Trucking

Fuel Management for Trucking — Diesel Costs, IFTA Automation, Fuel Cards, and MPG by Driver

Compare fuel management software for trucking companies. Diesel cost tracking, fuel card integration, IFTA automation, fuel theft detection, and MPG by driver for carriers of all sizes.

Diesel is the largest controllable cost in trucking — typically 25-35% of total operating expense. At $4-5/gallon with Class 8 trucks averaging 6-8 MPG, every tenth of a mile-per-gallon improvement across 20 trucks saves $8,000-10,000/year. Fuel management software is how you find those tenths.

Last reviewed Mar 19, 2026

21 platforms reviewedUpdated March 2026See all fuel management software →

How to evaluate fuel management for trucking companies

Fuel card integration is the foundation of trucking fuel management. WEX, Comdata, and Fuelman cover roughly 90% of the commercial trucking fuel card market. If your fuel management platform does not pull transaction data automatically from your card program, your drivers are manually entering fill-ups — and compliance drops to 60-70% within the first month. Before evaluating any fuel management platform, confirm it integrates with your specific card program. Ask for a live demonstration of the integration, not a feature checklist.

MPG by driver is the highest-ROI fuel analytics feature for trucking companies. Identical trucks on similar routes with different drivers regularly show 1-2 MPG variance — $4,000-10,000/truck/year in fuel cost. Fuel management platforms that report MPG per driver (not just per vehicle) surface this variance and enable targeted coaching conversations. The specific behaviors that create the gap are measurable: idle time, cruise control utilization, highway speed, and RPM profile.

IFTA compliance automation is a time-saving case that pays for fuel management software on its own. Trucking companies operating in multiple FMCSA jurisdictions must file quarterly IFTA fuel tax returns. Manual IFTA calculation requires reconciling odometer readings, fuel receipts, and state/province mileage — 4-8 hours per quarter for a small carrier. Fuel management platforms with GPS-integrated jurisdiction tracking generate IFTA-ready reports automatically, reducing quarterly filing time to 20-30 minutes.

Fuel theft detection in trucking falls into two categories: card-level fraud and in-vehicle theft. Card-level fraud is caught by GPS-correlated transaction verification — flagging fill-ups where the vehicle was not near a fuel station at the time of purchase or where fill-up volume exceeded the tank size. In-vehicle siphoning is caught by comparing fuel level sensor data from telematics against expected consumption for parked periods. The most common trucking fraud pattern — filling a personal vehicle using a company fuel card — is caught by tank capacity mismatch alerts.

Fuel price optimization for over-the-road trucking involves routing drivers to preferred fuel stops where contract pricing or fuel card discounts are in effect. WEX and Comdata both negotiate discount programs at participating fuel stops. Fuel management platforms that surface nearby discount stations during route planning can save $0.10-0.30/gallon on fuel stops, adding up to $500-2,000/truck/year in systematic savings.

Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tracking is an undervalued add-on for modern Class 8 fleets running SCR emissions systems. DEF consumption runs roughly 2-3% of diesel consumption, adding $200-400/truck/year in variable cost. Platforms that track DEF purchases alongside diesel purchases give fleet managers a complete view of fuel system costs. Some trucking operations have been surprised to find that DEF purchased at truck stops costs 40-60% more per gallon than DEF purchased in bulk — a cost difference that only becomes visible when you track it systematically.

Driver coaching ROI in trucking fuel management is most clearly demonstrated through idle time reduction. A Class 8 truck idling at low speed burns 0.8 gallons per hour. A 50-truck fleet idling an average of 2 hours per day burns 80 extra gallons daily — $360-400/day or $130,000/year at $4.50/gallon. Fuel management platforms that send real-time idle alerts to drivers and report idle time per driver daily — not monthly — reduce idle by 30-50% within the first 90 days. That single metric routinely generates 10-20x the software subscription cost in a trucking operation.

Pricing guidance

Trucking fuel management runs $8-20/truck/month for platforms with fuel card integration, IFTA automation, and MPG reporting. GPS-correlated fraud detection and tank capacity validation are mid-tier features at $12-25/truck. For a 30-truck carrier: $240-750/month. Most carriers recover this cost within the first quarter from IFTA time savings alone (16-32 hours/year at $50-80/hour accounting rate) plus early detection of one fuel card misuse incident.

