County Looks At Fuel Card System

Staff Writer

Van Zandt County may go with a national fleet fuel card company for its law enforcement vehicles.

In the county commissioners’ court session Tuesday, Tom Berry with Fuelman explained the benefits of his company’s gas card system. Berry said the company currently has contracts with seven gas stations in Van Zandt County and an eighth just over the Henderson County line in Mabank.

"We make deals with different locations…We’re a virtual retailer and by using our system, you can buy fuel at a fixed margin," Berry said.

"The system also allows better control of fuel purchases because it is a closed system. You not only can have better control on purchases, but also you can decide what limits will be set," he added.

The greatest benefit of the system, Berry said, would be in providing several locations throughout the county for sheriff’s office vehicles to refuel. Fuelman has contracts with stations in Wills Point, Edgewood, Canton and Van, he said.

Van Zandt County Sheriff Pat Burnett told the commissioners that would likely save the department and its officers in time, and eventually money.

"Right now, if a deputy had a call in Wills Point and then had a call in Rolling Oaks, and he had to refuel, he would have to drive to Canton first, fuel up the car and then drive up to Rolling Oaks," Burnett said in giving an example.

Burnett said he would like Fuelman to seek a contract with a station in both Grand Saline and Ben Wheeler.

"That would provide us with a place to refuel in every area of the county," he said.

Burnett also said he would like to see a Fuelman agreement with Chick’s Chevron in Canton — the current fleet refueling stop for the department — noting, "They have been very good to us."

The other difference-maker for the department would be on long-distance and out-of-state prisoner transports, Burnett said.

Berry touted Fuelman’s reporting system, which he said could be viewed on a password-protected Web site.

He said the pricing for fuel was adjusted weekly.

"It has nothing to do with retail prices. A lot of cities and counties have realized they could not be slave to the retail market," Berry said.

If commissioners choose to approve entering into the Fuelman fleet card system, it would do so through a government cooperative based in Tarrant County.