The transport industry is always looking for ways to mitigate the impact of fuel costs. Even when costs are low, this is an issue. And during a time like this, it’s absolutely critical.

But it’s not just the per-gallon cost. Experienced drivers know – and new ones quickly discover – that the volatile nature of fuel surcharges can be even more difficult to manage. Without an effective tool to manage both the cost of fuel and the unpredictability of fuel surcharges, transport professionals are at a distinct disadvantage.

Unless they are Envase customers. With Envase, users have two powerful tools to help get on top of these issues.

First, let’s introduce you to DrayMaster. This is a rate-management platform that allows trucking companies to manage their rates and accessorials. But that’s just the start. DrayMaster also allows users to update fuel surcharges in real time on the platform.

That’s a powerful tool, because trucking companies typically allow their customers to lock in prices for as many as 30 days based on where fuel surcharges are at the start of the 30-day period. If the surcharges vary wildly during the 30-day period – and they usually do – either party, or both parties, could be at risk of heavy costs they didn’t anticipate when they locked in the prices.

With DrayMaster, trucking companies can update their information on fuel surcharges in real time and pricing can adjust in the same manner.

Then there is the simple but challenging matter of fuel prices themselves. Anyone on the road today needs all the help they can get, and this is where Envase’s Fuel Program becomes so important.

Envase customers who qualify for the program can purchase fuel at the better of cost plus or retail minuspricing at over 900 US locations. This provides instant savings for users, as the program automatically adjusts the invoiced amount to the carrier based on the better of pricing, creating a true Point of Sale discount.

To qualify, customers need good credit, must have a US base of operations and must not have an existing discount agreement with a vendor in the program. And it’s well worth it, as users of the program are currently saving more than 50 cents per gallon on average.

Here’s how it works: When a member purchases fuel, the system will make sure to generate the best price out of two options. One is the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) rack price plus a small markup. In this situation, you’d be paying what the truck stop pays in addition to a small amount so the truck stop can make some margin off the sale. Alternatively, a member will pay the posted retail cash price minus 7 cents per gallon.

The member will always pay the lesser of these two scenarios, and will never, under any circumstance, pay more than the retail cash price.

The impact of this program for users has been phenomenal. In March 2022 alone, carriers who are Envase members saved an average of $58.14 every time they filled up, or 52 cents per gallon.

With an average fill-up of 112 gallons, that works out to a savings of 10.32 percent.

All told, members using Envase’s Fuel Program bought over 758,000 gallons of fuel in March and saved a total of more than $399,000.

All this is made available to Envase members via the QuikQ network, which is accepted at over 5,000 locations in the US and has more than 900 in network discount locations. Members also receive free RFID tags for every truck that automatically start the pumps at over 900 participating locations, saving time and a trip to the fuel desk.

Drivers need every tool at their disposal to mitigate the impact of fuel prices and fuel surcharges. Envase makes sure they have those tools. There’s never been a better time to be an Envase customer.

Learn more about DrayMaster

Learn More about the Envase Fuel Program