Commercial Fuel Buyer Summer 2017 by Fuels Market News

SUMMER ISSUE 2017

How to Find Savings with

Fuel Audits Driving Performance with Telematics

Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience

DEF ROUNDUP F U E L

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F U E L I N G

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L O G I S T I C S

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE EDITORIAL STAFF President and Publisher Gary D. Bevers GBevers@EpicNewsData.com Editorial Director and Digital Publisher Keith Reid KReid@EpicNewsData.com CAO and Associate Publisher Kathy Bevers KBevers@EpicNewsData.com Managing Editor Kyndall P. Krist KKrist@EpicNewsData.com Industry Analysts/Editors Frank M. Hunter FHunter@EpicNewsData.com Nancy Yamaguchi, Ph.D. NYamaguchi@EpicNewsData.com Columnists and Contributors Greg Cushard Vladimir Collak Shane Dyer John Eichberger Doug Haugh Corey Henriksen Maura Keller Alan H. Levine Joseph H. Petrowski W. Brian Reynolds Fred M. Whitaker Editorial Board Paul Reuter, Editor at Large Ed Burke Lisa Calhoun George A. Overstreet, Jr. Joseph H. Petrowski Art Director Jeff Beene JBeene@EpicNewsData.com Account Manager Don M. Hester, Jr. DHester@EpicNewsData.com Digital Products Business Manager Joe A. Martinez JMartinez@EpicNewsData.com Digital Marketing Specialist Scott A. Croom SCroom@EpicNewsData.com Advertising Sales Greg Mosho c 732-610-5735 GMosho@EpicNewsData.com Mailing Address 15201 Mason Road, Suite 1000-288 Cypress, TX 77433 www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

A note from

Gary Bevers, Group Publisher The mission of Commercial Fuel Buyer (CFB) is to provide the commercial fuel buyer with a range of useful information focused on the important fuel products, pricing, regulatory and operational issues that are so critical to your business. One component of the information we focus on is fuel pricing, which is undergoing some exciting developments. At the beginning of 2017, we introduced our free Retail Price Index covering all U.S. metropolitan markets with the EPIC Fuel Gauge web-based application, allowing marketers to drill down beyond the major markets and get localized fuel price data. By using these tools, you can examine retail prices and averages, and gain transparency from lows, highs and averages to adjust your prices accordingly. That was only the beginning. With EPIC News+Data, CFB’s parent company, we are introducing our free EPIC Fuel Gauge Wholesale Price Index for the same 10 metropolitan markets we currently cover with retail pricing, and similarly making localized Rack-City prices available as well, encompassing over 400 Rack-City metropolitan markets. We provide these basic retail and wholesale prices for free to readers of Commercial Fuel Buyer and our sister publications. For added convenience, we are introducing our Daily Fuel Price email newsletter, which will give you and the fuel buyer in your operation a quick and easy way to access retail and wholesale metropolitan market prices every day. Now, through our Fuel Price Discovery portal, both fuel buying and fuel spend management operations can leverage a range of fuel pricing-related products and solutions. In addition to our free publishing-based price service, EPIC News+Data offers EPIC Price Reports—our premium data service—which provides comprehensive indexing and detailed supplier prices in all markets across the United States. EPIC’s wholesale pricing data subscriptions are designed to be user-friendly, cost-effective and to facilitate flexibility in sharing pricing data throughout your organization through simple licensing. Need customized reports? No problem— EPIC will deliver on your requirements at a price point unheard of in the industry today. However, this is only the beginning. The goal of CFB and EPIC News+Data is to provide commercial fuel buyers with independent, accurate and verified pricing data to increase price transparency in the marketplace, which is an ongoing process. Of course, we will keep you informed as these offerings come to market. For intriguing cost-related discussions, see Doug Haugh’s article titled, “Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience: A Cost Benefit Analysis,” or “How to Find Savings with Fuel Audits” by Glen Sokolis. In every issue, our energy-expert columnists deliver objective analyses of the facts, changes and trends in our industry, and what that means to you as a fuel buyer. As we continue to offer new, value-added fuel-related services to our publication, we promise to work hard to make sure you have every reason to make us your go-to news source for motor fuels buying and supply. Register for our e-newsletter at www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com to get in the loop as new content gets posted. Registration is free, and the process is short and easy. Stay tuned—more to come!

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel

9 $ $ $ $ $ $

2018

by Jon Scharingson

California Passes Fuel and Vehicle Tax Bill

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

FUELS & SUPPLY 9

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel How Fuel Goes to Market: Reviewing the Fuels Institute Report by Keith Reid

by Dr. Nancy Yamaguchi

California Passes Fuel and Vehicle Tax Bill by Dr. Nancy Yamaguchi

ON-SITE FUELING 18

FLEET OPERATIONS 34

by Greg Sokolis

Driving Performance with Telematics by Stephen Bennett

How to Find Savings with Fuel Audits

Addressing Corrosion and Microbial Growth in Today’s Fuel Environment by Brad Hoffman

by Doug Haugh

by Stephen Bennett

Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience: A Cost Benefit Analysis by Doug Haugh

Driving Performance with Telematics

Do You Know the ABCs of the EPA 2018 UST Regulation Date? by Peter J. Cochefski

by Peter J. Cochefski

Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience: A Cost Benefit Analysis

by Jon Scharingson

Do You Know the ABCs of the EPA 2018 UST Regulation Date?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bringing a Driver’s Background to the Foreground by Stephen Bennett

BUSINESS OPERATIONS 46

How to Find Savings with Fuel Audits by Greg Sokolis

Leading with Empathy: How Data Analytics Uncovered Claimants’ Fears by Mark Moitoso and Becky Kies

DEF ROUNDUP

INDUSTRY NEWS

66 ADVERTISER’S INDEX

VENDOR VIEWPOINT:

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Distillation is the process of purifying a liquid using evaporation and condensation. Whether it’s fuel, alcohol or water, the goal is to get certain molecules out of the product to purify it.

by Jon Scharingson

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel

The following are three key advantages of distilled biodiesel:

Superior cold-weather performance

Greater feedstock flexibility, which can ease supply and price issues and allow for lower carbon intensity (CI) scores

Increased purity and easier to blend

At first blush, distillation may not be a topic that piques your interest, or maybe you think you already know enough about it from petroleum refining.

Regardless, you would be wise to pay attention to what is shared in this article. Distilled biodiesel has the potential to make a material difference for your business. That’s primarily because of the benefits of a distilled product, but also because it’s a relatively new method of biodiesel purification, and knowing about it can give you a leg up on the competition.

CFB Magazine 9

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

FUELS & SUPPLY

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel

We’ll dive into each advantage in more detail below, but first, let’s review the distillation process.

What Is Distillation? Distillation is the process of purifying a liquid using evaporation and condensation. Whether it’s fuel, alcohol or water, the goal is to get certain molecules out of the product to purify it. You may be familiar with this in petroleum refining, where crude oil is heated to cause sets of molecules to evaporate from the liquid oil. These are the cuts that, when recondensed, result in propane, gasoline, diesel and heavier fuel oils. With biodiesel, distillation involves creating conditions that turn fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)—the molecules that make up biodiesel—from a liquid to a gas so they can be removed. Then the product is converted back to a liquid in a more purified form. Left behind in the distillation bottoms are minor components that can contribute to filter plugging.

