Method for shippers to manage fuel costs

A computer-implemented method for managing fuel costs, comprising:

• receiving transaction information at a Network Administrator, the transaction information being associated with:
• (a) a shipper who has arranged for a shipment of goods from an origin to a destination;
• and (b) a corresponding carrier that has agreed to transport the shipment using
• (i) a pre-determined maximum number of eligible units of fuel,
• (ii) the fuel purchased by the carrier at a pre-set base price per eligible unit, and
• (iii) the fuel purchased from pre-selected fueling locations;
• wherein the maximum number of eligible units of fuel and the base price per eligible unit for the shipment are established between the shipper and the carrier, and the fueling locations are established by the Network Administrator;
• and
• transmitting to the Network Administrator carrier fuel purchase information associated with fuel purchases made by the carrier at the pre-selected fueling locations, wherein the carrier fuel purchase information comprises the number of units of fuel purchased by the carrier and a price per unit paid by the carrier for all units of fuel purchased.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to:
• receive transaction information, the transaction information being associated with:
• (a) a shipper who has arranged for a shipment of goods from an origin to a destination;
• and (b) a corresponding carrier that has agreed to transport the shipment using
• (i) a pre-determined maximum number of eligible units of fuel,
• (ii) the fuel purchased by the carrier at a pre-set base price per eligible unit, and
• (iii) the fuel purchased from pre-selected fueling locations;
• wherein the maximum number of eligible units of fuel and the base price per eligible unit for the shipment are established between the shipper and the carrier, and the fueling locations are established by the Network Administrator;
• and
• transmit to a Network Administrator carrier fuel purchase information associated with fuel purchases made by the carrier at the pre-selected fueling locations.

A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method for managing fuel costs, the method comprising:

• receiving transaction information at a Network Administrator, the transaction information being associated with:
• (a) a shipper who has arranged for a shipment of goods from an origin to a destination;
• and (b) a corresponding carrier that has agreed to transport the shipment using
• (i) a pre-determined maximum number of eligible units of fuel,
• (ii) the fuel purchased by the carrier at a pre-set base price per eligible unit, and
• (iii) the fuel purchased from pre-selected fueling locations;
• wherein the maximum number of eligible units of fuel and the base price per eligible unit for the shipment are established between the shipper and the carrier, and the fueling locations are established by the Network Administrator;
• and
• transmitting to the Network Administrator carrier fuel purchase information associated with fuel purchases made by the carrier at the pre-selected fueling locations.