Why fuel terms matter when you choose a factor
Fuel is the cost that hits a carrier first and most often. You buy it before the load delivers, and long before the broker pays. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly diesel survey put the national average on-highway diesel price at $6.352 per gallon for the week of October 26, 2026, up $2.634 from a year earlier. At those prices, a few cents a gallon off at the pump, or the ability to draw cash for fuel the day you pick up, can matter as much as a fraction of a point on the factoring rate.
That is why nearly every freight factor now sells a fuel card alongside factoring, and why the fuel program often comes up in the sales pitch before the rate does. The headline discounts are real in the sense that they come from the factor's own pages. They are also averages and maximums, measured in different ways over different periods, often at a limited set of stations. This guide puts what each factor publishes side by side and explains how to read it.
Fuel card and fuel advance terms by factor
Everything in this table is quoted from the factor's own website as we found it on November 3, 2026. Where a factor does not state a figure on its site, the cell says "not published". That does not mean the factor has no such program, only that you will have to ask for the terms.
| Factor | Fuel card program | Discount as published | Fuel advance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Capital | Apex TCS Fuel Card; "more than 2,300 in-network fuel discount locations" | "Average savings of 49 cents per gallon is based on actual in-network TCS client transactions from Q1-Q3 2026" | Not published as a load advance; "a $2,500 fuel credit line for clients who qualify" | Apex fuel card |
| OTR Solutions | OTR Fuel Card; "3,000+ in-network locations", accepted at "over 8,000 stations nationwide" | "Save an average of $0.50 per gallon" | "up to 50% of the linehaul"; advances to the OTR Fuel Card cost $15, via Comchek $24 | OTR Fuel Card |
| RTS Financial | RTS fuel card (Fleet One, Total Fleet and Self-Funded options); "over 4,000 fuel stations nationwide" | "Save an average of 45 cents per gallon" (footnote: "Average savings per gallon in 2025") | Not published as a load advance; Fleet One "Credit lines up to $3,200 per truck, per week" | RTS fuel card |
| TAFS | Not published; tafs.com now redirects to ecapital.com | Not published | Not published | tafs.com |
| Triumph | Fuel card issued through TransConnect Services (TCS); "2,000+ in-network locations nationwide" | "Average savings of 49 cents per gallon is based on actual in-network TCS client transaction for Q3 of 2026" | "Up to 50 percent fuel advances directly to your fuel card"; "Free same-day funding to your fuel card" | Triumph discount fuel program, Triumph Make Cents |
| Bobtail | Bobtail Mastercard fleet card; "1,300+ locations with fuel savings, including TA, Petro, TA Express, Speedway, and Casey's" | "Up to $2.14 per gallon, 41¢ per gallon on average" | Not published; FAQ answer to fuel advances points to the fleet card | Bobtail home, Bobtail FAQ |
| eCapital | eCapital Fuel Program; available with or without factoring | "Average discount of $0.43/gallon"; "savings up to $2.40 at select locations" | Not published as a load advance; "$2,500 in pre-approved credit" | eCapital fuel program |
| Riviera Finance | Riviera Finance Fuel Card (TCS); "Over 2,300 discount locations offering Retail Minus or Cost Plus fuel discounts" | "49 cents per gallon", "based on actual in-network TCS client transactions for Q1-Q3 of 2026" | Not published | Riviera fuel card |
| Thunder Funding | Thunder fuel card; "8,000+ locations nationwide" | Not published as a figure; "cash or discounted prices at the pump instead of credit pricing" | "up to 50% of the load amount" "Within 15 minutes of loading", "7 days-a-week" | Thunder fuel cards, Thunder fuel advances |
| Porter Freight Funding | Fuel cards offered (site title: "Factoring and Fuel Cards for Truckers") | Not published (site refused our automated access) | Not published (site refused our automated access) | Porter Freight Funding |
| TBS Factoring | TBS Comdata and TBS EFS cards | "can save drivers up to 90¢ per gallon at some locations" | Not published | TBS fuel cards article |
| 5 Star Freight Factoring | "Fuel Card Discount" offered | Not published as a figure; "at-the-pump fuel discounts" | Offered; "The ability to get an advance on expected fuel costs before you haul the load" | 5 Star Freight Factoring |
A few patterns stand out once the figures are lined up:
- Several factors share one network. Apex, Triumph and Riviera all describe their cards as running on TCS (TransConnect Services) transactions, and two of them quote the same 49-cent average. A factor's fuel card is frequently a co-branded card from a fuel card company, so two factors can give you nearly the same pump price.
- Averages and maximums are different numbers. Bobtail and eCapital publish both a maximum (over $2 a gallon) and an average (41 and 43 cents). TBS publishes only a maximum, at "some locations". Only the average tells you much about a typical month.
- The measurement periods differ. RTS footnotes its average to 2025, Apex and Riviera to the first three quarters of 2026, and Triumph's two pages cite a Q3 2026 figure of 49 cents and, on its Make Cents page, a Q1 2026 figure of 51 cents. When diesel prices move, so does the spread between retail and discounted prices, so averages from different periods are not directly comparable.
- Fuel credit is not the same as a fuel advance. Apex, RTS and eCapital publish a credit line on the card. OTR, Triumph and Thunder publish an advance against the load you are hauling. They solve the same problem in different ways.
