Trucking firms and independent trucking carriers have to file complicated fuel tax reports that are required under the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA). Initially developed as a CD-ROM called Fuel FasTax™ (1998) and now existing as an on-line application efueltax.com (October 2000), Carole has created a software application that saves time and money for truckers by streamlining the preparation and reporting of fuel tax reports.

This product applies to Canada and the United States. A trucker enters the trip's fuel and distance data only once and this application automatically calculates and prints IFTA forms for easy filing. The internet-based application efueltax.com provides a simple, consistent procedure for drivers and staff that helps avoid late penalties by making filing efficient and timely. The built-in checks on the software helps to reduce the errors and on-line tech support is available.

Carole and her staff are currently developing wireless handheld applications for the Palm Pilot and mobile phones. This new project, which is partly funded by NRC, will include another internet-based portal called etruckingsolutions.com that helps mobile truckers stay in touch with their families and find out fuel prices and road conditions along their route.

About the Inventor

When Carole Theriault Daley graduated in 1985 from high school in Miramichi, New Brunswick, she never dreamed that one day she would be an entrepreneur. She started her working life in a traditional career, working as a human service counselor for mentally and physically challenged adults. After attending a seminar about information technology in 1994, she and her husband, Raymond, were both intrigued by the possibilities of the new information-based economy. They quit their jobs and enrolled in a two-year program called Knowledge Engineering. With the support of their families who helped care for their daughter Kate, Carole and Raymond immersed themselves in learning about information technology (IT). They studied subjects such as software engineering, web design, artificial intelligence, and business.

After completing their Knowledge Engineering course, Carole and Raymond set up their own IT company called ALT Group Incorporated. One of their clients in their first year of business was a trucking firm that needed help with a spreadsheet that tracked the information required by government agencies. Recognizing the need for a software-based product for the trucking industry, Carole and her team approached the Waterloo Innovation Centre for assistance in evaluating the opportunity.

Initially, the software was sold as a CD-ROM, and in October 2000 evolved into efueltax.com, which is available as an e-commerce subscription service over the internet. The fast pace of innovation in the IT business creates a constant challenge for Carole to keep abreast of the changes. Juggling priorities as a mother, wife and entrepreneur is another challenge, but Carole finds her work "very rewarding."