How Distillation Is Different You may be wondering how distillation differs from how biodiesel is usually purified. The most common traditional method is known as cold filtration. For example, Renewable Energy Group (REG) has a patented cold filtration process in which crude methyl esters are chilled to a certain temperature. A filter aid is added, and between that and the chilling process, minor components are removed. CFB Magazine 10

To be clear, cold filtration is still a good way to purify biodiesel, but distillation has some additional advantages. Those advantages were listed above, and now we’ll explore them further.

Superior Cold-Weather Performance First is cold-weather performance. Cloud point is one of the most commonly heard terms in the biodiesel industry. Far too often we hear from people who believe it is the only thing that matters when using biodiesel in the cold, and that vegetable-oil-based biodiesel is better because it has a low cloud point. Distillation shows why that notion is wrong. This goes back to the great job distillation does to remove filter-plugging minor components, such as steryl glucosides. With those components taken out of the product, distilled biodiesel can outperform an undistilled product, even at a higher cloud point.

Feedstock Flexibility The ability to create high-quality biodiesel from a variety of feedstocks—feedstock flexibility, as we call it at REG—has two primary advantages. One is it can provide more nimbleness in the commodity markets. If a particular feedstock is experiencing price or supply fluctuations, we www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

FUELS & SUPPLY

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel

Carbon intensity is important because it helps companies meet their sustainability goals. And, if you are doing business on the West Coast in California or Oregon, it is critical due to those states’ low-carbon fuel standard policies.

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can turn to another feedstock and know that our end product will still meet ASTM and customer specifications. This, of course, is good for our customers too.

Purity The removal of minor components in distillation has one more benefit: it helps create the purest form of biodiesel. The enhanced purity also helps distilled biodiesel blend more easily with petroleum diesel. Cold-weather performance, feedstock flexibility and purity— simply stated, those are three significant reasons to try distilled biodiesel. n

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Jon Scharingson

Another advantage of feedstock flexibility is the ability to make biodiesel from feedstocks such as animal fat, used cooking oil and inedible corn oil, which can allow for lower CI scores. Some of the feedstocks with favorable CI scores can result in biodiesel with a higher cloud point, but with cloud point being less of an issue with a distilled product, users can get a fuel with lower CI that also performs well in cold weather.

CFB Magazine 11

Jon oversees the sales and marketing efforts for Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG), a leading biodiesel producer. Contact Jon at Jon.Scharingson@REGI.com, or for more information about REG, visit REGI.com.

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

How Fuel Goes to Market:

Reviewing the Fuels Institute Report by Keith Reid

Since its inception in 2013, the Fuels Institute

has followed an aggressive research agenda. The topics have been varied and explored new ground, ranging from “Shared Travel: Revolution or Evolution?” to “GHG Emissions from Light Duty Vehicles Powered by Natural Gas.” This is in line with its charter as a think tank of fuelsrelated stakeholders, such as fuel retailers, fuel producers and refiners, alternative and renewable fuel producers, automobile manufacturers, environmental advocates, consumer organizations, academics, government entities and other stakeholders with expertise in the fuels and automotive industries. However, the institute’s latest project, “Assessment of the U.S. Fuel Distribution Network,” prepared by Stratas Advisors, takes a different course by providing an easily accessible and manageable overview of the fuel distribution infrastructure throughout the United States, from the refinery to the retailer. As stated in the executive brief, “This report evaluates the U.S. supply chain, how it works and what limitations/weaknesses exist at each point to accommodate diverse fuel specifications and achieving higher rates of biofuels penetration.” The report provides a breakdown of supply issues by Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD), as well as a breakdown of the distribution infrastructure—from the refinery to the terminal to the retail nozzle—and how conventional fuels and biofuels fit into that infrastructure.

“Assessment of the U.S. Fuel Distribution Network” is a document that should be on hand for professionals in all levels of the motor fuels industry. For the novice, it will help them rapidly get up to speed with a general understanding as to how fuel goes to market. Experienced industry professionals might very well get some new insight from the specifics noted, and further appreciate having the information in an accessible format at hand for reference. Additionally, it’s free and available for download after providing a few simple registration details. This report should also be useful for audiences outside the industry—which was a core consideration in its development—such as regulators, legislators and automobile engine manufacturers, who have significant influence over the industry. “There is a lack of awareness from non-fuel-specific stakeholders as to how the market works,” said John Eichberger, Fuels Institute’s Executive Director. “If you start talking about the different fuel options being discussed for the future, we really think it’s important that everybody has a basic understanding of the complexity of the market. If you have that basic understanding, the hope is, as you evaluate options, you will have a better understanding of the consequences and additional challenges that might develop.”

CFB Magazine 12

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

FUELS & SUPPLY

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel

The complexity is well illustrated in the full report. As highlighted in the executive brief: “With more than 12 million barrels of transportation fuel consumed every day, the United States lays claim to one of the largest and most complex fuel supply chains in the world. “During the past decade, the U.S. transportation fuel market has shifted dramatically. The U.S. has gone from being one of the world’s largest importers of petroleum products to a net exporter of transportation fuels. “With the exception of the West Coast (PADD 5), each PADD has an imbalance of supply and demand that is resolved through logistical connections that are used to make up those imbalances. In many cases, the imbalance is resolved not just by inter-PADD movements, but also through foreign imports and exports. “One of the key limiters of the U.S. transportation fuel value chain flexibility is the varying specifications and mandates that exist across the country, known as boutique fuels. Within each specified market, it is impermissible to sell a fuel that does not meet the region’s specification.”

CFB Magazine 13

The report notes that California faces a variety of challenges based upon its environmental policies. Regardless of what happens in coming years at the federal level, California will most certainly be as aggressive in its carbon remediation policies as ever, and that’s in partnership with a handful of western and northeastern states. From a market standpoint, it can be easier for industries to voluntarily go along with California even if those policies are not required federally. One issue, for example, is the future of diesel in California. “A lot of fuel providers are talking, saying that, really, the only viable diesel in California is going to be renewable diesel,” said Eichberger. “If that’s the case, then you start looking at what the federal government’s role is going to be in either encouraging, discouraging or getting out of the way of renewable diesel development. That could affect the California market directly. I really think when it comes down to it, if this is read by the right people, hopefully it will inspire more of a pragmatic approach to market policy development than you might have seen in the past.” n Download the full report at www.FuelsInstitute.org/Infrastructure.

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

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by Dr. Nancy Yamaguchi

California Passes Fuel and Vehicle Tax Bill “Iliketopaytaxes.Withthem,Ibuycivilization.” —SaidNoOneEver Admittedly, the “Said No One Ever” part was added by the author. The quote is accepted as a paraphrase of, “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society,” written by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., in a dissent he wrote in 1927. It has been paraphrased and requoted in various forms, perhaps because the sentiment used to be common in a way that it no longer is.

FUELS & SUPPLY

Three Ways to Benefit from Distilled Biodiesel

The topic of tax increases is contentious, and it seems even more contentious when the tax increase affects gasoline. Yet California is now planning an increase in taxes on gasoline and diesel. The tax increase will be a 12-cents-per-gallon excise tax on gasoline, a 20-cents-per-gallon excise tax on diesel and an additional 4% increment sales tax on diesel, to start November 1, 2017.

California Governor Jerry Brown made a personal appeal to the Senate to support this bill, acknowledging the political difficulties of increasing taxes but speaking strongly for the need to repair transport infrastructure. A state assemblyman is already starting an initiative to repeal the bill.

