allows credits for nontaxable uses. 

In most states and for the federal government, motor fuel excise taxes are collected and designated for highway and road construction and maintenance. Fleets using fuel for powering vehicles and equipment at off-road applications may qualify for federal and state-level refunds. 

Link2Pump can easily track and reconcile all information needed for filing fuel tax refund claims with a one-click report. It is really easy to save money with our service. 

The best part is that facilitating the tax refunds process is part of our service and you don’t pay anything extra for it. 

So with Link2Pump you automate your managing process, you have up to 25% fuel saving, plus 10 hours in time savings and also fuel tax refunds made easy.

If you want to learn more about our solution and are looking for alternatives to improve bottom line and productivity, please, get in touch.

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What to expect at World of Concrete 2021

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World of Concrete has been serving the global concrete & masonry construction industries for 46 years. The event connects and educates buyers and sellers through live and digital events throughout the year. 

The face-to-face event normally takes place every January or February in Las Vegas. This year the World of Concrete Las Vegas was rescheduled to take place on June 8 – 10. 

“Moving the event from winter to late spring in 2021 will allow additional outdoor activities that everyone can enjoy in the big city of Las Vegas,” says Jackie James, director of World of Concrete Group.

Drawing record numbers year after year, the 2021 World of Concrete, sometimes referred to as the Concrete Convention Las Vegas will feature a week of exciting new products, cutting-edge technologies, the latest equipment, exciting spectator events and competitions, and more than 150 educational sessions including luncheons, interactive workshops, and industry hands-on training.

Important! There will be no onsite registration this year due to new COVID safety protocols. You must register online before coming to the show.

With a detailed set of measures developed collaboratively with industry associations, event organizers, and venues, World of Concrete aims to deliver the highest levels of hygiene and safety at its event, providing everyone with reassurance and confidence they are participating in a safe and controlled environment. 

They recommend that every attendee read the safety requirements needed to enter the event, along with safety and hygiene measures guests can expect.

Early this year Link2Pump was part of World of Concrete Virtual Industry Forum. Over 300 industry professionals attended our VP of Sales session on how to reduce fleet costs by managing and claiming fuel tax rebates. Concrete producers and contractors can secure significant federal and state tax rebates for the fuel not used for on-highway activities, on average about 60 cents per gallon.

Have you already scheduled to go to the event this year?

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Tools you must have for contractor fleet management

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Fleet management is a complex activity. It involves legal obligations, costs, payment of fines, expenses with maintenance, purchase, team management, and much more. If you need to be more efficient, you should have softwares and technologies that will help you with these tasks. With the right tools in place, you can save time and money. Also, if you choose cloud-based software, you can manage from anywhere on any device!

Fleet Maintenance Software

A fleet maintenance software will help you avoid unexpected fleet vehicle and equipment breakdowns. You can track your vehicles and assets data to maximize value and minimize costs. With cloud data storage, you can manage vehicle information and track vehicle maintenance history from anywhere. Preventive maintenance schedules will also help you save time and money. 

GPS Tracking Software

GPS can be very helpful in a fleet management system. A good GPS tool can help increase the productivity of drivers, speed delivery times, bring efficiency levels high, and give businesses a pool of data that they can study to ensure operations are in best shape. GPS-based fleets are two times more successful than those without.

When you save time, you increase your productivity. Instead of drivers spending time waiting for traffic to move, they can, for example, make multiple deliveries. Not only will your customers be happy with the fast service, but your drivers and employees will be able to get more work done, saving you both labor and transport time.

Fuel Management Solution

With automated supply, the logistics become much more agile: times are shortened and you no longer depend on external factors that reduce business efficiency. In addition to being able to be placed in strategic locations, a fuel management solution allows the entire fueling process, including vehicle identification and odometer reading, to be completed very quickly.

The main advantages of installing your own fueling point are:

  • Fuel quality assurance, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring that the entire fleet can have the same performance;
  • Elimination of the costs of moving machinery/vehicles to the gas station;
  • Practicality and speed of supply, since it will have the availability of supply 24 hours;
  • Fuel tax refund; 
  • Centralization and rationalization of consumption control.

Technology is a very important part of the fleet industry. If you are looking for a fuel management partner that is a complete high-tech solution to control commercial fleets fueling, contact us.

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5 tips for fleet equipment maintenance management

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Fleet maintenance is the process of keeping your vehicles operating in a good enough condition so that they are safe, reliable, and can stay on the road longer. Developing a preventative maintenance program is an important part of managing a fleet and helps businesses reduce operating costs and improve vehicle inspection outcomes, among other benefits.

