With 3.5 million truck drivers on America’s highways and hundreds of millions spent each day on fuel, it’s no surprise that card-skimming robs companies and consumers of more than $1 billion each year.
Fraud continues to threaten the trucking industry on a massive scale, with card skimming alone increasing more than 700% in 2022. As scammers continue to evolve and refine their skimming methods, card-carrying drivers find themselves more and more powerless against money lost at the pump.
Card skimmers come in all shapes and sizes, but share one thing in common: They require a physical card. Whether a credit, debit, or fuel card, skimming devices installed at pumps, merchant registers, and ATMs are made to steal and transfer information from the card’s magnetic strip when swiped.
Once collected, the card details are transferred to a nearby computer where they are then used to create an identical replica, allowing the scammer to immediately conduct fraudulent charges or sell the card information for others to use.
With fuel cards being a primary form of payment in the trucking industry, card skimmers will collect the information to create a dummy fuel card. Once created, the scammer will “purchase” fuel (on the driver or carrier’s dime) and resell it for their own personal profit. While carriers and fuel-card issuers often set daily spend caps to limit fraud risk, scammers have various ways of working around this.
While there are often signs you can look for to suggest a compromised machine, many scammers are highly skilled and implant devices in ways that are undetectable. A truly fraud-free experience requires an indestructible internal security system.
Simply put, the safest way to avoid card skimming is to eliminate the use of cards.
In the face of mounting fraud crises, the trucking industry has begun to swiftly move away from physical fuel and fleet cards, toward secure, digital payment solutions like Relay.
With completely cardless designs, stringent security measures, and around-the-clock safety audits, contactless payment methods provide the trucking industry with reliable payment options that are as secure as they are convenient.
From brand-specific fuel rewards and payment apps, to full-service digital platforms like Relay, today’s modern payment solutions are not only nipping fraud in the bud, but they are also empowering drivers and carriers to customize their security with features like pre-approved locations, spend limits, and more. Driven by single-use, secure, app-generated codes, drivers are able to make fast payments safely, while eliminating the risk of compromised information.
By eliminating fraud and saving time at the pump, carriers can save thousands of dollars. Use the calculator below to find out how much you could save with cardless payments.
Whether using your negotiated merchant discounts or signing up for the Relay Clutch Program, you'll save money by eliminating fuel fraud through Relay's digital payments.
To learn how your organization can use digital payments to reduce fuel card fraud and protect over-the-road transactions, contact Relay today.
In addition to its unmatched security, the Relay truck driver app allows drivers to make instant lumper and OTR payments, as well as conveniently find on-route truck parking and diesel discounts. With an easy-to-use interface, Relay helps drivers get the job done in less time, with less effort, and all from the palm of their hands.