The Bug Master, a family-owned business based in Austin, Texas, has been proudly serving its community since 1981. Led by second-generation owner Dauphin Ewart, the company has grown to manage a fleet of around eighty trucks across multiple locations, including Austin, Temple, and Houston. Effective fleet management – starting with accurate fleet data – is crucial to The Bug Master’s success.
Like many businesses, The Bug Master initially relied on traditional fuel cards. But these cards often ended up in different vehicles or used by different drivers day to day, which led to data inaccuracies in terms of fuel purchasing attribution. With the introduction of Coast, a modern fuel card solution, Dauphin was able to transform The Bug Master’s fleet management practices.
Key Features for Fleet Data Management
With Coast’s innovative technology, Dauphin was able to associate fuel purchases with vehicle license plates via text messages, ensuring accurate fleet data attribution. Dauphin highlights Coast’s ease of deployment, emphasizing that implementation took only about a week, a significant improvement from their previous system.
One of the key features Dauphin appreciates about Coast is its transparency in transaction approval. Coast notifies both drivers and administrators about transaction statuses, providing opportunities to address issues promptly, such as exceeding fill-up limits, leading to greater control and accountability.
Coast also integrates with fleet management tools like Fleetio seamlessly, allowing The Bug Master to consolidate fleet data in one place. This integration ensures fleet data accuracy, enabling informed decision-making regarding fleet operations, repair history, and asset management.
“Anybody who uses data knows the most important thing about data is its accuracy,” says Dauphin. “Before, it was very easy for cards to end up in the wrong vehicles, and then all of your data around fuel attribution just became a mess. What Coast brings to that table is the fleet data accuracy.”
Coast’s Technology in Action for Protecting Fleet Data
Dauphin knows first hand how Coast’s technology helps prevent fuel theft, having experienced this issue with a former employee. Because of the limitations of the previous card, his team couldn’t access timely fleet data to uncover misuse of the card. Coast’s association of fuel cards with work cell phone numbers in real time adds an extra layer of security, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized use.
The Bug Master’s experience with Coast underscores the importance of accurate fleet data management. The simplicity and effectiveness of Coast’s solution streamline operations, reduce administrative burden, and mitigate risks of theft and loss associated with traditional fuel cards.
Coast is a game changer for both Dauphin and his employees, offering a modern solution for fleet data management. Its user-friendly interface, transparent transaction approval process, and seamless integration with fleet management tools make it a valuable asset for businesses seeking to optimize their fleet data and operations.
Three Ways Coast Helps Ensure Fleet Data Accuracy for Your Team
Coast is designed to ensure fleet data quality, so customers can focus on growing their businesses rather than fixing data issues. These features ensure you can maintain accuracy in your fleet data.
Simple SMS Check-in Process
SMS check-in is Coast’s unique way of capturing fleet data from the driver. Instead of keying in data at the pump, drivers use their mobile phone. Coast asks simple questions, and the driver submits answers, all using SMS messaging. This process is less prone to driver error than keying in data (e.g. manual entry of odometer reading) at the pump terminal.
Spending Rules Designed for Your Business Needs
Most fleet cards allow limits to be applied to a card, so that when a transaction falls outside these limits, it is either declined, or flagged on an exception report. But users often run into issues if the card is moved to a different vehicle or is used by a different employee — the fleet data cannot be associated with the correct vehicle or user. Coast allows a business to set up an expense policy for each vehicle and each employee. By linking policies to people and vehicles, and by using the SMS check-in process, Coast can ensure the right spending rules are applied for every transaction, and that fuel usage is attributed correctly.
Integrations With Your Fleet Tools
Coast integrates with fleet management platforms, like Fleetio, where businesses like The Bug Master can get visibility into all vehicle costs, including maintenance and depreciation. Coast also has pre-built data integrations with leading providers, including Geotab, Samsara and Verizon. These enable Coast to import fleet data from telematics systems, providing additional security and further improving fleet data quality. You can also integrate with accounting platforms, such as QuickBooks, where expenses can be automatically categorized to the correct cost centers. Integrations like these enable your business to get even more value out of Coast by sharing fleet data across the organization.
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