Without a proactive approach to fleet maintenance, you risk compromising your employees’ safety and paying for costly emergency repairs and unplanned downtime. That’s why the health of your vehicles is a good overall indicator of the health of your business.

1 – Preventive maintenance

There are three types of fleet maintenance:

Corrective maintenance: Made when the defect has worsened and needs repairs, and aims to restore the vehicle’s normal use condition;

Predictive maintenance: The purpose of predictive maintenance, as the name suggests, is to predict when a failure may occur, based on wear, vibration, noise, heating, or other indicators, depending on the type of equipment, machine or vehicle in question, this avoids unnecessary downtime and breaks that would harm productivity;

Preventive maintenance: This type of maintenance aims to reduce excessive expenses with the fleet, as it is based on scheduling stops in advance for adjustments, lubrication, and replacement of components. Its cost is usually between 30% to 40% lower than the other modalities, in addition to increasing the time between maintenance, increasing safety, and reducing the probability of problems on the road.

To use these benefits, it is necessary to draw up a maintenance plan: in an agenda, or a fleet management software, point out which vehicles and components will be overhauled and the respective dates. Do it in a way that meets the need for maintenance of each type of vehicle, in addition to not leaving the fleet without enough units to operate and meet the demand of the company and its customers.

2 – Know the vehicles of your fleet

Know all the specifications of each vehicle in the fleet, this will help to structure the fleet maintenance plan mentioned above, as you will know the ideal parts, the exact moment, and how to maintain each one. Some of the most important information about each vehicle is:

  • maintenance recommended by the manufacturer;
  • frequency of filter and lubricant changes;
  • performance characteristics and load capacity;
  • wear ratio per load weight;
  • characteristics of your travel routes, such as roads in poor condition.
3 – Get qualified labor for fleet maintenance

As important for companies as investing in good quality vehicles, tires, parts, and components, the investment made must be preserved through the use of qualified labor for its driving and maintenance. 

The more specialized and competent the mechanic, the higher the quality of the maintenance provided, which will result in savings in maintenance, longer life of the truck, fewer stops due to breakages, and consequently, profitability on the fleet will be higher.

Besides, hire conscientious and responsible professionals who know how to take proper care when driving the vehicle, this helps to reduce wear and prevent possible accidents.

4 – Invest in fleet management and maintenance software

The use of fleet control spreadsheets, parts stock control spreadsheets, and maintenance control spreadsheets, in general, is often quite complicated and unreliable, in addition to the fact that preparing and feeding these documents is time-consuming for employees. Also, an ineffective control causes unnecessary parts to be purchased, maintenance periods go out of control, mathematical failures occur, data may be lost, among other problems.

These complications can be overcome with the simple implementation of fleet management and maintenance software, the program automates the entire bureaucratic process, issues maintenance alerts according to the launched fleet maintenance plans, issues more detailed and comprehensive reports, help to eliminate human error, reduces the need for typing and rework and allows employees to spend more time on their core activities.

With Link2Pump you can take control over everything related to fueling, improving delivery planning and fuel distribution, and also with a lifetime warranty. We offer a hassle-free parts replacement policy, where servicing is simple and easy and can be done quickly by the customer, reducing downtime to a minimum. 

5 – Track equipment maintenance expenses

A good fleet manager knows how to work together with the financial sector and the company management to create a budget plan that will allow you to define the limits of each type of spending on your fleet, so that on a day-to-day basis you can identify possible deviations and excesses, and work to heal them, preventing them from compromising the company’s profitability.

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What skills will a future fleet manager need?

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Fleet management is a very important part of modern business. Companies in many industries rely on fleet vehicles to deliver products and services to customers, and those fleets must be properly and efficiently managed.

Fleet managers are responsible for selecting and maintaining vehicles to keep deliveries and distributions on schedule and within established budgets. To succeed, fleet managers need significant experience and skills in operations, logistics, and software programs to monitor both fleets and drivers.

With such a rapid transformation in business, it is easy to think that whoever is in the market today does not need to do anything to prepare for the future. But that is not true. Fleet managers can start preparing now for the future that is increasingly present!

So, here are five skills fleet managers can start building today, to prepare themselves for tomorrow. 

1 – Data-driven 

Most managers are already aware of this need and deal with it daily. They know they need to make choices and decisions based on statistics about vehicle usage, route efficiency, fuel economy, and so on. But it is necessary to go further. You also need to understand how the general data is offered and find out how to make your fleet even smarter.

2 – Software integration 

You don’t need to know everything about programming, but you do need to know what to ask for your IT and development team. You have to understand what these people do and what they can deliver to make your work more efficient. Integrated software and systems provide a very accurate summary of everything you need to know. Much better than joining the parts manually.

