Fuel Cards Compared: What Actually Saves You Money

5 min read · Free guide from Southeast Freight Dispatch

Fuel is your #2 cost after the truck payment. The right fuel card saves $5,000–$15,000 a year. The wrong one costs you fees for nothing. Here's how to choose.

How the discounts work

Fuel cards negotiate volume discounts at truck stops — typically $0.20–$0.60+ off the pump price per gallon. The discount varies by stop: the same card might save $0.50 at one chain and $0.10 at another. The card's app shows live discounts — plan stops around the big discounts, not just the nearest pump.

The big names

• RTS / EFS: huge network, strong discounts, widely accepted. The default choice for most owner-operators.
• Comdata: massive acceptance, fleet-focused, solid discounts.
• Factoring-company cards: many factors bundle a fuel card — convenient, but compare the discount depth.

Fee traps

• Monthly/annual card fees that eat the discount.
• Transaction fees per swipe.
• "Cash advance" fees — never use the card for advances unless it's an emergency.
• In-network vs out-of-network pricing — out-of-network can cost MORE than pump price.

How to actually maximize it

1. Run the card's app before every long haul; pick the 2 cheapest in-network stops on route.
2. Never pay pump price at a major chain without checking the app first.
3. Track savings monthly — if a card isn't saving 3x its fees, switch.

Free setup

We set our carriers up with the right fuel card for their lanes at no cost — and we plan fuel stops on every 500+ mile haul. Fuel is negotiated like freight.

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