Keeping Tabs On The Accuracy Of Travel Expense Claims With GPS Tracking

Fuel costs have always been an expensive aspect of running any business. However, over the past couple of months, the cost of fuel globally has skyrocketed to record levels. In South Africa, this cost has been exacertbated by an unfavourable exchange rate and various arduous fuel levies imposed by government.

All of this has hit South African businesses pretty hard.

The extremely steep fuel prices aren’t expected to taper off much anytime soon, so if there was ever a time to keep close tabs on your business’s fuel expenses, it’s now.

Thanks to the high fuel costs, fuel fraud is being committed by dishonest employees at higher rates than ever before. Employees have more motive than ever to be unscrupulous and dishonest in their fuel expense claims

The question is: how can you protect your business against the rising tide of expense claim fraud amid some of the highest fuel prices we’ve ever seen?

Automated Tracking

When using a pen and paper logbook to track employee travel, there is little way to prevent fraud. In theory, employees could simply write whatever they want in the book and there would be no way to verify it.

However, thanks to modern GPS tracking technology – such as GPS Log Book devices – every trip a vehicle takes, no matter how big or small, can be recorded in astonishing detail. The precise start- and end-point locations, kilometres travelled, routes taken, and even travel speeds.

Our GPS Log Book devices not only record all the relevant employee travel information, but they are also able to produce detailed printouts and reports of various kinds so that employers and managers can rest assured that the expense claims are legitimate.

Some of the reports that our devices generate include SARS-compliant tax log books, tax business trips report, tax detailed and summary reports, business travel claim report, vehicle trip list and zone detail reports.

We’ve seen a shift over the past few months as more businesses are opting to use our devices to protect themselves from being defrauded. With the GPS Log Book tracking their every move, unscrupulous employees can no longer defraud you by adding fictional kilometres to their travel claims.

Some customers have reported that they have saved thousands of Rands in just the first month of using GPS Log Book devices to generate and/or verify travel claims. Over a year, this can add up to a significant amount of money saved – well beyond the return on investment.

You’re much less likely to ever have to go through the ordeal of investigations, hearings, visits to the CCMA, as well as the loss of an employee and the loss of money, if you have an effective GPS system in place that employees are aware of. The GPS Log Book system can act as an effective deterrent to employees who might be otherwise tempted to fudge their logbooks.

How It Works

We have two GPS Log Book devices available – the GPS Log Book Classic and the GPS Log Book LiVE.

The Classic, which plugs into the vehicle’s 12 V cigarette lighter port, is generally more suited to individuals who wish to track and manage their own travel and to generate reports whenever needed. Many use these devices to submit SARS-compliant tax log books.

The LiVE, however, is more suited to employers who wish to track their vehicles fleets, offering the same functionality as the Classic but with the added ability to view a vehicle’s movements in real-time.

The LiVE plugs into a vehicle’s OBD-II port, which means it can be concealed better and will also be less prone to tampering.

The LiVE is the perfect tool for tracking your employee’s driving when on the job and, like the Classic, can produce all manner of reports on demand.

Never be defrauded on travel expense claims again by an unscrupulous employee. Get protected and get a GPS Log Book device today!

Try our SARS Tax Calculator to see how much you could be saving!