The bill proposes a new Transportation Improvement Fee (TIF), which escalates based on the market value of vehicles. It also proposes a Road Improvement Fee of $100 per vehicle for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), which have been exempt from certain fees to promote their adoption.

As a quick calculation of costs related to gasoline:

As a practical side note for fuel marketers and fuel purchasers, an increase in California’s motor fuel taxes is likely to cause a surge in fuel buying at stations just before the border crossing. The bill is SB-1 “Transportation Funding (2017 – 2018),” and the full text is available at LegInfo.Legislature.ca.gov. The following summary is taken from the Assembly Floor Analysis:

• California used 15,297,030,909 gallons of gasoline in 2016, according to the Board of Equalization.

• California’s population is estimated at 39.35 million.

• Gasoline consumption per capita is therefore 388.74 gallons per year.

• An increase of 12 cents per gallon in gasoline tax equates to $46.65 per person per year.

SUMMARY: Increases several taxes and fees to raise the equivalent of roughly $52.4 billion over ten years in new transportation revenues and makes adjustments for inflation every year; directs the funding to be used towards deferred maintenance on the state highways and local streets and roads, and to improve the state’s trade corridors, transit, and active transportation facilities. Specifically, this bill:

1) Increasesanumberoftaxesandfeesfor transportationpurposes: a) Increases the excise tax on gasoline by $0.12 per gallon, starting November 1, 2017. b) Increases the excise tax on diesel fuel by $0.20 per gallon, starting November 1, 2017. c) Increases the sales tax on diesel fuels by an additional 4% increment, starting November 1, 2017. d) Creates a new annual Transportation Improvement Fee (TIF), starting January 1, 2018, based on the market value of the vehicle with the fee range described below:

Naturally, since not all people drive, the cost for active motorists will be higher. However, motorists may find the “user-pays” tax palatable if the revenue is strictly devoted to the task of fixing roads. In the past, monies collected for transportation purposes were diverted because of a state budget crisis. The language of SB-1 is being crafted to prevent diversion. It is noteworthy that President Donald Trump recently stated that he would consider raising the federal tax on gasoline to help pay for some of the infrastructure spending he promised during his campaign. Although President Trump promised to cut taxes, he must now find the money to pay for the ambitious projects he has proposed. It would be an interesting moment in political history to find President Trump and Governor Brown both advocating higher taxes on gasoline. n

i) $25 per year for vehicles with a market value of $0 – $4,999; ii) $50 per year for vehicles with a market value of $5,000 – $24,999;

Dr. Nancy Yamaguchi

iii) $100 per year for vehicles with a market value of $25,000 – $34,999; iv) $150 per year for vehicles with a market value of $35,000 – $59,999; and, v) $175 per year for vehicles with a market value of $60,000 and higher e) Creates the Road Improvement Fee of $100 per vehicles for Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV)s, as defined, starting in 2020 for model year 2020 and later. CFB Magazine 15

Dr. Nancy Yamaguchi is an author and petroleum industry expert specializing in the advanced analysis of energy markets. Dr. Yamaguchi is the Senior Markets Analyst for EPIC News+Data and the President of Trans-Energy Research Associates, where she focuses on a wide spectrum of fuel-related issues such as economics and the environment. She possesses a strong interest in global oil industry, including supply, demand and trading trends, as well as transport, refining, product blending, alternative and reformulated fuels, product quality and price behavior. Dr. Yamaguchi can be reached at NYamaguchi@Trans-Energy.com.

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Trucks carried 63.7% of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $32.6 billion of the $54.3 billion of imports (60.0%) and $31.3 billion of the $45.9 billion of exports (68.1%). Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Bottom Line:

Although America continues its romanticism with railroadsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and railroads do play a major part in freight transportationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;trucks are by far the largest mover of choice for inland transportation of manufactured goods.

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

VENDOR VIEWPOINT:

Do You Know the ABCs of the EPA 2018 UST Regulation Deadline? by Peter J. Cochefski

It was 1988 when the world of retail fueling in the United States changed forever—and for the better. That’s when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—in response to the shocking revelation that thousands of underground storage tanks (USTs) were leaking petroleum products and contaminating groundwater supplies—introduced a program, which included technical compliance standards that more stringently regulated USTs containing petroleum or other hazardous materials.

Basically, those regulations set operating requirements and standards pertaining to tank design and installation, leak detection, spill and overfill control, corrosion protection, corrective actions and tank closure. Those landmark regulations—with a few tweaks by the EPA regarding leak detection, training, required inspections and compliance reporting tied into the Energy Policy Act of 2005—resulted in a massive cleanup of leaking USTs and served the industry extremely well for nearly 30 years, or until 2015. That’s when the EPA announced the first major changes to its UST regulations since the Reagan administration, all of which will have a profound effect on how the owners and operators of retail fueling sites will conduct their businesses going forward.

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www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

ON-SITE FUELING

What You Need to Know The most important thing to know is, by October 13, 2018—a date that seems to be in the distant future, but in the world of regulatory compliance is actually just around the corner—all fueling sites must either be in compliance with the EPA’s new regulations, or have produced written proposals showing how they plan to eventually come into compliance. So, what’s new? The most overarching aspect of the new UST regulations is that there will now be a set of national standards with which every fueling site must be in compliance. In the past, while there were national standards established, many states had their own individual UST compliance standards, which superseded the national regulations.

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The new national standards will also bring those fueling sites located on Indian lands, which had been autonomous in the past and subject only to tribal regulations, under the national compliance umbrella. Here are some of the major new regulations that will become law next year:

• Spill bucket testing will be required every three

years, unless the UST system is outfitted with double-wall spill buckets where the interstitial space is tested regularly. Some states, such as California and Maryland, already require spill bucket testing every year.

• Sump and under-dispenser containment systems

must be tested every three years if the system uses interstitial monitoring of the piping as its main form of leak deterrence.

• Testing must be done within 30 days after the repair of any component in the spill protection, overfill containment and secondary containment areas of the UST system, regardless of whether or not an actual product release occurred.

• Overfill prevention equipment inspections will be required every three years, except in states like Mississippi, where they are required annually.

Essentially, these new testing regimes will help ensure that all spill buckets, overfill devices and secondary containment systems are tested on a regular basis, and that they are installed and working properly. Also, they will ensure that secondary containment systems relying on sump sensors as a way of testing for piping leaks are operating effectively. One part of the updated UST regulations that will receive emphasis is the ABC Operator Program. This training program was part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, but its enforcement will become stricter under the new regulations.

CFB Magazine 19

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By October 13, 2018—a date that seems to be in the distant future, but in the world of regulatory compliance is actually just around the corner—all fueling sites must either be in compliance with the EPA’s new regulations, or have produced written proposals showing how they plan to eventually come into compliance.

The program was designed to verify that a significant number of employees at a fueling site have completed some level of state or third-party training, and have been certified to work at a location featuring USTs for retail fuel storage and dispensing. Based on the amount of training completed, employees will receive one of three certification designations:

• Class A: Have primary responsibility to operate and

maintain the UST system and typically manage resources and personnel to achieve and maintain compliance. Training for Class A operators should give the operator the ability to make informed decisions regarding compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Class B: Have daily responsibility for on-site

operation and maintenance of UST systems. Training for Class B operators should provide an in-depth understanding of the operation and maintenance aspects of the UST system.

• Class C: Daily on-site employees who are generally

the first line of response to events that may be emergency conditions. Training should allow the Class C operator to take appropriate action in response to UST-related emergencies or alarms that are caused by spills or releases from a UST system.