How a factor's fuel card works
A factoring company rarely runs its own fuel network. It partners with a fuel card processor (TCS, EFS, Comdata, Fleet One and similar) that has negotiated pricing with truck-stop chains. The factor's clients get the card, often free of setup or monthly fees, and the factor gets a reason for you to keep factoring with it.
Discounts come in two basic forms, and Riviera's fuel card page is one of the few that names both:
- Retail-minus. You pay the posted pump price minus a fixed amount per gallon. Easy to understand, but the savings stay flat even when the station's margin is wide.
- Cost-plus. You pay the station's cost for fuel plus a set markup, regardless of the pump sign. When retail margins are wide, cost-plus usually saves more, which is why Riviera says savings "often" exceed 50 cents a gallon at its cost-plus locations.
Which chains are in network is the detail that decides whether a card helps you. The factors that name chains point mostly to TA and Petro, Speedway, AMBEST, Sapp Bros and Roady's for discounts. Riviera says its card is accepted at Pilot, Flying J and Love's, and RTS lists Pilot Flying J among its partners. Being accepted at a chain is not the same as getting a discount there; RTS's own FAQ says "You cannot access your fuel discounts at out-of-network stations" (RTS FAQ).
Most factor cards also work as a payment tool. Factoring proceeds or advances can be loaded straight onto the card, and you can usually set daily limits and restrict what drivers buy. Thunder, for example, advertises setting "daily limits on expenses and gallon purchases" on its fuel card page.
How fuel advances work
A fuel advance gives you part of a load's value at pickup, before you deliver and before you submit the invoice for factoring. The factor sends the money to your fuel card (or as a fuel check such as a Comchek), and deducts it from what it funds you when the full invoice comes in.
The published terms differ on three points:
- How much. OTR, Triumph and Thunder each publish up to 50%, though OTR measures it against the linehaul and Thunder against "the load amount".
- How fast. Thunder says funds can be available within 15 minutes of loading; Triumph advertises same-day funding to the card.
- What it costs. OTR is the only factor in our table that publishes a per-advance fee: $15 to its own card and $24 by Comchek. Triumph says funding to its card is free. Everyone else does not say.
Treat an advance as part of the same transaction as the factored invoice, not as free money. If the load is cancelled, the delivery is rejected or the broker short-pays, the advance still has to be repaid out of your next funding. Ask how that recovery works before you rely on advances for every load.
Caveats before a fuel card decides your factor
Fuel discounts are a genuine benefit, but they are also a retention tool. Read the factoring contract with the fuel program in mind.
- The discount may depend on factoring. RTS says bundling fuel and factoring gets you "better savings and lower rates", and eCapital offers "exclusive discounts on your factoring rate" when you bundle. If you leave the factor, ask whether the card stays, the pricing changes, or the credit line closes. Our guide on how to switch factoring companies covers notice periods and releases.
- Fees outside the network. OTR advertises "$0 In-Network Transaction Fees"; Riviera says "low transaction fees" without a figure. Out-of-network fees are rarely published. Ask for the full card fee schedule; Bobtail, for one, links a separate Mastercard fee schedule from its factoring page.
- Volume minimums and monthly minimums. A fuel discount does not offset a factoring contract that charges a monthly minimum or a long term with an early-termination fee. See factoring hidden fees and how to read a factoring contract.
- "Up to" figures. A maximum discount is usually one station on one day. Plan on the average, and then check whether the in-network stops are on your lanes.
- Credit lines are credit. A fuel credit line on the card is repaid from your settlements. It helps cash flow; it is not a discount.
How to compare fuel programs
The useful comparison is your cost per gallon on your routes, not the headline.
- Pull a month of fuel receipts and note where you actually buy fuel.
- Ask each factor for its in-network station list and check how many of your regular stops are on it.
- Ask whether each stop is retail-minus or cost-plus, and what the discount was last week.
- Ask for the card fee schedule, including out-of-network transactions, cash advances and fuel-check fees.
- Ask whether the card, its pricing and any credit line stay with you if you stop factoring.
- Run the factoring rate separately on the calculator, then add the fuel savings, rather than letting one hide the other.
As an illustration only: a truck burning 1,500 gallons a month that saves 40 cents a gallon on all of it would save $600 a month. If only half that fuel is bought in network, the saving is $300. Compare that to the difference in factoring fees on your monthly invoice volume.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to factor with a company to get its fuel card?
Not always. eCapital says its fuel program "is now available on its own", and RTS offers a self-funded card. Others describe the card as part of the factoring relationship, and some tie credit lines or better pricing to factoring. Ask before you assume.
Is a factoring company's fuel card better than a regular fuel card?
The pump discount often comes from the same processors that sell cards directly, so the per-gallon price may be similar. What a factor adds is integration: advances and factoring payments land on the card, and some offer credit backed by your receivables. Compare the price at your stops, not the brand.
What is the difference between a fuel advance and a fuel credit line?
A fuel advance is an early payment against a specific load, deducted when that load is funded. A credit line lets you buy fuel on the card and repay it later, usually from settlements. OTR, Triumph and Thunder publish advances; Apex, RTS and eCapital publish credit lines.
Why do two factors quote the same fuel discount?
Because they use the same fuel card network. Apex, Triumph and Riviera each tie their published average to TCS client transactions, and Apex and Riviera both quote 49 cents for Q1 to Q3 of 2026.
Can I keep my discounts at Pilot or Love's?
Check the network list. Some factor cards are accepted at Pilot, Flying J and Love's but give their discounts mainly at TA and Petro and partner chains. A card that is accepted somewhere does not necessarily discount there.