WEX Annual Wrap-Up: Our Top Blogs and Top News

The end of the year is upon us. As we wrap up for the year and look forward to 2017, it’s important to look back on what brought us to where we are. This is why we would like to present to you a very special WEX Wrap-Up, this one highlighting the most popular posts from Fleet, Travel, and WEX Health in 2016, as well as some very special resources to help you understand what we do just a bit more.

WEX Fleet

Which Truck Brand Are You?

Are you a Freightliner? A Mac? A Volvo? Take this short, five question quiz below to learn what truck brand represents your personality!

An Old-School Driver Tries an ELD

With a mandate requiring Electronic Logging Devices soon to be law, there has been a lot of pushback from owner-operators and fleets against the idea of paperless, automated logging and tracking. This blog breaks down a six-week journey of a long-time driver who was chosen by his company to implement an ELD in his truck. Read more about the opinions and takeaways on ELDs from this trucking veteran.

Rethinking Trucker Pay

Even while being less risky than other drivers on the road and working harder than many, media stereotypes, misplaced public opinion, and bureaucrats have created an environment hostile to the trucking industry. Worse yet, according to the National Transportation Institute (NTI), driver pay hasn’t kept up with inflation, leading to high turnover and a huge shortage of drivers.

This article looks at important considerations that should be made while thinking about driver pay: Detention Pay, Guaranteed Miles, Rewards Programs, and more. Read Rethinking Trucker Pay here.

Rescue Dogs as Traveling Companions

Loneliness on the road can get to drivers. Often separated from their family for days or weeks on end, drivers are finding companions on the road in the form of rescue animals. This article tells the story of Finis White and his dog Bailey.

Tips and Tricks for Brake Safety (Brake Safety Week)

One of the most important safety components of a truck is its brakes. Since 1998, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has been conducting annual brake safety events, with inspectors completing inspections to ensure compliance. WEX Fleet took a look into Brake Safety Week 2016 and provided findings for drivers and fleet managers.

Top Resources

Be sure to follow WEX Fleet on LinkedIn and Twitter, and learn more by reading the following resources:

• Whitepaper: Flexible Card Types: A New Way to Manage Vehicles, Drivers, or Both
• Playlist: WEX on Route 66
• Whitepaper: Bulk vs. Retail Fueling

WEX Travel

Service Reigns for Tomorrow’s Corporate Travel Managers

What was once a dollars and cents position, the role of the corporate travel manager has changed. Nowadays, service from vendors has become more important than costs, and it’s time to look at new ways to define value, measure success, and engage corporate travelers. Learn more about the evolution of the role and how to adapt in 2017 by reading this, the number one blog on WEX Travel in 2016.

3 Reasons Virtual Credit Cards Will Become A Leading Corporate Travel Payment Option in 2016

As corporate travel programs globalize—or otherwise become more strategic and complex—travel managers seek universal payment solutions that are convenient, flexible, and secure. This globalization poses challenges for traditional methods of payment like corporate credit cards and central billing arrangements whose lack of visibility, control, and flexibility hold back organizations. Learn more in 3 Reasons Virtual Credit Cards Will Become a Leading Travel Payment Option in 2016.

3 Hot Trends in Business Travel

One of the big words in business travel continues to be “experience.” As travel brands look to improve the travel experience, achieving this requires more than a set of best practices or algorithms. We look into three of the defining trends in travel, and how brands can capture more value through technology, timeliness, and focus on accommodation. Read the three hottest travel trends here.

Travel Managers Adapt Payment Strategies to Meet New Supplier Demands

A new trend in the world of corporate travel is the immediate payment. With suppliers changing payment terms, it pays to improve payments. We look at some of the benefits of immediate payments and how travel managers can adapt to meet changing supplier needs.

How Virtual Card Numbers Fight Payment Fraud in Business Travel

In today’s digital payments environment, there’s always a need for higher security—it just goes with the territory. Some of the most inherently risky methods—following paper checks—are corporate and lodge cards, whose static numbers and lack of visibility stand between organizations and the control they crave. We look at the rise of virtual card numbers and how they can reduce fraud in corporate travel.

WEX Travel Resources and Media

Additionally, we would like to welcome you to follow WEX Travel on Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as checking out some of their top resources this year:

• Checklist: What to Look for in a Virtual Payments Solution
• Whitepaper: Six Ways to Optimize Payment Strategy
• Infographic: North American Business Traveler Trends

WEX Health and the Healthcare Trends Institute

Five Things Employers Should Know about Defined Contribution

The most common option for offering employee healthcare benefits, known as defined benefit, references a traditional model of employers offering a pre-selected, specific range of healthcare plans. However, with the rise of the Affordable Care Act in America, more employers have moved to Defined Contribution, a model designed to improve healthcare decision-making and shift some of the responsibility for healthcare to the employee. Learn more about the Defined Contribution Model here.

Three Big Differences between the Public and Private Exchange Models

During the passing and implementation of the Affordable Care Act, one of the important factors was the individual mandate, a system in which citizens were motivated to sign up for health insurance or to face a penalty. This brought up a wide variety of questions about signing up and ultimately using health insurance. This article breaks down the differences between federal and state public exchanges and private exchanges run by brokers, consulting firms and more.

Employer ACA Considerations for 2017 and Beyond

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations continue to impact both small and large companies as they plan for 2017 and look for ways to grow their businesses. In order to keep up with the changes and challenges ahead, employers need to make decisions that could impact employee satisfaction, engagement, and the company bottom line. Healthcare Trends Institute looks at three important considerations for employers as 2017 approaches.

FSA Carry-Over vs. Grace Period

FSAs are a benefit that have long been used to reimburse employees for qualified medical care expenses incurred by the employee or an eligible family member. Companies are taking a closer look at FSAs to determine how to allow employees to use them and if continuing their use makes sense in the years to come. One of the key considerations is whether to allow employees to carry over a set amount into the next year or to use FSA balances for the first 2 ½ months of the following year. Here are the pros and cons of each.

The Growth Potential of Telemedicine

Telemedicine is a wide-encompassing field allows people to consult medical professionals via technology for a range of illnesses or maintenance follow-up from work or home. The studies continue to show growing interest in telemedicine from both sides of the coin, thus increasing its popularity and use. Learn more about the future of Telemedicine and how organizations and healthcare consumers benefit from it here.

Top Resources to Learn more about the Healthcare Benefits Industry

Additionally, we would like to invite you to follow the Healthcare Trends Institute on Twitter, and to check out their top resources for 2016 below:

• Infographic: Workplace Fitness Matters: Wellness is the #1 Area of Investment and Strategy for Employers in 2017
• Infographic: An Investment Firm’s Guide to HSA Opportunities