How did you manage to get the fuel discount without running their plates!! The discount is also tied in with their IFTA..... Something doesn't sound correct........
Moglar, the discount isn't tied to plates or IFTA unless you are leased to mercer. If you broker thru mercer you can get a efs card and they can load the settlements on the efs card. When you do that you can get the discounts a leased driver gets if you use the card to fuel.Landstar, universal etc do the same thing. Mercer pays broker loads within hours with no fee, others charge 1 to 2 per cent. But its perfectly legit, in the preferred carrier program you even get a coordinator.
According to Mercer if I get my own base plate they said I could not get the fuel discount. They cited that Mercer pays the fuel tax (IFTA) for the drivers that use thier base plates. Mercer further indicated that was one main reason only the drivers that use their base plates get the deep fuel discount. They continued and explained that it had to do with getting money back on the fuel taxes. Simply stated....to get the discount you need to run their plates. SOOOOOOO......as I indicated initially......how does a non Mercer driver (approved carrier) manage this lol. I was reading the drivers post above about how he got his own numbers and uses Mercers fuel discount. Just curious.
Ok, I have been here over 5 and one half years, I also previously had authority. You CAN get the fuel discount when you broker loads from mercer. I also signed the new contract a while back. You are confusing two issues. If you run your plate , you pay IFTA taxes. If you run mercer plates, they pay the taxes. I have received those discounts when I had authority, many others receive them. You simply misunderstood what they explained to you, same as the bobtail insurance. I know how he system works herevery well.
Ok. So what you are saying is I can get the Mercer fuel discount and run my own plates? Will call Monday and ask....will post their response.
I brokered loads from mercer for 15 years before i leased to them. Starting in 95. Back then i would stop in louisville or some of the agents offices, hand them the bol and my invoice, ten minutes later i walked out with a check in my hand. Some years later when written checks stopped being as common, we went ahead and signed up for their efs card and after sensing them the bol and invoice they would load the card with money instead of handing me a check. If i chose to, i could use that card for fuel and get the same discount as the leased trucks did. The fuel card has nothing to do with who pays ifta. The only thing even remotely concerning ifta that ties in with the fuel card is, if a leased truck uses the fuel card they do not need to scan in fuel reciepts. Mercer gets the gallons purchased off the efs reports. Again, you have misunderstood something in a big way.