No matter the level of certification an employee has achieved in the ABC Operator Program, all must be able to perform and document monthly walk-through inspections of the UST system to guarantee all sumps, spill buckets and secondary containment areas are dry.

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

ON-SITE FUELING

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Do You Know the ABCs of the EPA 2018 UST Regulation Deadline?

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All fueling site operators should take advantage of the ABC Operator Program by having, if possible, at least one A-level, one B-level and two C-level certified employees on-site at all times.

What You Can Do

Realizing the importance of the EPA’s new UST regulations, and the consequences that can result if they are not met or followed, operators must be proactive in making sure their sites are up to code by the October 13, 2018, compliance deadline. This means operators may have to identify and work with outside service providers that possess the expertise, experience and compliance systems that have been specifically designed to help fueling sites come into compliance with the new regulations.

The Road to Compliance The revelations of 1988 were an obvious shock to the retail fueling system. In response, fuel site operators—driven by the EPA’s strict UST regulations—dug in and cleaned up their sites, ultimately producing a safer fueling process. In 2018, three decades since the implementation of those landmark UST regulations, retail fuelers are again being asked to do what’s best for their customers and the environment. The new regulations that will go into effect in late 2018 are an extension of those that changed the fueling industry in 1988, and they are a logical next step in ensuring that the fuel storage processes and systems at retail sites reach even higher levels of safety. However, that will only be possible if site operators take the necessary strides to make sure that new testing, training and inspection regulations are met. By working with a company able to guide them through the regulation and compliance minefield, retailers will help guarantee that their operations are not dogged by fines or, in the ultimate worst-case scenario, marked for closure. n

Most crucially, all fueling site operators should take advantage of the ABC Operator Program by having, if possible, at least one A-level, one B-level and two C-level certified employees on-site at all times. To make this happen, many compliance service providers will work with third-party training agencies to make sure all retail site employees achieve at least some level of certification in the ABC Operator Program. Aside from that, the best compliance service programs will offer clients a dedicated account manager who can guide site operators through what can often be a complicated process, including advanced electronic notification of expiring documents, daily electronic notification of compliance deficiencies, detailed compliance reporting, online compliance tools and management reporting.

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Peter J. Cochefski Peter is the Director of Ryder Fuel Services, Houston, a subsidiary of Ryder System, Inc. He can be reached at 281-647-8900, ext. 222, or Peter_Cochefski@Ryder.com. Ryder Fuel Services is a provider of fuel management services that focus on compliance management, remote monitoring, alarm management, service management, fuel management and supply and environmental best management practices. For more information, please visit Ryder.com.

CFB Magazine 20

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

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ON-SITE FUELING

by Doug Haugh We all know that convenience is

Suddenly, the 15 minutes it takes for the driver to fuel back at the yard or the 30 minutes it takes to drop off their route and find one of those back lot canopies has become much more expensive.

king when it comes to retail fuel. Location, location, location— right? We have also come to expect that, when it comes to commercial fuel, it has been just about the opposite. Banished to the distant back lot with a plain white canopy are old dispensers and archaic point of sale (POS) systems selling diesel to commercial operators that have long been the poor sister of fuels marketing.

Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience: A Cost Benefit Analysis Yes, I know Pilot Flying J and Love’s are both investing in incredible new stores, cleaner bathrooms, Wi-Fi, reserved parking, better food—you name it. But over-the-road truck stops and travel center fueling are not what’s being discussed here. Rather, I am talking about the local “work trucks” that do not venture all that far from home—waste trucks, food trucks (the distributing kind, not the one you bought that high-end lobster taco from last week), construction, beverage trucks, local pickup and delivery services from huge companies like UPS on down to small, same-day hotshot delivery services.

CFB Magazine 23

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

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Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience: A Cost Benefit Analysis

ON-SITE FUELING Typically, these kinds of commercial customers have put in their own bulk tank for fueling if they have enough trucks on their yard on any given day to justify the investment. Much of the time, customers have not had to spend their own capital on the tanks and pumps. Instead, they would simply find an enterprising fuel supplier to make the investment for them.

When I say convenience, I really mean time, and time is currently a hot topic for commercial customers. Between driver hours of service (HOS) regulations and growing driver shortages as the economy finally hits a higher growth rate, time is becoming more valuable than ever. Suddenly, the 15 minutes it takes for the driver to fuel back at the yard or the 30 minutes it takes to drop off their route and find one of those back lot canopies has become much more expensive.

This has become hard to do in some markets and nearly impossible in others due to either fire codes in places like Chicago or Just how expensive? Well, when environmental constraints in working with a customer last month markets like California. Despite who is with a company known for challenges for those willing to fight tracking every minute of their through the red tape and get a fuel drivers’ days, we came up with the island installed, it has been difficult following math: to beat the combination of cost and convenience offered by having your own in-house fuel station. I have been a longtime proponent of such Backyard solutions and considered Fuel Island the math settled, but lately I am feeling a lot less Time Fueling 15 minutes confident in the numbers.

How Much Does That Fuel Really Cost?

The whole reason a work truck exists is to make money for the owner, and if that truck has fewer available hours to work, then it is going to make less money.

Back Lot Retail Fueling 30 minutes

Driver Labor with Benefits

$35 per hour

Average Gallons Filled

15 gallons

Labor Cost per Gallon

$0.58

$1.16

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Historically, the conventional wisdom has said that buying in bulk by the truckload is always the cheapest way to fuel a commercial work truck fleet. If one only considers the price of the fuel, that is certainly true. Typically, if you compare bulk fuel versus either mobile fuel or retail fuel, it is generally about $0.25 per gallon cheaper.

Bulk Fuel by Truckload

Mobile Fueling/Wet Hosing

Retail Fueling

Rack + $0.02 – $0.05 freight/margin

Rack + $0.20 – $0.50 freight/margin

Rack + $0.18 – $0.26 freight/margin

CFB Magazine 24

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

ON-SITE FUELING

Backyard Fueling vs. Convenience: A Cost Benefit Analysis

Should a fleet spend $0.50 – $1.00 per gallon in labor to capture $0.25 per gallon in fuel savings? The obvious answer is no, but what is their actual labor cost to do the fueling? Many fleets will argue that the driver is just going to spend that time on the clock anyway and the real net labor cost is zero. If that is true, then they should just fuel from a bulk tank, but if they can get the driver to clock out and avoid the extra labor costs, then mobile fueling would actually be the most affordable way to fuel their fleet.

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Once mobile fueling takes hold, it is hard to displace because, as we have all learned time and again in this business, convenience wins. There is one last bit of math related to these costs that is becoming increasingly relevant. If, instead of clocking out, the driver could use that time to produce more revenue by making deliveries, then we get another significant economic variable in the cost of fuel. This factor is becoming much more meaningful given the ongoing shortage of drivers in every sector of the industry. After all, the whole reason a work truck exists is to make money for the owner, and if that truck has fewer available hours to work, then it is going to make less money.

How Much Does That Fuel Really Cost?

