It stings.
You’re scanning this month’s fleet expenses, and there it is … again. Fuel costs, chipping away at your margins.
You’ve tightened routes. You’ve invested in training. Still, the trucks idle too long. Fuel card charges don’t always make sense. And the paperwork just keeps piling up.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Fuel management for fleet operators remains one of the biggest, and most unpredictable, costs for carriers.
But here’s the good news. With the right tools, you can turn fuel management for fleet operations from a headache into a serious competitive edge.
In this post, we’ll explain how transportation management software (TMS) can simplify fuel management and boost profitability.
The Cost of Fuel in Fleet Management
Fuel can be one of the biggest and most unpredictable costs for fleet operators. Fuel costs can account for as much as 40% of a fleet’s operating budget, with prices that fluctuate daily and vary by region. This volatility can turn cost control into a constant struggle.
But the challenge of fuel management goes beyond fluctuating prices—it directly impacts profitability. Every extra cent spent on fuel cuts into your margins, making fuel management essential.
Understanding Fuel Management Challenges
Fuel management can be one of the biggest headaches for fleet operators. Here are the main challenges you might be facing:
Rising fuel costs
Fuel prices go up and down constantly. Different regions have different prices, and it can be tough to predict your costs. Without control, your budget can get out of hand.
Wasted fuel from bad habits
Even if you plan good routes, drivers can waste fuel by idling too long, speeding, or driving aggressively. These small habits can add up to big costs.
Unauthorized fuel purchases
Fuel cards are convenient, but they can be abused. Some drivers might buy fuel for personal vehicles, or make purchases you didn’t approve.
Confusing IFTA reporting
Keeping track of fuel use by state for IFTA reporting is a pain. If you’re doing it by hand, mistakes are almost guaranteed. And those mistakes can lead to fines.
Manual data entry
Tracking fuel costs with receipts, spreadsheets, or handwritten logs is a slow, error-prone process. It wastes time and can easily go wrong.
No visibility into fuel use
If you don’t know which vehicles are burning the most fuel, which drivers are wasting gas, or where your money is going, it’s impossible to fix the problem.
Missed savings opportunities
Without clear data, you’re missing out on chances to save. You might overpay for fuel, miss driver training opportunities, or ignore routes that waste fuel.
9 TMS Features That Improve Fuel Management for Fleets
Fuel is one of your biggest operating costs, and even small inefficiencies can add up fast. These TMS features help you track fuel use, reduce waste, and lower costs across your fleet.
1. Integrated Fuel Cost Tracking
No more chasing fuel receipts or guessing where the money went. A TMS links fuel card transactions to specific vehicles and drivers, improving visibility for carrier accounting teams and eliminating the need for manual receipt-tracking.
2. Telematics and Fleet Tracking
Dispatchers don’t have time to check on driver locations 24/7 (and drivers don’t need the interruptions). With fleet telematics, you can see driver locations in real time, monitor fuel usage, and identify driving habits that could be inflating your fuel costs.
3. Route Optimization
Every unnecessary mile is money out the door. A TMS helps carriers optimize routes and loads and makes fuel management for fleet operations more efficient.
4. Preventative Maintenance and Vehicle Health
A TMS alerts you when it’s time for maintenance, helping you avoid costly repairs and keep trucks rolling.
- Get real-time reminders for 3-axle alignments, DEF system services, valve adjustments, and more
- Save on fuel and extend the life of your fleet
- Prevent unexpected breakdowns and downtime
- Avoid costly DOT compliance violations
5. IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) Reporting
Transportation management software can calculate state-by-state mileage for IFTA reporting, reducing admin strain for finance teams and eliminating errors that occur with manual recordkeeping.
6. Detailed Analytics and Reporting
TMS data helps you spot waste and inefficiency and know what levers to pull to improve fuel management.
7. Embedded Safety and Compliance Features
Good driving saves you money.
We help drivers develop better habits like smoother takeoffs, less speeding, and smarter braking. This cuts fuel costs and keeps your fleet running stronger.
8. Works With What You Already Use
Some transportation management systems integrate with your existing software — including route planners, maintenance trackers, and fuel tax systems — so you can manage everything in one place.
Benefits of Integrations:
- Real-time visibility into fleet fuel spend and consumption patterns
- Enhanced compliance with regulatory fuel reporting requirements (IFTA)
- Reduced administrative overhead through automation of fuel expense management
- Increased fuel efficiency via better driver behavior and vehicle management
9. Accounting and Expense Management
QuickBooks works for general accounting, but it wasn’t built for the trucking industry. It doesn’t handle fuel cards, driver settlements, or IFTA reporting out of the box, which means you end up stitching together spreadsheets and third-party tools just to close your books.
PCS TMS for Carriers takes care of all of it in one place. Fuel spending is populated automatically, driver pay is calculated alongside reimbursements, and IFTA reports are generated without manual work.
With PCS, you’re not trying to force a general tool to fit a specialized job. PCS gives you accounting that fits trucking, without the workarounds.
What to Do Next
If managing fuel still feels messy, you’re not the only one. Spreadsheets, mismatched tools, and late reports are common, but they don’t have to be the norm.
PCS brings together everything you need to manage fuel in one place. No extra systems, no duplicate data, and no chasing down missing information. Just a simpler way to track spending, improve efficiency, and stay compliant.
Want to see how it works?
Request a demo today and take a look inside the PCS TMS for Carriers.