How each platform serves trucking fleets

Here's how each leading platform performs specifically for trucking fleet operations.

Samsara

Samsara is a strong fit for trucking companies that want fuel management fully integrated with their ELD and telematics. The platform pulls fuel card transaction data from WEX, Comdata, and EFS, then cross-references each fill-up against GPS position to validate that the truck was physically at the fuel station. IFTA jurisdiction mileage is tracked automatically from continuous GPS data, and quarterly IFTA reports are generated in the format accepted by all 48 IFTA member jurisdictions. The idle time dashboard shows total idle hours by driver per day, and configurable in-cab audio alerts fire after idle thresholds are exceeded. For trucking companies already using Samsara ELD, adding fuel management is a module unlock — no separate hardware. Pricing is negotiated rather than published; typical all-in cost for a 30-truck carrier is $35-50/truck/month for the full telematics-plus-fuel suite.

Geotab

Geotab provides trucking fuel management through its open platform architecture and extensive partner ecosystem. The GO device captures fuel consumption data from J1939/J1708 engine bus connections on Class 8 trucks, giving actual fuel consumed from the engine ECM rather than relying solely on card transaction data. IFTA jurisdiction reports are generated automatically and exportable in standard formats. Geotab's MyGeotab platform integrates with WEX and Comdata for card-level transaction import. The open API allows trucking companies to build custom fuel cost allocation workflows that match their accounting systems. Geotab's biggest trucking advantage is engine data depth — fuel consumption from the ECM catches discrepancies between card transactions and actual fuel consumed that pure card-based systems miss. Pricing varies by reseller; typically $25-40/truck/month.

Motive

Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) is purpose-built for trucking and integrates fuel management natively with its ELD and dash cam platform. Fuel card integration covers WEX, Comdata, and Fuelman with automatic transaction import. The MPG by driver dashboard is one of the most actionable in the trucking segment — it shows each driver's fuel efficiency score relative to fleet average and to similar trucks on similar routes, isolating behavior-driven MPG variance from route and load variance. Idle time reporting includes per-driver daily totals with trend lines showing whether coaching is working. For owner-operators and small carriers on Motive's ELD, the fuel analytics module integrates directly without additional hardware. Motive's trucking-specific design means IFTA reports are formatted correctly for all jurisdictions without configuration. Pricing: $35-55/truck/month for ELD plus fuel management.

Fleetio

Fleetio approaches trucking fuel management from the maintenance and operations angle rather than telematics. Its fuel module tracks diesel fill-ups, calculates MPG per vehicle over time, and flags vehicles whose fuel efficiency drops 10%+ below their rolling average — which typically indicates a maintenance issue (injector fouling, tire pressure, air filter) rather than driver behavior. Fuel card integration with WEX and Fuelman imports transactions automatically. Fleetio's strength in trucking is connecting fuel data to maintenance data — a truck's declining MPG triggers a preventive maintenance work order, not just a fuel alert. For trucking companies where maintenance-driven fuel waste is a larger problem than driver behavior, Fleetio's integrated approach is more actionable than pure fuel management platforms. Pricing: $5-10/vehicle/month for fuel module add-on to fleet management subscription.

Verizon Connect

Verizon Connect offers trucking fuel management as part of its fleet intelligence platform, with particular strength for larger trucking operations running 50+ units. The platform integrates with WEX, Comdata, and Fuelman for fuel card transaction import and provides GPS-correlated validation with the coverage reliability of Verizon's own LTE network — an advantage in rural freight corridors where smaller networks have coverage gaps. IFTA mileage reports are generated automatically and cover all 48 IFTA jurisdictions plus Canadian provinces. The platform's fuel efficiency benchmarking compares trucks against manufacturer-provided baseline consumption profiles, flagging vehicles whose real-world efficiency falls below expected parameters for their truck class and load configuration. Long-term contracts (typically 3 years) are standard. Pricing: $40-55/truck/month at enterprise tier.