Revenue and Gross Profit

Targeted Revenue per Hour

$100

Profit Margin

50%

Gross Profit per Hour

$50

Fueling Time Lost Gross Profit Average Gallons Filled Lost Gross Profit per Gallon

So, if you have seen mobile fueling take hold in locations where you never would have expected it to make sense previously, consider the overall math and pencil it out to see why a customer would make that choice. Circling back to our opening, if you could pull into a gas station like the old days and receive full service for the same price or less than self-service, why wouldn’t you? This holds true for fleet drivers just

Backyard Fuel Island

Back Lot Retail Fueling

15 minutes

30 minutes

$12.50

$25

15 gallons

$1.00

$2.00

like it would for you driving your personal car: If you could have someone else do it for you, why wouldn’t you? That is the final piece of this puzzle to consider. Once mobile fueling takes hold, it is hard to displace because, as we have all learned time and again in this business, convenience wins. n

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Douglas S. Haugh Doug is currently President and Chief Strategy Officer of Mansfield Energy. He is the driving force behind Mansfield’s corporate strategy, acquisitions and partnerships. His strategic and technologydriven focus allows the organization to develop future programs and systems, while also maintaining high-level execution for the company’s customers. Haugh is a frequent speaker on energy, supply chain technology and entrepreneurship. He also blogs on energy issues at ThinkingOnEnergy.com. The opinions expressed there (and here) are his, and not those of Mansfield. CFB Magazine 27

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

by Brad Hoffman

VENDOR VIEWPOINT:

Addressing Corrosion and Microbial Growth in Today’s Fuel Environment The U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) began to phase in ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) in 2006, with stringent regulations intended to virtually eliminate sulfur from diesel fuel and thereby reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. The EPA order was to reduce the sulfur content of all diesel fuel sold from a one-time high of as much as 5,000 parts per million (ppm) to a maximum of 15 ppm by 2014. Highway diesel was required to meet the standard by 2010.

“”

Unfortunately, a problem quickly emerged. Water is typically found in all diesel tank systems. The sulfur in diesel served as a critical biocide that minimized microbial growth. So, almost immediately, the tanks containing diesel fuel with virtually no sulfur started showing signs of aggressive microbial growth and corrosion— the damage that once took many years to emerge began surfacing in a matter of months.

CFB Magazine 28

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Last summer, the EPA released the first major study on this aggressive corrosion in ULSD tank and dispensing systems. Overall, the findings were staggering: 83% of tank systems in the study exhibited moderate to severe corrosion. However, another finding was potentially the key to the rapidly developing issue. In the study, the fuel in each tank was sampled and tested. Ethanol was present in 90% of the tanks sampled. Ethanol is not blended with ULSD— at least not on purpose. It appears that ethanol’s prevalence in diesel tanks is largely due to crosscontamination occurring when transport tankers switch from ethanol-blended gasoline in one run to ULSD in the next. It takes only trace levels of ethanol for certain bacteria to create the acid that appears to be destroying these diesel fueling systems.

ON-SITE FUELING

Addressing Corrosion and Microbial Growth in Today’s Fuel Environment

So, What Is There to Do? If you can see corrosion or microbial growth on your underground storage tank (UST) system components, or your dispenser ﬁlters are becoming clogged more frequently, it’s time to look further and assess the severity of the situation.

Sampling can verify “before” and “after” condition

A high-pressure pump with custom nozzles is used to clean all tank surfaces

Sampling the fuel will likely determine the extent of microbial growth inside the tank. Next, a thorough tank cleaning and ﬁltration of the existing fuel is typically in order. Several companies provide fuel ﬁltration services. At Tanknology, our service is called FuelPure™, and the following processes demonstrate how we approach it. The objectives include removing particulates, water, sludge, algae and other microbial growth, as well as visibly dirty fuel, and returning the tank system to a more optimal operating condition.

Assessment: Automatic tank gauge (ATG) inventory reports are run for each tank. Tanks are also manually sticked for product level and bottom water at multiple risers, verifying the low end of the tank. A bottom sample of fuel is collected at multiple risers for comparison in the filtration process. ApplicationofBiocide: If microbial growth is present in the fuel or water bottom, a biocide treatment may be employed. A culture test can be utilized to confirm the type of growth. If it’s the first application in the tank, it may be “shocked” with a high dose of biocide—per the manufacturer’s instructions—similar to how a swimming pool can be “shocked” with chlorine to get rid of algae. Biocides may take 24 hours or more to impact the microbes in the tank, though some claim to work within a few hours. Bottom Sweep: In some cases, a bottom sweep process may be employed once the biocide has killed the microbial growth in the tank. This sweep process is used to extract heavy debris and dirty product along the bottom of the tank. FuelPure™ Fuel Filtration and Polishing Process: Fuel is drawn through an initial filtering process that removes the heavy tank bottom contaminants and water. The types and number of contaminants are assessed, and the contaminated fuel is passed through a series of filters. The filters remove suspended water and polish the fuel in multiple stages, depending on the level and density of the contaminants. During the process, the intake hose is repositioned throughout the tank to ensure maximum fuel and tank cleanliness. IncorporationofRemoteVideo:Tanknology also offers a unique service called TankClean™, which is a video-guided tank cleaning process. A proprietary camera is placed inside the tank and is remotely operated by a technician, providing a live view of the entire cleaning process on a color monitor. It provides a clear look at the condition inside the tank before, during and after the cleaning. Because the technician can see inside the tank, the cleaning process is precisely focused on the problem areas. When the cleaning is complete, a digital file of the video is provided to the operator so they can see the before and after comparison for themselves.

CFB Magazine 30

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

“”

A Preventive Maintenance Approach Once your tank system and fuel have been cleaned and polished, it’s time to implement a strict and comprehensive preventive maintenance (PM) approach to fuel management.

Wateristheenemyoffuelandtanksystems. Manyoftheproblemsdiscussedinthisarticle can be avoided with an intensive focus on detecting and eliminating water from your USTsystem.

The number one rule of dealing with fuel in the age of ethanol and ULSD is minimizing water. Water is the enemy of fuel and tank systems. Many of the problems discussed in this article can be avoided with an intensive focus on detecting and eliminating water from your UST system. A comprehensive site inspection, fuel testing and treatment program should also be created to ensure that the fuel and tank systems remain in optimal condition. Many of our customers are leveraging the upcoming requirement for monthly site walk-throughs by using a trained professional to also take multi-point fuel samples and periodically treat their tanks with biocide. Given the composition of today’s fuels, the unfortunate reality is this: if your fuel and tank systems aren’t being closely monitored and carefully managed, severe microbial growth and corrosion is a matter of when, not if. n

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Brad Hoffman Brad is Vice President of Engineering, Research & Development for Tanknology Inc. of Austin, Texas, the largest UST compliance services company in the world. Brad is a 28-year industry veteran, formerly an engineer and program manager for Exxon. He serves on a variety of PEI and API technical committees. Brad can be reached via email at BHoffman@Tanknology.com.

The U.S. freight trucking industry is forecast to generate revenues of $381 billion in 2021. Providers of trucking services will benefit from the growing volume of goods that will require transport throughout the supply chain and to consumer outlets as manufacturers’ shipments, retail sales and trade levels continue to rise. Source: Freedonia Focus Reports, “Freight by Truck: United States”

Bottom Line:

The trucking industry benefits compared to other freight modes due to its capacity to provide the high flexibility required for just-in-time deliveries of all types of components and finished goods.

