New Truckers Advantage fuel card offers bigger savings than before

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has launched its new Truckers Advantage fuel card that offers bigger savings than the old version.

The most significant change to the Truckers Advantage fuel card is the diesel discount. Rather than use what is called a “retail minus” discount, the new card uses a “cost plus” discount.

What does that mean?

The older version offered 3-6 cents per gallon off the pump price. Now, the fuel card offers 6-8 cents per gallon over the wholesale cost. According to Trevor Williams, OOIDA’s fuel card program coordinator, cardholders are seeing a huge difference.

“This is where the big savings come in,” Williams said. “People are consistently getting 30-plus cents off.”

The largest discount from the retail price that has been reported to Williams so far is a 53-cent-per-gallon discount.

Unexpected charges are virtually nonexistent. There are no monthly fees, no annual fees and no transaction fees at in-network locations. The only fee you’ll pay is the $25 application fee and a $1 fee for each out-of-network transaction.

Truckers Advantage offers discounts at more than 2,800 locations, including Speedway, Quick Fuel, Sapp Brothers, and a long list of smaller mom-and-pop truck stops. While Pilot Flying J does not offer a “cost plus” discount, it has increased its “retail minus” discount to 10 cents per gallon off the cash pump price.

Even if there is no in-network truck stop nearby, the Trucker Advantage fuel card is still accepted at more than 99% of fuel and maintenance sites. If you see the WEX Fleet One logo at a fueling site, the card can be used there. That include more than 8,000 locations nationwide, including acceptance in Canada.

“This is the best fuel card in the industry,” Williams said. “Really, it is, in terms of fees, discounts, acceptance locations. We have the lowest fees of any other card.”

There are two version of the fuel card: credit and prepaid. With the credit version, customers are billed under seven-day terms. This means that if you start this Friday, money will be automatically deducted from your bank account electronically for accrued charges next Friday. Rinse and repeat.

For the prepaid version, a $500 minimum deposit is required.

Use of the fuel card can be limited. If someone running a fleet does not want their drivers to use the card for nonfuel-related purchases, such as food and drinks, the card can be customized to be used only for fuel.

Truckers Advantage fuel card can also be used for cash services, cash advances and EFS MoneyCodes. EFS MoneyCodes replace the old PlusChecks, similar to T-Checks and Comchecks. Access to money-saving solutions like Permit Servics and ProMiles will also be available to cardholders.

Furthermore, there is a mobile app for both iPhone and Android smartphones called EFS CardControl. The app will show users where to find the cheapest fuel, plan trips and check account activity for every card.

Card users will also have access to a free online portal. The back office can use the portal to monitor how many gallon have been purchases, the amount of discount and other features.

Truckers Advantage is available to OOIDA members only. To sign up or for questions, call 866-214-2382 or visit TruckersAdvantage.com.

“It’s the coolest card ever,” Williams said.