Fuel Card Question

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Turtlelegs, May 24, 2022.

  1. Turtlelegs

    Turtlelegs Light Load Member

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    I've been reading here and I've seen references to money on the fuel card. Like someone getting a cash advance with it and I read that one should make sure they get all the money off the fuel card before quitting.

    I was wondering what this means? I would have thought a fuel card is just a way of paying for gas but I'm obviously wrong.
     
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  3. uncleal13

    uncleal13 Road Train Member

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    Yes some companies have it setup that you can get cash advances off the fuel card. It’s becoming less common nowadays as debit cards and ATMs are everywhere, before it was really hard to get cash on the road once you were away from your home bank.
    I had a brother in law that insisted that his company never paid him. Turns out that he took so much in cash advances that he owed them money after running on the road for a month vs what he earned.
     
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  4. Cowboyrich

    Cowboyrich Road Train Member

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    I have never seen this before, are you sure they are not talking about the rewards card? Rewards card is yours to go where you may, the fuel card is theirs, I'm thinking that trying to pull money off that could end in trouble
     
  5. Cowboyrich

    Cowboyrich Road Train Member

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    I stand corrected.
     
  6. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    It is used to pay for fuel, but other things as well.

    If you need a personal advance that money will be loaded on to your fuel card.
    If you need a company advance to pay for something work related, that will also be loaded on to your fuel card.

    The default electronic payment of your paycheck is done on the fuel card.
    It is only after you set up direct deposit between your company and your bank that your paycheck will be sent to your bank (and your own debit/credit card).

    The reason you need to get the money out from the fuel card before you quit is simple.
    Once you are no longer an employee that card will likely be canceled and you will have no access to the funds.
    There would probably be a way to get those funds, as it is your money. But it might be a pain in the backside and take some time.
     
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  7. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

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    You can't just grab money from the fuel card.
    You have to request an advance from your company, and they have to issue the advance to you, which is then loaded on to the fuel card account.
    It is only then that you can go to an ATM to withdraw the money, because the fuel card has no inherent cash reserve to draw from.

    That story of the person that had so many advances that his weekly checks could not cover them could never happen at Swift.
    We are only allowed $100 in personal advances per week.
     
  8. kranky1

    kranky1 Road Train Member

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    You have to be careful with those advances. If it’s processed direct by whoever issued the card you pay a service charge. If it’s processed by TCH or someone like that and the card issuer you pay 2 service charges on the one transaction in the end.
     
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  9. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Rewards cards are very different from "fuel card". There are some fuel cards that trucking companies may use that are both like a credit card for fuel purchase and can act like an ATM or Debit Card for either cash advances or even driver pay. IMO, getting paid on your fuel card is not a good idea. It is more often done by smaller trucking companies, or less financially secure trucking companies, and sometimes shady trucking companies. I believe the fuel cards that have this extra ATM or Debit card feature will charge a fee to take money off of them, such as driver pay. But I vaguely remember there might be a way to get the money without paying a fee. I believe the money is not coming out of an ATM machine but you get it from the fuel desk in the truck stop. If you are getting paid this way, I would instantly move the money off of the card and into your account on a personal Debt card or a bank account. Trucking companies sometimes "forget" to pay their bills and you don't want to have money available to a company that might be going out of business without telling you. It's probably more common with 1099 companies than W-2 companies.
     
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