In the trucking world, fleet cards are critical to over-the-road (OTR) trucking companies. Moreover, merchants want to accept trucker’s preferred payment methods. These fleet cards resemble your standard credit card but are issued on behalf of a trucking company which provide additional services. These services allow companies to control the type, volume, and frequency of their driver’s purchases. It also captures important information such as the drivers’ odometer readings and vehicle identification numbers. This allows trucking companies to have complete control and knowledge of what is happening on the road. Today, Comdata is the largest provider of fleet card services to OTR trucking companies in the United States.
To accept these fleet cards, you would need a specialized fuel purchase desk automation system. These systems are what process the multiple fleet cards that are in the market. They report transaction data and other information to the fleet card issuer, process the approval or rejections of requested transactions, and interface with fueling pumps. Trendar was by far the dominant means by which truck stops process fleet card transactions.
Previously, you would need a separate system to process fleet cards. If you had a convenience store or retail gas in addition to trucker fueling, you would need an entirely separate POS system to process standard credit cards. As technology improved and demand for faster and more reliable service increased, Comdata came out with the first product that would allow you to process both fleet AND standard credit cards on one POS system.
That system is called SmartDESQ. It is produced by Comdata who acquired Trendar. It was a system designed by the #1 fleet card company after acquiring the #1 fuel purchase desk automation system.
The SmartDESQ replaces the need for two separate processing systems. According to the website, SmartDESQ provides enhanced processing and pump control for diesel fuel transactions, allowing you to combine the fuel desk and other profit centers into a single system. For a full description of the SmartDESQ, please visit Comdata: http://www.comdata.com/merchants/SmartDESQ/index
If you have questions regarding fleet card processing or are looking to upgrade your truck stop POS system, please give us a call!