3 – Adaptability

If there is a sector in which things go very fast, it is ours! We have changes in technology and even legislation very often, so it is necessary to adopt flexible working methodologies. You need to be aware of the changes, understand how they will affect your fleet, and find the best ways to deal with them.

4 – Performance optimization

Markets that have already gone through the digitization process are already used to using tests and development methods to find possibilities for optimization, which can then be implemented in the entire business.

With vehicles traveling thousands of kilometers a week, fleet managers need to test different fuels, lubricants, driving techniques, and other variables to continually optimize their fleet.

5 – Goal driven 

Successful people do not give up but keep trying new ways until their goals are met. To be goal-driven and become successful requires at least two components namely preparation and motivation.

In preparation, you should be aware of the tasks ahead to be undertaken, and establish time-saving mechanisms to efficiently utilize your time. Be motivated and keep a track of your progress, it might be necessary to reassign time to tasks so that they do not build upon you.

Again, technology is a very important part of the fleet industry. If you are looking for a fuel management partner that is a complete high-tech solution to control commercial fleets fueling, contact us. 

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How remote work is running for fleet management

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After almost a year in the lives of many people, in some cases unexpectedly, today it seems that most employees are already getting used to the home office. According to a Kaspersky survey, 48% of employees now make their video calls in a slightly more comfortable outfit and 27% prefer to update reports or other bureaucratic tasks while working in the garden or on the porch.

Unlike the first few months of confinement, today people have a home office routine much more adjusted to their lifestyle. Technology, connectivity, and collaborative work are factors that helped a lot for this.

And while the home office lasts for a few more months in several companies, we ask ourselves: how remote work is running for fleet management. 

This virtual world has resulted in fewer miles driven and more time in front of a computer for company drivers. Most companies still have restrictions on guests at their offices (many are 100% virtual), which means having an in-person sales call will require that it be held offsite.

As more jobs involving company drivers become permanently remote, it may result in less travel that will cause a reassessment of optimal fleet size. 

Other changes should also appear with this new model of work. With many employees opting to work from home, corporations may not require as large a building to accommodate a smaller office staff. Another ramification may be an ongoing reduction in the budget for business travel.

It is difficult to say whether these changes will be permanent, but at least for now, it is the reality of many companies. But it is likely to take advantage of the positive points going forward. And the best way to ensure remote work is efficient is to invest in the technology necessary for your fleet to be controlled from the cloud. 

Your fuel supply control can be done quickly, intelligently, and 100% in the cloud with Link2Pump. If you’re looking for a fuel management partner that can help you prepare for the future, contact us. 

Tips to motivate and connect with the remote workforce

You may be wondering why employee engagement is so important. Today’s employees want to know how what they are doing contributes to the overall success of the company. Communication is one of the keys to keeping employees engaged and smart businesses are staying close to their employees on a variety of platforms. 

In addition to regularly communicating with your employees, it is also important to continue to recognize employee achievements. So, it is very important that even though they are away, managers work hard and make the extra effort to make sure employees stay engaged. 

As we establish what the new normal will be for businesses, the sector needs to prepare and make the necessary changes to deal with the current situation. Waiting for things to go back to how they were before can make you lose a lot of money. 

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How data can help to lower your fleet costs?

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Fleet owners and operators face unique financial challenges. Rising fuel costs, compliance violations, and driver turnover can keep your fleet costs rising and profits stagnant. Unfortunately, reducing fleet costs is not an easy task, but some tools and systems can help significantly. 

Data-driven management can help you analyze the daily work routines without manual work because this is always a source of failure that can be avoided by setting up automated solutions. The more data points can be connected, the more insights a report can give. And, above all, it can help you save some money! 

Right now, fleet managers can use integrated data fleet management solutions to improve real-time monitoring, reporting, analysis, and outcomes in areas such as driver safety, operational efficiency, fuel management, maintenance, and vehicle utilization. 

According to analysts at Frost and Sullivan, effective use of data can help fleet managers:

Increase productivity by 10 – 15%

Save 20 – 30 minutes of labor time per driver per day

Reduce overtime by 10 – 15%

Cut fuel expenses by 20 – 25%

Reduce vehicle idle time by 20 – 30% 

Boost vehicle utilization by 15 – 20%

Cut total miles driven by 5 – 10%

The data as a product evolution in fleets will allow for much smarter decision-making based on real-time data, rather than guts, as we mostly see today. Predictive modeling uses the data continuously streamed by telematics to identify everything from maintenance needs, to equipment requirements, and even through to patterns and peaks in future customer demand.    

