Background
Farmers Business Network helps family farmers increase profitability through a modern, data-driven platform. Their mobile workforce relied on a flat allowance and fuel card to cover business use of personal vehicles, but the program didn’t account for actual miles driven. The result: drivers were taxed on their allowance, creating frustration and financial inefficiency.
Challenges
FBN discovered that their one-size-fits-all mileage approach created several issues:
- Drivers were taxed on flat allowances, creating significant tax waste
- Payments didn’t reflect real mileage or location-based costs
- Fuel-card plus allowance structure was inequitable
- The business needed a compliant reimbursement model
Leadership recognized the need for an upgraded reimbursement solution that aligned with the organization’s data-driven approach.
So what?
The old program overpaid in some areas, underpaid in others, and led to unnecessary expense across the workforce.
Objectives
FBN set clear goals for a modern reimbursement program:
- Eliminate tax waste across the driver population
- Increase driver satisfaction and take-home pay
- Improve accuracy through automated mileage capture
- Ensure smooth change management and high adoption
The Motus Solution
FBN transitioned to the Motus FAVR program, replacing flat allowances with accurate, IRS-compliant reimbursements based on each driver’s actual mileage and geography.
Though adoption required a change in habits, FBN accelerated engagement by identifying driver advocates who shared their positive experiences with the new program. Once employees saw the impact, including more money in their pockets and less time spent on admin work, adoption increased rapidly.
The Motus App provided automated mileage capture, reducing administrative tasks and giving managers instant access to trip data, improving transparency and control.
FBN’s Global Fleet Manager, Ashley Costello, credits Motus for enabling both smooth rollout and measurable impact:
The Results
FBN realized significant financial and workforce benefits:
- $170,816 in annual savings from reducing tax waste
- Drivers earn $1,272 more per year on average in non-taxable reimbursements
- Faster, more accurate mileage capture, reducing administrative tasks
- Greater visibility for managers, thanks to instantly accessible mileage data
- Successful organizational rollout, with Canadian expansion underway
FBN is now exploring additional Motus solutions, including BYO and Protect, to create a centralized vehicle program for all drivers.