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Fuel Price Discovery

Affordable Price. Flexible Subscriptions. EPIC Data Subscriptions for wholesale price discovery benefits buyers and sellers through increased pricing transparency. Wholesale jobbers and marketers—or anyone buying fuel, analyzing markets, benchmarking prices or selling on commercial contracts—will benefit from having access to EPIC Wholesale Fuel Price Reports. Expand your market view of rack cities and supplier terminal pricing while dramatically lowering your subscription fees! Affordability. EPIC is offering affordable wholesale pricing indexes to everyone in the motor fuels supply chain. Flexibility. EPIC Data Subscriptions are user-friendly, cost-effective and facilitate flexibility in sharing pricing data.

by Stephen Bennett

Driving Performance with Telematics Monitoring driving behavior helps to identify drivers who are operating a vehicle aggressively or recklessly. Those drivers can be given remedial training with the aim that it will lead to not only improved performance by the driver, but also an improved overall safety record for the fleet. Additionally, safer driving can result in reduced fuel consumption, less wear and tear on vehicles and decreased maintenance and repair costs. This year, Netradyne, a company in San Diego, began offering a camera-based system called Driveri, which is designed to enhance driver management by recording every driving moment; safe, productive performance is documented right alongside troublesome behaviors such as speeding and hard braking. “Having the big picture enables supervisors to cite examples of good driving and use them for best practice reinforcement,” said Adam Kahn, Vice President, Fleets, for Netradyne. A driver who has a string of productive, safe driving days and has received positive, timely feedback is less likely to react negatively when a later careless maneuver is brought to his or her attention. CFB Magazine 34

It’s important to note the difference between “lagging” indicators and “leading” indicators. Lagging indicators are based on collected data downloaded sometime after the end of a day or shift, and sometimes they are not reviewed by a supervisor until days later. Leading indicators are based on data generated by exceptional or noteworthy events that have just occurred. “Netradyne’s system generates an email alert almost immediately,” Kahn explained. “The near real-time generation of that email can allow the supervisor to take actions to reinforce a desired outcome, or help minimize or avoid an unwanted one. “If you see the driver is doing a great job, you might be able to insert praise at midday. Or, if a driver is having a decline in performance at midday, you might be able to intervene. Perhaps a driver running late on a delivery drives fast and runs a red light without incident, for example. The system will notify the supervisor within minutes. www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

FLEET OPERATIONS

“”

“Netradyne’s system generates an email alert almost immediately. The near real-time generation of that email can allow the supervisor to take actions to reinforce a desired outcome, or help minimize or avoid an unwanted one.”

“The supervisor can react by changing the scheduled time of the next delivery to allow the driver more time. When the supervisor communicates the rescheduled time, he can also tell the driver to slow down. The message is, ‘I’d much rather you be late than crash your truck and get injured,’” Kahn concluded.

Adam Kahn, Netradyne

Driveri is a camera-based system; a device is mounted on the windshield near the rearview mirror. It consists of three cameras, which are positioned to cover the road ahead as well as the left and right peripheries. The cameras record vehicles, stop signs, stop lights and pedestrians during every driving moment of the vehicle operator’s shift, and a processor in the device sorts out highlights and generates the email to the fleet manager, who then visits a secure website to watch relevant video. The bulk of the video is stored in case some portion needs to be reviewed later; for instance, if someone claims a truck struck their mailbox. “In those cases, you don’t cast blame on the driver right away,” Khan noted. “You have to settle those inquiries.” Having that extensive video on hand to establish what actually happened creates trust in the driver.

Fleet Complete—which is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada—primarily focuses on fleets with up to 20 vehicles, though it has some customers who operate larger fleets. The Fleet Complete system is wired into each vehicle’s engine control module, a requirement of U.S. hours of service (HOS) regulations. Installing the company’s MGS700 device is “relatively easy, and while we offer installation services, most of our fleet customers install the units themselves,” said Tim Kwan, Marketing Lead for Fleet Complete. Data are transmitted via cellular network to a Fleet Complete desktop application. “The cost depends on the device, the cables required and so on, but it works out to less than $1.00 per day, per vehicle,” Kwan continued. “We sell it on a subscription model, so typically there is no upfront cost on hardware.” A fleet operator can use data from the system to monitor driving performance and to implement remedial driver training when necessary. “You can see when a driver is speeding, cornering harshly, ignoring recommended routes and so on,” Kwan explained. Reports generated by the system can help a fleet operator coach and manage his or her drivers’ behaviors, and the same data can be used to support vehicle maintenance. CFB Magazine 35

Here are descriptions of some additional systems designed to help fleet operators manage their drivers: Drivewyze: Drivewyze’s network of weigh station bypasses operates at more than 600 locations in 36 states. Fleet operators that use the service can cite its benefits in driver recruitment campaigns and in retention efforts, while also pointing to productivity and fuel cost savings. Learn more at www.Drivewyze.com. ERM: ERM’s products are designed to improve security, enhance safety, lower operating costs and thereby increase business efficiency. For location services, driver behavior, fuel management and fuel theft alerting, cold chain, motorcycle tracking, immobilizing and so on, ERM offers everything needed to securely and efficiently manage customers’ fleets. For more information, visit www.ERMTelematics.com. Geotab: Geotab is a global leader in telematics, providing open platform fleet management solutions to businesses of all sizes. Geotab’s intuitive, fullfeatured solutions help businesses better manage their drivers and vehicles by extracting accurate and actionable intelligence from real-time and historical trips data. Many Fortune 500 companies rely on Geotab’s technology to provide measurable management data. For more information, visit www.Geotab.com. Gorilla Safety: Gorilla Safety offers a cloud-based software solution designed to automate fleet and safety management. Its mobile app integrates the capabilities necessary to safely and efficiently manage large short-haul and long-haul vehicle fleets. For more information, visit www.GorillaSafety.com. SkyBitz: SkyBitz Local Fleets offers activity and GPS tracking features to help fleets gain full visibility of its vehicles, drivers and assets so they can improve productivity and their bottom line. For more information, visit www.SkyBitz.com. SmartDrive Systems: SmartDrive Systems are designed to give fleets and drivers insight on, and analysis of, driving performance. Its systems feature video analysis, predictive analytics and personalized performance programs designed to help fleets improve driving skills, lower operating costs and deliver return on investment (ROI). For more information, visit www.SmartDrive.net. Verizon Telematics (includes Fleetmatics and Telogis): Fleetmatics Group PLC provides mobile workforce solutions, delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS), for service-based businesses. Its offerings are designed for managing local fleets, including generation of driver behavioral data. Its Web-based solutions provide fleet operators with visibility into vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage. Fleetmatics and another system for fleet management, Telogis, have been acquired by Verizon. To learn more about both systems, go to www.NetworkFleet.com. n www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

SPONSORED CONTENT

high-capacity flow rates up to 250 gpm (946 L/min), and pump speeds up to 800 rpm for delivering fast fluid offloading. In fact, a 6,000-gallon (22,700-liter) tanker can be unloaded in about 24 minutes using the STX3-DEF pump. Designed for relatively high flow rates, STX1220A-DEF models feature flow rates from 42 – 92 gpm (159 – 348 L/min), while the STX2ADEF models are ideal for lower flow rates generally in the 15 – 60 gpm (57 – 227 L/min) range. Blackmer® STX-DEF Series Sliding Vane Pump

STX-DEF pumps from Blackmer feature 316 stainless-steel construction with external ball bearings, chemical-duty mechanical seals, PTFE elastomers and non-metallic vanes, making them the ideal choice to handle DEF. These features allow STX-DEF pumps to meet the ISO 22241-3 material standards and cleanliness specifications required for DEF-handling applications.

