Innovation in financial services for road transport

Brazilian highways are the heart of national logistics. More than 111.000 km of roads connect cities and states in Brazil. More than 1,5 million professionals work on these roads in road freight transportation. The modernization of the financial system has enabled new solutions and technologies to meet the needs of truck drivers across the country, and Roadcard plays a leading role in this revolution.

Estimated to represent between 6% and 7% of Brazil's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to data from FreteBras , road freight transport has a significant impact on the economy, transporting products from fundamental sectors such as agribusiness, construction, and retail. According to SETCESP (Union of Freight Transport Companies of São Paulo and Region), truck drivers are responsible for moving 65% of the products and goods produced in the country.

Founded 13 years ago, Roadcard has established itself as the leading Electronic Freight Payment Institution (IPEF) in Brazil . Approved by the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), the company plays a strategic role in the logistics and road freight transport sector. Through its financial solutions , the organization integrates truck drivers, transport companies, and contractors in a practical, efficient, and legally compliant manner.

In this article, we will show how Roadcard is leveraging current technologies to offer innovative financial services to truck drivers and companies across Brazil. We will discuss how the company seized a unique market opportunity to develop financial solutions and products that give truck drivers more autonomy and freedom of choice.

The challenge of finding a fairer and more flexible form of payment for professionals in the sector

Despite its economic importance to Brazil, the road freight transportation sector has faced not only operational challenges, such as infrastructure, but also financial ones, especially those related to the daily lives of truck drivers, for decades. Among the main obstacles to efficiency in this regard, one stands out: the freight letter, an informal payment method that is highly detrimental to carrier productivity.

They means of payment, widely used in Brazil for decades, is completely informal and forced professionals to exchange documents for cash in postfuel, often facing abusive rates. Law No. 12.249, regulated by ANTT in 2010, prohibited the practice of freight letters, requiring that payments be made by traceable means, such as cards ou electronic transfers.

Although regulation was a milestone for the sector, it brought new challenges. The first solutions implemented for freight payment were rigid and impractical. Truck drivers received payments on prepaid cards linked to specific financial institutions , trapping them within the operational frameworks of those banks , from customer service structures to their operating rules.

With this method of receiving payments, it became very common, for example, for truck drivers to deviate from their routes to enter cities and find bank branches to carry out transactions. With the aim of contributing to a less bureaucratic and legally compliant freight payment process , Roadcard decided it was time to act, developing a product designed to bring flexibility, speed, and simplicity to the financial lives of truck drivers.

 

The opportunity to offer more autonomy to truck drivers in partnership with Dock

Facing the im challengepostdue to the freight letter and the difficulties faced with prepaid cards, Roadcard saw the opportunity to offer a solution with truck drivers in mind. Its focus was provide more flexibility, agility and autonomy for the financial lives of drivers and operational efficiency for companies.

As in other sectors, the adoption of Embedded Finance has also proven strategic in road freight transportation. Thanks to its model, which allows financial services to be integrated by companies in any segment, Roadcard partnered with Dock. This allows us to realize the idea of offering financial transportation solutions that combine simplicity and efficiency and, most importantly, meet the needs of truck drivers.

A Dock faced the challenge as a strategic partner, providing all the technological infrastructure necessary for Roadcard to achieve its goal of transforming the industry.

Through the solutions of Dock, Roadcard managed to fill this gap in the road freight transport sector, developing a product that combatted the rigidity of prepaid cards available on the market and the illegality of freight letters.

 

A complete payments ecosystem for the road freight transport sector

This is how Pamcard and Pambank came about , two complementary financial solutions for transportation that transformed the experience of drivers and companies and modernized the road freight transport sector.

With the Pamcard and the Pambank digital account, truck drivers can manage their finances, gaining greater freedom when receiving freight payments. Besides providing greater autonomy, the main benefit for these professionals is the security of receiving the initially negotiated amount.

The Pamcard and Pambank cards are payment solutions offered to truck drivers through the Pamcard system, a complete payment ecosystem for the sector that brings operational efficiency and regulatory compliance to companies and freedom of choice to truck drivers.

In this financial system, the freight contractor can make the payment for the service in a practical and secure way , while the truck driver receives the payment through their preferred method.

Truck drivers can participate in this complete ecosystem through Meu Pamcard , the first superapp that makes life easier for truck drivers on the road. In addition to centralizing the financial management of all funds received on Pamcard cards, the superapp offers access to the Pambank digital account, a digital account specifically designed for road transport drivers.

Through this account, these professionals can receive payments, make transfers and payments, and manage their finances in one place.

 

Pamcard: how it works and what are the benefits

• Prepaid debit card: through which the truck driver can receive the freight value.
• Shipping on Pamcard: Truck drivers can use the freight value they receive at any commercial establishment in the country. If needed, they can also withdraw cash or transfer it to their checking account.
• Voted the best payment method in Top of Mind in Transportation.