Teletrac Navman

Teletrac Navman's fuel management in trucking is strongest for fleets that operate in both the US and Canada and need combined IFTA/IFTA Canada reporting. The platform tracks jurisdiction mileage for all 48 US states and 10 Canadian provinces simultaneously, which matters for cross-border carriers running US-Canada freight lanes. Fuel card integration covers major North American programs. The driver scorecard integrates fuel-impacting behaviors — excessive idling, hard acceleration, engine braking avoidance — with safety events in a single driver performance view, which is useful for trucking companies where the safety manager and fuel manager are the same person. The platform is particularly used by mid-market carriers (50-300 trucks). Pricing: $25-40/truck/month depending on modules selected.

WEX Fleet

WEX Fleet cards are the fuel card most deeply integrated with third-party fuel management platforms for trucking. WEX's data API allows fuel management platforms to import transaction details — gallons purchased, merchant location, price per gallon, driver ID, vehicle ID, and product type — within 24-48 hours of the transaction. This data quality is better than most card programs because WEX captures Level 3 transaction data at participating merchant locations. For trucking companies evaluating fuel management platforms, confirming WEX integration compatibility first is the right starting point. WEX's Trucking Network includes 95,000+ locations including major truck stop chains (Pilot Flying J, Love's, TA/Petro), which maximizes network discount opportunities for over-the-road carriers.

Comdata

Comdata has deep roots in over-the-road trucking and is the second-largest commercial trucking fuel card network. Comdata's SmartFunds platform includes built-in transaction monitoring with per-card velocity controls — limits on gallons per transaction, transactions per day, and approved merchant categories. For trucking companies that want card-level controls without a separate fuel management software subscription, Comdata's platform provides meaningful fraud prevention. The integration with third-party platforms (Samsara, Geotab, Motive) is well-supported via Comdata's Carrier Suite API. Trucking companies operating with drivers who prefer Flying J's discount network benefit from Comdata's specific discount agreements with that chain.

Fuelman

Fuelman (a FleetCor brand) is widely used in trucking for its unrestricted network approach — cards accepted at all open-road fuel stations, not just a proprietary network. For trucking companies with regional routes through areas with limited network coverage, Fuelman's universal acceptance eliminates the out-of-network problem entirely. The trade-off is smaller per-gallon discounts than network-restricted programs. Fuelman's transaction data integrates with major fuel management platforms including Samsara, Motive, and Fleetio. The card's purchase controls — fuel-type restrictions, per-transaction gallon limits, time-of-day restrictions — provide basic fraud prevention at the card level. For trucking companies that value driver flexibility over maximum per-gallon discounts, Fuelman is a practical choice.

#21

Trimble Transportation is one of the most established names in enterprise fleet and transportation management. Born from acquisitions of TMW Systems, PeopleNet, and others, the platform now offers a cloud-native, AI-powered TMS alongside fleet maintenance, driver mobility, and real-time visibility tools. We evaluated the full Trimble Transportation ecosystem — testing its new AI-powered Trimble TMS, analyzing hundreds of user reviews, and comparing it against Omnitracs, Samsara, Motive, and Geot

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fuel management software for trucking — side by side

Pricing, deployment, and trial availability for every platform reviewed. Click any row to read the full review.