Specifically, Brenntag North America utilizes Blackmer STX3-DEF, STX1220ADEF and STX2ADEF pump models for its operation. STX3-DEF models offer

The STX-DEF Series pump’s non-metallic vanes self-adjust for wear in order to maintain flow rate while also minimizing shear and agitation. An adjustable relief valve protects the pump from excessive pressures. The pump has excellent selfpriming and dry-run capabilities, and maintenance is reduced because internal wear is almost completely limited to the easily replaced sliding vanes, which can be accomplished without needing to take the pump out of line. “Blackmer DEF pumps have an excellent service record. Our facilities have reported less downtime and repair work since installing Blackmer pumps. The wetted components have a long service life, and the housings, gearboxes, motors

Pumps used during DEF production and the loading/unloading process must be compatible with DEF’s unique characteristics. This is why Brenntag North America relies on STX-DEF Series Sliding Vane Pumps from Blackmer®.

Conclusion “Bottom line is Blackmer pumps work extremely well with DEF thanks to their many features and benefits,” said Sparrow. “As Brenntag continues to build its internal infrastructure for DEF, Blackmer pumps will continue to be an essential component. In addition, we will continue to recommend Blackmer pumps as an approved equipment solution for our customers’ mini-bulk and bulk applications.” n Scott Jackson is the Product Manager– Vane Pumps for Blackmer® and PSG® and can be reached at +1 616-248-9218 or Scott.Jackson@PSGDover.com. For more information on the full line of innovative and high-quality Blackmer rotary vane and centrifugal pumps, and reciprocating compressor technologies, please go to www.Blackmer.com or call +1 616-241-1611. Blackmer is part of PSG, which is comprised of several leading pump brands. You can find more information on PSG at www.PSGDover.com.

Brenntag North America has more than 25 dedicated DEF tankers and around 31 DEF rail locations in the United States.

CFB Magazine 44

and frames hold up well in indoor and outdoor applications. Only a handful of pumps have ever needed repairs over the last five years, and thanks to their excellent design, repairs are typically completed in a day or less depending on the availability of parts,” said Sparrow.

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Traffic congestion on the U.S. National Highway System (NHS) added over $63.4 billion in operational costs to the trucking industry in 2015. ATRI calculated delay on the NHS totaling more than 996 million hours of lost productivity, which equates to 362,243 commercial truck drivers sitting idle for a working year. The top 10 states experienced costs of over $2 billion each, with Florida and Texas leading with over $5 billion each. Source: American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)

Bottom Line:

Roadway traffic congestion causes excessive start-and-stop and on-road idle time, which are major contributors to increased miles per gallon (mpg) fuel consumption.

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

How to Find Savings by Glen Sokolis

When you’re in charge of a fleet of trucks,

keeping them fueled is only half the job. The other half involves keeping an eye on the fuel program. Yet it’s the second part of the equation that often gets neglected: companies choose a good fuel card provider and negotiate prices with vendors, but then they either don’t audit their programs or fail to audit them properly. Here are a few steps your company can take when it’s time to audit fuel invoices.

Give Yourself Time and Collect Data

A successful review of your fuel invoices requires a staff that has enough time to do the audit and access relevant data. It may help to hire an outside agency to conduct the review, or subscribe to a fuel price data service. Also keep in mind that data services can have additional costs, but they are crucial to a successful review of your fuel program. CFB Magazine 46

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

with Fuel Audits Calculate Your Vendor Margins

Keep an Eye Out for Duplicate Transactions

One of the basic pieces of data you’ll need to

review your fuel program is the price per gallon for each transaction. From that number, subtract the federal, state, county and local taxes. Price per gallon minus the taxes provides you with the fuel cost.

Duplicate transactions happen more than you’d think. Without careful monitoring, fleet managers and fuel card providers can overlook duplicate transactions on invoices. n

The fuel cost is typically comprised of the fuel itself, freight charges, possible pump fees and vendor-charged margins. To determine the vendor margin, compare fleet fuel transaction costs with same-day pricing for your geographic area.

Some Final Fuel Management Tips:

Fleet managers can monitor fuel margin numbers and see if they line up with vendornegotiated fuel prices. If the numbers don’t match up, it’s time for a closer investigation.

• Remember that auditing and accurate recordkeeping help you spot employee theft. The more controls you have in place, the more control you have over your fleet’s expenses. • Two people should review fuel invoices for accuracy. Fuel transactions and invoices contain many numbers, which can make reviewing their accuracy difficult and confusing.

Glen Sokolis Glen is the Founder and President of Sokolis Group, a nationwide fuel management and fuel consulting company. He has more than 25 years of experience with fleet fuel and founded Sokolis Group in 2003. Sokolis Group’s mission is to reduce and control their clients’ fuel spend through tightly managed, customized programs. Sokolis can be reached at GSokolis@SokolisGroup.com or 267-482-6160.

• The fleet fuel card you pick should be one that’s accepted at most truck stops. A local-use fuel card will often charge a premium over the cash price. • By limiting your pool to just a few fuel suppliers, fleet managers can negotiate greater price breaks based on larger volume purchasing. • As previously mentioned, having an outside agency handle your fuel audit can help you find savings and uncover mistakes, fraud or waste.

CFB Magazine 47

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

by Mark Moitoso and Becky Kies

Leading with Empathy:

How Data Analytics Uncovered Claimantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Fears

CFB Magazine 48

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

How long is this pain going to last? What if I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do my job when I return to work? How will I pay my bills?

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

hese types of questions can be overwhelming for an employee who has suffered an injury on the job, but the right conversation between the employee and employer can help alleviate many of those concerns. Lockton supports clients with their post-injury strategies and claims management with best practices and integrated analytics.

One of the most common cost drivers of workers’ compensation claims is a lack of communication. Analysis of unstructured data from Lockton’s proprietary Infolock® P&C database, with over $16 billion in workers’ compensation claims and 65 million transactions, uncovered that claimants’ fears are highly correlated with increasing costs. The average lost-time claim costs 3.5 times more when words such as “fear” and “afraid” are recorded in adjuster conversations.

Nearly 60% of all workers’ compensation costs are driven by claimants who experience fear. There is also a strong relationship between this uncertainty and the prevalence of attorney representation. By changing the process, the experience for the claimant can be improved and the resulting claim costs can be lowered. Through this research and their work with clients, Lockton believes that litigation is an outcome, and through improved processes and strategies, it can be controlled.

Sampling of Adjuster Notes “She told me she was scared about her future and felt she needed to speak to someone.” “He is somewhat reluctant to commit because he is afraid of surgery.” “The employee is worried that the employer will fire him after he returns to work.” “The employee reports extremely distressing thoughts, such as feeling tearful, anxious, angry and, at times, overwhelmed by the current situation, which he perceives to be never ending.” “The injured worker is afraid to lose money by taking time off work for doctor’s appointments.”

Lockton’s Insights This research, conducted by Lockton’s Analytics Team, indicates that fear is a definite factor in litigated claims and has a direct impact on the overall cost of workers’ compensation claims. Lockton leveraged its proprietary database by text mining adjuster notes to uncover a strong relationship between cost and words related to fear.

Lost-Time Claims

Lost-Time Litigated Claims

Lost-Time Litigation Rate

Claims with fear words account for 75% of claims greater than or equal to $50,000 and 84% of claims greater than or equal to $100,000.

