FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions

To better understand the Fuel Usage and Fill Ups feature, we have put together some common questions and scenarios on how fuel usage is calculated, and how the data can help you get the most out of your fuel transactions.

How is fuel usage calculated?

Fuel usage is calculated using a combination of engine-reported fuel data, imported fuel card data, and the GPS-calculated travel distance. The system calculates the fuel used during a trip for a vehicle by querying the Device Total Fuel Used metric from the engine. In addition, the imported fuel transaction data will be used in the calculation, if available. The fuel economy is then reported as the amount of fuel used over the distance travelled with the given fuel (in mpg or L/100 km).

Why is my fuel consumption inaccurate or not being calculated?

Your vehicle may not support the Total fuel used (since telematics device install) diagnostic. Check the Engine Measurements report (Engine & Maintenance > Engine and Device… > Measurements) to see if your vehicle supports the diagnostic. Not all engine computers provide the detailed information needed to calculate all fuel consumption and fill-ups. The tables below shows what is supported.

In Fuel Usage Report

Report will show

Quantity/Consumption

Vehicle diagnostic: Total fuel used

True

Vehicle diagnostic: Fuel level

False

If fuel transactions are imported

True

In Fill-Ups Report

Report will show

Time, Location, Odometer

Amount. Consumption

Cost

Vehicle diagnostic: Total Fuel Used

False

True*

False

Vehicle diagnostic: Fuel Level

True

False

False

If fuel transactions are imported

True

True

True

*Fuel Level or Transaction must also be present

I filled up my vehicle, why do I not see any fill-ups?

  1. Your vehicle may not be able to report the fuel level or the device is not yet capable of capturing the fuel level from your vehicle type. Check whether your vehicle supports the Fuel level diagnostic in the Engine Measurements report (Engine & Maintenance > Engine and Device… > Measurements).
  2. Your selected date range might not include the time at which the fill-up occurred.
  3. The algorithm used to determine fill-ups from the fuel level diagnostic requires a window of data to accurately determine if a fill up occurred. The vehicle may need to be driven for a longer time to have enough data to determine the last fill-up event.

Can rules and exceptions be created for fill-ups?

No, rules and exceptions cannot be created based on fill-ups at this time.

What data must be included in the Fuel Transaction Import Add-In?

Fuel card data must include the following data points:

  1. A UTC date/time of the transaction;
  2. Coordinates (latitude, longitude);
  3. A vehicle identifier that matches at least one of the following telematics device fields:
    1. VIN
    2. Device
    3. Serial Number
    4. License Plate
    5. Description
    6. Comments
  4. Volume (Liters)
  5. Cost
  6. ISO Currency Code

How is fuel card data matched?

To match a fuel transaction to a device, there must be at least one reference between the fuel card data and the device. The following reference fields are acceptable: VIN, Device Serial Number, License Plate, Device Description (name), Username and Comments. If fuel card data cannot be matched to a vehicle, it will not appear as an event on the Fill-Ups page.

Is there an option to auto-import fuel transactions, rather than manually importing via the Fuel Transaction Import add-in?

If you are a WEX, EFS, Fleetcor, Fuelman, Comdata, or Voyager telematics customer you can contact your representative to determine if they can enable your account for automatic importing. If they can, you will need to integrate the Fuel Transaction Provider Add-In into your database and enter your provider’s account number into the Add-In when prompted. Please contact your Partner for more information.

If your provider has enabled the data feed for the provided account number, the fuel transactions will be imported into the database the next time the import service runs (within 24 hours). When fuel transactions have been successfully added to this database, the Last Imported field will be updated with the timestamp of the latest file used for the import.

How do I view the imported fuel card data?

Run the Fill-Up Report. The rows in the Fill-Up Report are derived by either the fuel level or fuel transaction – or a combination of both.

Why are there fill-ups with and without costs for the same vehicle?

The system may have identified a fill-up from engine data that was not matched to an imported fuel transaction.

What if a fuel transaction is not matched to my telematics device?

Unmatched transactions, while saved in the database, are not visible in the Fleet Management Application user interface. These unmatched transactions can be pulled using the FuelTransaction API, available in the Telematics Provider SDK.

I did not import fuel transactions, but I see fill-ups, how is this possible?

In many cases, fill-ups can be identified from engine data.

Is there API access to matched fill-ups?

Currently, the API call “FillUp” in the Telematics Provider SDK now provides access to engine fill-ups, fuel transaction fill-ups, or a combined (matched) fill-up.

Do fuel usage and fill-ups reports have any known limitation(s)?

The fuel usage and fill-up reports have the following limitations that may impact the accuracy or detail of reported items.

  1. Fuel reports may not support certain vehicle types. Refer to the Vehicle Data table to determine if the fuel reports support the vehicle type. For more information, please contact your authorized Reseller.
  2. Fuel use during idling is not included as a separate item in the fuel usage report.
  3. Use of Personal Mode impacts the detail in fill-ups report — fill-ups during a private trip are grouped together.
  4. Fill-ups report may not account for Small/Partial fill-ups since the fuel level change is not noticeable.
  5. Location of the fill-up may be inaccurate. The fill-ups report is not intended for IFTA purposes.
  6. Fill-ups reports may be inaccurate in rare scenarios. For example, a significant change in elevation (i.e. the vehicle tilts) or a significant change in speed may cause the fuel to slosh around.
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