Fuel is your biggest expense. A good fuel card program can save you $0.10-$0.50 per gallon at truck stops across the country — which adds up to thousands of dollars per year. Here's how to choose the right one.
How fuel cards work
A fuel card (also called a fleet fuel card or truckers fuel card) is a dedicated payment card for purchasing diesel fuel at commercial truck stops. In exchange for using the card at participating locations, you get discounted fuel prices — either a fixed discount off the pump price or access to a negotiated network price that is lower than the posted retail price.
Major fuel card programs compared
| Fuel Card | Typical Discount | Network | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| EFS (Fleet One) | $0.10-$0.40/gal | Wide — 4,500+ locations | Most owner-operators |
| Comdata | $0.15-$0.45/gal | Very wide — 7,000+ locations | Carriers wanting max locations |
| RTS Fuel Card | $0.20-$0.50/gal | Good — 700+ locations | RTS Financial factoring clients |
| Loves Smart Connect | $0.06-$0.15/gal | Love's locations only | Carriers who prefer Love's |
| Pilot Flying J myRewards | $0.03-$0.12/gal | Pilot/Flying J only | Carriers near Pilot/FJ locations |
| DAT Fuel Card (EFS-powered) | $0.10-$0.35/gal | 4,500+ locations | DAT load board subscribers |
Fuel cards bundled with factoring
Many factoring companies include a fuel card as part of their program. RTS Financial, OTR Capital, and Triumph Business Capital all offer fuel cards to their factoring clients — often with better discounts than standalone cards. If you're already using factoring, ask your provider about their fuel card program before signing up for one separately.
What to look for in a fuel card
- Network size: How many truck stops accept the card in the states you run
- Discount per gallon: The actual savings vs pump price
- Fees: Monthly fees, transaction fees, or per-card fees that eat into savings
- Advance availability: Can you get a cash advance for emergencies?
- No personal guarantee: Some cards require a personal guarantee — read the terms
Calculate your annual fuel card savings
Estimate your annual diesel usage: miles driven ÷ MPG = gallons per year. Multiply by your expected discount. Example: 100,000 miles ÷ 6.5 MPG = 15,385 gallons × $0.25 discount = $3,846/year in fuel savings. Even a modest $0.15/gallon discount saves over $2,300/year on that volume.