 

Pambank: how it works and what are the benefits

• Complete digital account: offers a digital accounts accessible via app, allowing truck drivers to receive freight and other payments in one place, without the need for a traditional bank account.
  Transaction Economics: reduces transfer and withdrawal costs, providing greater savings for drivers.
• Diversified financial services: provides features such as Pix, bill payment, cell phone top-ups, virtual card generation for online purchases, and access to balances and statements, facilitating truck drivers' financial management.
  Practicality and mobility: allows all financial transactions to be carried out directly through the “Meu Pamcard” app, offering convenience and autonomy to users.

 

Pamcard System: How it works and what are the benefits

• Integrated environment: centralizes all payment methods approved by ANTT on a single platform, streamlining operations and ensuring legal compliance.
• Operational efficiency : unifies freight, toll and fuel voucher payment processes, in addition to issuing the Transport Operation Identification Code (CIOT), simplifying logistics management.
• Flexibility in payments: allows you to choose, for each trip, the truck driver's preferred payment method, whether by Pamcard or TAGs such as ConectCar, Move+, Sem Parar and Veloe.
• Legal compliance: assists in complying with legal requirements related to the payment of freight and benefits, avoiding penalties and ensuring legal security.

 

Pamcard Corporate

Furthermore, also in partnership with Dock, Roadcard developed the Corporate Pamcard. The innovative solution arises from the need for companies in the transport sector carry out more professional management of their expenses.

Thus, with this card, employees can receive the amounts that should be used for food, accommodation and fuel in a more practical way, in compliance with labor laws.

 

Revolution with financial solutions for road freight transport: results go beyond figures

To get these projects off the ground, Roadcard had the support of Dock, a leader in financial services solutions in Latin America. Through its products in the pillars of Banking e Cards & Credit, Dock provided all the technological infrastructure to enable the operation of the Pambank digital account, as well as the issuance and management of the Pamcard and Corporate Pamcard.

This partnership not only helped Roadcard modernize the freight transportation sector, but also demonstrated the essential role of a robust infrastructure in leveraging the institution's knowledge of truck drivers' daily lives. "Taking advantage of this proximity [to the customer] to offer services that will make their lives easier, increase their purchasing power, and build loyalty is one of the biggest trends in the financial world," highlights Antonio Soares, CEO of Dock, on the importance of embedded finance for companies in all sectors.

The numbers reflect the impact of this transformation. Today, Pamcard processes over R$15 billion in annual payments and serves approximately 600 truck drivers throughout Brazil. Roadcard has captured 43% of the electronic payments market in the sector, consolidating its position as a leader and benchmark.

These results, however, go beyond figures. Drivers report concrete changes in their routines. A truck driver for over 20 years, Daniel Reis, known as Quexada, summarizes his experience with Roadcard's transportation financial solutions: "The digital account is important not only for movement and safety, since we no longer need to carry cash and checks in the cab, but also because it saves us time and fuel," he says.

"Before, we had to go to companies to receive payments and bring documents. We often couldn't find a parking space and had to navigate neighborhoods. Now, everything is done digitally," he adds.

 

Plans for the future include being even more present in the lives of professionals in the sector

Roadcard, in partnership with Dockdemonstrates how innovation and technology can transform payments in the road freight transportation sector in Brazil. With Pamcard and Pambank, the company not only solved historical challenges in the segment but also set a new standard of efficiency, autonomy, and financial security for truck drivers and carriers.

Committed to its vision of leading market modernization, Roadcard intends to continue investing in technology, expanding its services, and exploring new opportunities to create an even more comprehensive financial ecosystem capable of meeting the growing demands of a sector so essential to the Brazilian economy.
Looking to the future, Roadcard is outlining ambitious plans and devising new ways to add even more value to truck drivers' financial lives. In partnership with Dock, the company intends to incorporate more services into Pambank, including account features such as investment options and the provision of a product marketplace, allowing greater autonomy and satisfaction for these professionals.

 

Financial solutions in transportation: what you saw in this article

• Road freight transport is vital to the Brazilian economy, with truck drivers moving 65% of goods and contributing up to 7% of the country's GDP.
• The informal and harmful practice of letter-freight was banned in 2010, but initial solutions such as prepaid cards created new challenges, such as bureaucracy and dependence on banks.
• Roadcard, Brazil's leading IPEF, has developed transportation finance solutions that offer flexibility, efficiency, and financial autonomy to truck drivers and carriers.
• Pamcard centralizes freight, toll, and fuel payments, providing regulatory compliance and simplifying financial management for carriers and drivers.
• Pambank, a digital account integrated with Pamcard, allows truck drivers to carry out banking transactions directly through the app, eliminating the need for physical travel.
• A Dock provided the technological infrastructure for Roadcard to implement these innovations, modernizing the sector thanks to Embedded Finance.
• Pamcard moves more than R$15 billion per year and serves approximately 600 truck drivers, consolidating Roadcard as a leader in the electronic payments market in the sector.
• Truck drivers have reported significant improvements in their routines, such as time savings and increased safety, thanks to Roadcard's digital solutions.
• Roadcard plans to expand Pambank with new services, such as investment options and a product marketplace, adding even more value to drivers' lives.
• The partnership between Roadcard and Dock demonstrates how technological innovation can transform traditional sectors, promoting efficiency, autonomy and financial security in road freight transport.