Fuel is one of the biggest and most unpredictable cost centers for fleets. While you might not be able to affect the price at the pump, you do have the ability to ensure your drivers there are getting the most out of each mile per gallon.

Driver education can help, but how can you be sure they will follow these policies when they’re on the road? The real savings in fuel cost, just like other expense areas, comes from data. Here’s how:

  • Companies that use fuel cards can monitor employee fuel-spending and usage
  • Some systems can integrate with a fuel card. This allows you to manage where and when your drivers are filling up and identify which routes your vehicles are taking, alerting you to out-of-route miles driven. It also gives you the ability to track fuel fill-ups against miles driven to identify any fuel misuse issues.
  • Driver performance programs allow fleet managers to monitor driver behavior, such as speeding and idling. These programs give you the ability to deliver better-tailored coaching that will change behavior and result in decreased fuel consumption.

Advanced tracking systems can also detect when the engines of vehicles in the fleet are about to experience issues that require maintenance or potential repair. Using best practices for maintenance and predictive software that anticipate problems can cut down on the cost of engine repairs and time lost as a vehicle is repaired. This can also help a company determine when it’s no longer cost-efficient to repair a vehicle and instead put money into a new vehicle.

As you can see, technology plays a crucial role in almost every money-saving tactic and strategy discussed above. If you’re looking for a fuel management partner that can help you reduce your fleet’s expenses, contact us.

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What have fleet managers learned in 2020?

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2020 brought a great lesson for business. It showed the need for preparation, connectivity and resilience. Fleets across industries have had to navigate uncertainty and adapt to new ways of operating. It was a year that forced fleet leaders to evolve continually, learning how to operate in totally new ways and, especially, doing more with less. 

As we enter in 2021, it’s time to think how fleet managers can apply what they’ve learned in 2020 to help shape future plans and practices? Let’s look at some scenarios. 

Adapt your business model

Many fleet leaders had to evaluate their existing business models, with some pivoting  to  service  essential  industries. One  example  of  this change  involved  repurposing  fleet  vehicles  to  fulfill  last-mile  delivery. If your fleet is not being fully utilized, you can look up and find new markets to operate. 

Keep a good relationship with suppliers

Fleet management companies depend on supplier relationships. These relationships can become complicated when fleets have reduced needs, such as fewer tires, less preventive maintenance, or a pause in vehicle acquisitions. 

The best you can do to prevent the loss of relationships with suppliers is to be proactive in their outreach. When business gets back at full capacity, the transition back to regular work will be complicated if supplier relationships haven’t been maintained. Remember that they are fundamental to your business and make the necessary effort so that the relationship remains healthy.

Identify possibilities for automation

From GPS tracking to fuel management, there are a lot of opportunities to automate your fleet operation. Automated operations can help to make  the  transition  to  remote  work  easier, for example. With automation you can manage, control, analyze, optimize, and schedule tasks for your business. Automated processes also help to save time and money. 

Controlling vehicle costs and yields in relation to usage indicates how much each item in your fleet is consuming. This measure is essential to generate savings in the short and long term, as well as to verify the performance of each truck. With Link2Pump you can control your fuel supply quickly and intelligently. We can install our system in your fuel pumps, ensuring safety and data accuracy for managing your fleet. All fleet fueling data is sent in real time to the system and only authorized drivers and vehicle are able to pump fuel. In addition, you can generate several reports, with all fuel consumption information. If you want to learn more about our solution, get in touch . 

Stay more connected than ever 

Working from home it’s not new, but the trend has increased as governments all over the world have introduced lockdowns in a bid to fight the coronavirus. For some it was a very bad experience, but many others want the flexibility to continue. Companies are not only adapting their policies to allow working from home, they’re also downsizing their offices and other expenses. 

That’s why it is very important that you hire talented managers for fleet, mobility, facilities and other key departments. Managers who are connected with the present and future of the company and are ready to act.

These are some lessons to anticipate solutions for the future and it is also an opportunity to make your business thrive in difficult times. One thing is certain, data-based technology is already making a difference in many companies.

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How Link2Pump can help your business 

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Link2Pump services accounts all across the US, helping businesses to save human and financial resources in the fuel tracking and reporting process. By automating and managing fuel dispensing from bulk storage tanks, we turn a complex process into a simple experience. In 2020 we teamed up with CTASmart, a multinational leader in fuel management from Brazil, aiming to extend our culture of simplicity and intelligence to Latin America and worldwide. CTA Smart & Link2Pump has already tracked over 500 million gallons of fuel  by managing  600,000 assets at over 3,000 fueling points 

We made fuel tracking and reporting simple. In the era of data and connectivity, Link2Pump empowers businesses to take control of their fuel usage. Our solution combines a web portal and a device connected to your fuel dispenser. 

