Fleet Fuel Report Doesn't Match Fuel Cards? How to Find the Gap
Timi
Your tracking platform says the fleet used one amount of fuel. Your fuel card statement says another. That gap is either a data problem or money walking out of the door.
Where telematics fuel figures come from
Not all fuel data is equal. Depending on the setup, the figure might come from:
- CAN data: real fuel used or tank level, read from the vehicle. Usually the most accurate.
- Fuel level sensor: an added probe in the tank. Accurate when calibrated.
- Estimates: calculated from distance and a fixed consumption figure. Rough at best.
If your platform is estimating, it will never match fuel cards exactly. Check which method your system uses first.
Data reasons for a mismatch
Estimates instead of real data
An estimate assumes every vehicle uses the same fuel per mile. Real consumption depends on load, driving style, traffic and idling. See Ruptela tracker not reading CAN data for how to get real fuel data on supported trackers.
Tank level sloshing
Tank level sensors read differently on hills, corners and under braking. Good systems smooth this out. Poor ones show fuel going up and down randomly.
Mileage errors
If mileage is wrong, fuel per mile is wrong too. See GPS tracker showing wrong mileage.
Missing data
Gaps from trackers going offline mean fuel used during those trips is missing from the report.
Timing differences
Fuel card statements are by transaction date. Telematics reports are by trip date. Fill-ups at the end of a period can show in different months.
Real reasons for a mismatch
Sometimes the data is right and the gap is real.
Fuel card misuse
Fuel bought on a company card that never went into the company vehicle. Common signs:
- Fill-ups bigger than the tank size.
- Fuel purchases when the vehicle was somewhere else.
- Multiple fill-ups on the same day.
- Premium fuel bought for vehicles that do not need it.
Matching fuel card transactions to vehicle location at the time of purchase is the fastest way to spot this.
Idling
Engines left running at stops burn fuel without adding mileage. Telematics can show idling time, and it is often more than people expect. See our guide to fleet fuel costs in the UK.
Personal use
Vehicles used out of hours or on unauthorised trips use fuel that does not show on business trips. Out-of-hours alerts help here.
How to close the gap
- Find out which fuel method your telematics uses.
- Move to CAN or sensor data where possible.
- Fix mileage and offline issues first.
- Match each fuel card transaction to where the vehicle was at that moment.
- Track idling by vehicle and driver.
- Set alerts for out-of-hours use.
Getting fuel data you can trust
Traknova brings fuel and location data together so you can spot real waste and misuse, not just noise. Our fuel savings calculator shows what reducing idling and misuse could save, and our guide on cutting fleet fuel costs goes further.
Summary
Check whether your fuel figures are real or estimated. Fix mileage and data gaps. Then match fuel cards to vehicle location. What is left is usually idling, misuse or personal use.