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Software	Pricing model	Starting price	Deployment	Free trial
Geotab	Per vehicle	GPS tracking, basic reporting, geofencing	Cloud	Yes
Azuga	Per vehicle	GPS tracking, geofencing, trip history, basic reporting	Cloud	Yes
CalAmp	~$25–$45/vehicle/mo (custom quotes)	Varies by features and fleet size	—	—
ClearPathGPS	~$20/vehicle/mo; no setup fees	Real-time tracking, geofencing, alerts, driver behavior, reporting	—	Yes
Fleet Complete	From $10/vehicle/mo	GPS tracking, geofences, basic reporting. 36-month contract. Best for basic location tracking.	—	—
Fleetio	Per vehicle	Vehicle records, basic maintenance, fuel tracking	Cloud	Yes
GPS Trackit	Per vehicle	Real-time tracking, trip history, basic geofencing	Cloud	Yes
IntelliShift	~$25–$45/vehicle/mo (custom quotes)	Connected vehicle data, GPS tracking, basic safety scoring, reporting	—	Yes
Lytx	Per vehicle	Dual-facing camera, MV+AI, self-managed video review	Cloud	—
Motive	Per vehicle	ELD, GPS tracking, basic reporting	Cloud	Yes
Netradyne	~$30–$50/vehicle/mo + hardware	AI alerts, GreenZone scoring, video cloud storage, driver coaching, analytics dashboard	—	—
Omnitracs	From $23/vehicle/mo (quote-based)	EOBR ($23), Compliance ($32), Premium ($46)	—	—
One Step GPS	~$13.95/vehicle/mo (no contract)	Real-time tracking, geofencing, alerts, trip history, driver reports	—	—
Rastrac	Contact for pricing	Real-time tracking, geofencing, basic alerts	—	—
Samsara	Per vehicle	GPS tracking, basic reporting, geofencing	Cloud	Yes
Simply Fleet	Free plan; Pro from ~$3/vehicle/mo	1 vehicle, maintenance tracking, fuel logging, service reminders, basic reporting	—	Yes
Teletrac Navman	Per vehicle	GPS tracking and basic fleet management	Cloud	Yes
Verizon Connect	Per vehicle	GPS tracking, geofencing, basic alerts	Cloud	Yes
Zonar Systems	From ~$26/vehicle/mo	Includes Zonar Logs, DVIR, Ground Traffic Control, HOS	—	—
Rhino Fleet Tracking	Contact for pricing	Standard rate; all core features included	—	—
Trimble	Contact for pricing	Custom quote	—	—

Frequently asked questions about fuel management for trucking fleets

How does fuel management software reduce fuel costs for trucking companies?

Trucking fuel management reduces costs through four mechanisms: idle time reduction (0.8 gallons/idle hour — catching two idle hours per day per truck saves $1,460/truck/year), MPG coaching by driver (1 MPG improvement across 20 trucks saves $40,000-50,000/year in diesel), fuel card fraud detection (GPS-correlated fill-up verification catches unauthorized purchases), and IFTA optimization (ensures you collect maximum tax credits for fuel purchased in high-tax states). Most trucking carriers see 5-12% total fuel cost reduction with active fuel management.

What fuel cards integrate with trucking fuel management software?

The major trucking fuel card programs — WEX (formerly Wright Express), Comdata, and Fuelman — integrate with most fuel management platforms via API or automated file transfer. EFS (Electronic Funds Source) and TCS Fuel are also widely supported. Confirm your specific card program is on the integration list before evaluating platform features. Some platforms support multiple card programs simultaneously, which matters for carriers with different card programs for different drivers or divisions.

Can fuel management software automate IFTA filing for trucking companies?

Yes — and it is one of the most time-saving applications. Fuel management platforms with GPS-integrated jurisdiction tracking automatically calculate miles driven in each state and province from vehicle GPS data, then match that mileage to fuel purchases by jurisdiction. The resulting IFTA report shows credits and debits by jurisdiction in the format required for quarterly filing. For a 20-truck interstate carrier, this reduces quarterly IFTA prep from 6-8 hours of manual spreadsheet work to 20-30 minutes of reviewing auto-generated reports.

How accurate is GPS-based IFTA mileage tracking compared to paper driver logs?

GPS-based IFTA mileage tracking is significantly more accurate than paper driver logs. GPS systems record every mile with timestamps and jurisdiction boundaries, capturing split miles when a truck crosses a state line mid-route. Paper logs rely on driver-reported odometer readings by state, which are estimated at rest stops and frequently rounded — creating jurisdiction mismatches that generate IFTA audit risk. Most fuel management platforms with GPS integration match actual miles within 1-2% of odometer-based verification, which is within IFTA acceptable tolerance. Paper logs from drivers often show variances of 5-10%.

What is the average fuel cost savings after implementing fuel management software for a trucking company?

Trucking companies typically report 5-15% total fuel cost reduction after implementing fuel management software with active driver coaching. The breakdown: idle time reduction contributes 2-4%, MPG improvement through driver behavior coaching contributes 3-6%, fuel card fraud prevention contributes 1-3%, and in-network fueling optimization contributes 1-3%. For a 30-truck fleet spending $50,000/month on diesel, that is $2,500-7,500/month in savings against $240-750/month in software cost — a 3-10x ROI in the first year.

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