Our solutions

Link2Pump Pedestal automates the fueling process on-site, capturing data points you need and sending them to your online account in real-time. Account access is available from any device, anywhere, any time. Fully compatible with mechanical, digital and electronic dispensers, each unit controls up to 4 fueling points and features extensive data input options and restriction capabilities.

We also offer mobile applications that pack the same technological power from L2P Pedestal into a compact enclosure to fit fuel trucks, tanker trucks or any kind of mobile tanks. Whether used solo or combined with an L2P pedestal, filling up equipment out in the field is safely tracked in real-time, with in-unit and cloud backup for added security.

As we know, more assertive route planning, more robust management systems are among the investments required for this moment. The resumption of services provided with excellence also has a major problem: the price of oil. 

That’s why we need to improve delivery planning and fuel distribution management, saving money without losing effectiveness and deadlines.

How it works? 

The Link2Pump Pedestal unit connects to your fuel dispenser, protecting your fuel from unauthorized use. The operator will be prompted for  key information, like driver, vehicle number and mileage. Only then the L2P unit activates the pump. While the operator fills up the tank, L2P records the gallons being pumped and uploads all fueling data to your online account once the transaction is overfueling data is available in real-time and you can see and manage it from any device. Cloud backup guarantees zero chance of data loss.

Lifetime warranty

Our unique lifetime warranty protects your investment and eliminates unexpected expenses. We offer a hassle-free parts replacement policy, where servicing is simple and easy and can be done quickly by the customer, reducing down-time to a minimum

Popular Integrations

Link2Pump also offers open API for seamless and free integration with 3rd party softwaresYour fuel transactions and tank inventory data in the L2P system can interface via web service with basically any software platform, such as fleet fuel cards, billing programs, fleet maintenance, telematics, and much more. You can also export to text and spreadsheet files. 

Our company has solutions for several industries, such as agriculture, aviation, construction, government, marinas, manufacturing, mining, transportation and utilities. If you want to learn more about our solution and are looking for alternatives to improve bottom line  and productivity, please get in touch. 

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Benefits of having a fuel management system

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A very common question today is: Do I have to set up a fuel supply system for my company’s fleet or continue to refuel at gas stations? If your company has a minimum demand , you can start thinking about enjoying the benefits of your fleet supply system.

Agility and speed in routine

With automated supply, the logistics become much more agile: times are shortened and you no longer depend on external factors that reduce business efficiency. In addition to being able to be placed in strategic locations, a fuel management solution allows the entire fueling process, including vehicle identification and odometer reading, to be completed very quickly.

Avoid and reduce fraud

Another important point is to avoid and reduce fraud. Companies tend to lose a lot of money in the risk management process. A software system solves this issue by ascertaining that the right vehicle is fueled at the right time and place. Indeed, managers can monitor their fleet conveniently and at all times.

Focus on your core activities

You can also increase focus on your core activities, as management of fuel can consume a lot of time from your time. After engaging a professional to build an on-demand fuel delivery app, most of the manual work is handled by the features and tools. It is, therefore, possible to focus on other management functions such as planning, controlling, and coordinating activities to achieve goals. 

Improve maintenance

Fleet management systems provide everything you need to develop a preventative maintenance schedule, helping you manage maintenance costs. Kilometers traveled, engine hours, fuel usage. These are some of the data points that can be used to create a preventative maintenance schedule. 

Easy fuel tax refund

In most states and for the federal government, motor fuel excise taxes are collected and designated for highway and road construction and maintenance. So, fleets using fuel for powering vehicles and equipment at off-road applications may qualify for federal and state-level refunds. Some fuel management systems, like Link2Pump, easily track and reconcile all information needed for filing fuel tax refund claims with one-click reports. 

The real picture of the operation

Fleet management software gives you a more comprehensive picture of your fleet’s operations. When you have this well-rounded view of your fleet, you can expand it more efficiently. By understanding your current fleet, you can find opportunities to bring in more jobs.

So, to sum up, the main advantages of installing your own fueling point are:

  • Fuel quality assurance, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring that the entire fleet can have the same performance;
  • Elimination of the costs of moving machinery/vehicles to the gas station;
  • Practicality and speed of supply, since it will have the availability of supply 24 hours;
  • Fuel tax refund; 
  • Centralization and rationalization of consumption control. 

If you want to learn more about our solution and are looking for alternatives to improve bottom line and productivity, please, get in touch.

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