“

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

”

Leading with Empathy: How Data Analytics Uncovered Claimants’ Fears

Claims with

fear words account for

How to Reduce the Fears of Injured Workers

Injured workers need to know that their employers care about them, that they are wanted back at work and that they will be able to provide for their families. Companies should regularly and frequently communicate with injured employees on the next steps in the return-to-work process. It is important that managers are trained in active listening and showing empathy. If a manager has been involved in a previous case in which an injured employee took advantage of workers’ compensation, or has dealt with a large number of cases, he or she may become hardened to the process. It is important for managers to show compassion for each injured employee and to let employees know that they care deeply about their return and want them back on the job. Lockton has proven tools, processes, resources and analytics to improve post-injury strategies and cost containment. Eliminating attorney representation is not realistic. However, taking simple steps to remove fear from the minds of injured workers can help lower the total cost of risk. By changing the trajectory on just 5% of claims in which claimants experience fear, employers can improve their bottom lines. n

Top Five Reasons People Hire Lawyers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

“I haven’t received my pay” or “I’m not being paid on time.” “I don’t like my doctor.” “I was afraid that I was going to lose my job.” “The process is taking too long.” “No one called me to see how I was doing.”

More than 6,000 professionals at Lockton provide 50,000 clients around the world with risk management, insurance and employee benefits consulting services that improve their businesses. Since its founding in 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has attracted entrepreneurial professionals who have driven its growth. Lockton is now the largest privately held, independent insurance broker in the world, and ninth largest overall. For more information, contact Greg Cushard at 916-730-4849 (cell), 415-568-4115 (office) or GCushard@Lockton.com.

CFB Magazine 50

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

DEF Roundup

Certified DEF

Blackmer Blackmer® STX-DEF Series Sliding Vane Pumps feature 316 stainless steel construction with external ball bearings, chemical-duty mechanical seals, PTFE elastomers and non-metallic vanes, making them the ideal choice to handle DEF. STX-DEF pumps meet or exceed all industry specifications for DEF AUS 32. The Blackmer pumps’ non-metallic vanes self-adjust for wear to maintain flow rate while minimizing shear and agitation. Adjustable relief valves protect the pumps from excessive pressures. The pumps have excellent self-priming and dry-run capabilities, and maintenance is reduced because internal wear is almost completely limited to the easily replaced sliding vanes, which can be accomplished without needing to take the pump out of line. www.PSGDover.com/Blackmer

Blue1USA Blue1USA is a fully integrated manufacturer and distributor of DEF storage and dispensing systems for use by commercial SCR fleets and retail establishments. Blue1USA’s quality DEF products are engineered with state-ofthe-art, cutting-edge technology that will provide years of reliable service and long-term value. www.Blue1USA.com

SUBSCRIBE! CFB Magazine 52

Certified DEF is a national producer and distributor of DEF that operates an extensive network of DEF production and packaging plants located across North America. Certified DEF’s broad network of facilities allows them to service customers more efficiently and effectively throughout the country by providing a high-quality product within close proximity, thus cutting costs and improving economics. Certified DEF offers packaged and bulk DEF products, as well as DEF dedicated equipment from trusted industry suppliers. www.CertifiedDEF.com

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CommercialFuelBuyer.com

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

DEF ROUNDUP

Diesel Direct

Fluidall

Dennis K. Burke offers the highest standard in DEF equipment from standard closed-loop systems to fully customized solutions. Dennis K. Burke supplies both out-of-the-box systems by Liquid Dynamics and customer-specific customized solutions. Dennis K. Burke also uses remote monitoring. Remote DEF tank monitoring ensures adequate product, eliminates run outs, maximizes efficiency, and gives 24-hour monitoring and alerts for peace of mind. They also deliver from a dedicated DEF trailer with an insulated stainless steel inner wall, transit heat system, cabinet heater and 1-micron filtration to maintain the highest product integrity on full metered deliveries.

Diesel Direct is one of the transportation industry’s largest dedicated national mobile fueling companies, servicing tens of thousands of trucks each day from a fleet of customized fueling trucks. Specializing in mobile fueling and bulk deliveries, Diesel Direct provides fuel services and solutions for local, regional and national truck and equipment fleets. By focusing on using technology and innovation, Diesel Direct has developed a state-of-the-art proprietary on-site fuel management process and system that gives customers accurate and meaningful data to both assist in the management of their fuel consumption and to meet the needs of continuously evolving business requirements.

The Fluidall Vault for DEF is the ideal solution for DEF storage and dispense at construction sites, mining sites, harsh environments and for private or commercial fleet use. The Vault’s highly secure, fully-enclosed compact footprint is 46" x 46". The Vault’s outer shell is constructed of powder-coated industrialgrade steel to ensure years of hassle-free use, and also provides important secondary containment that is compliant with the EPA’s SPCC guidelines. The lockable hatch opens easily with gas assist shocks for DEF refills, transfers and inspections. The Vault features Graco’s electric self-priming membrane pump, a 25' dispense hose reel and a dispense nozzle with automatic shutoff.

www.BurkeOil.com

www.DieselDirect.com

www.Fluidall.com

Dennis K. Burke, Inc.

CFB Magazine 53

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

DEF ROUNDUP

Franklin Fueling Systems

Gorman-Rupp Pumps

Integer Research Ltd

Franklin Fueling Systems provides a stateof-the-art recirculation system as part of their TS-550 evo™ tank gauge that gives you complete control of your DEF system and provides energy cost savings throughout the life of the system, in addition to up-front cost savings on equipment. DEF will freeze at approximately 12°F (-11°C). The DEF recirculation system utilizes temperature sensors placed within the pipework system to circulate the fluid and prevent freezing. By pairing an INCON™ brand TS-550 evo™ fuel management system with Franklin Fueling Systems’ complete DEF/AdBlue® compatible pipe, containment, hardware and dispensing systems, you can achieve these system benefits that no other single manufacturer can provide.

Roto-Prime® pumps are actually two pumps in one: a variable capacity vane pump used during the priming cycle, and a standard centrifugal pump to move liquid. Whenever air or vapor is present at the start of the pumping operation, the priming pump automatically moves air and vapor from the suction line to the discharge line. Once the flowing liquid from the centrifugal portion of the pump builds up sufficient pressure in the discharge system, the pressure backs up through a tube to act on the bottom of the priming pump’s movable slide block, placing it in a neutral position during normal operation. The design makes the Gorman-Rupp Roto-Prime® pump ideal for loading and off-loading transports and stripping hoses.

Now in its tenth year, Integer’s DEF Forum has established itself as the meeting place for North America’s DEF industry. Every year, the most influential stakeholders in the DEF supply chain attend The DEF Forum to gain critical insights into current and future market trends, strengthen relationships and forge new partnerships to accelerate business growth. This year’s DEF Forum will see the exciting launch of The DEF Awards 2017. The awards will celebrate innovation and achievements throughout the DEF supply chain over the course of a fun-filled evening, including dinner, drinks, a ceremony and entertainment. Join us on September 26 – 28, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas, for North America’s DEF industry event of the year!

www.FranklinFueling.com

www.GRPumps.com

www.Integer-Research.com

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

Gilbarco Veeder-Root Gilbarco’s Encore® S and 700S are available as Ultra-Hi flow diesel dispensers with flow rates up to 60 gallons per minute combined with an integrated DEF cabinet. These models can be configured as an Ultra-Hi master, a master/satellite combo and a satelliteonly dispenser. The Encore Ultra-Hi dispenser combined with a heated DEF cabinet allows for a single fueling point for both diesel and DEF. The DEF cabinet is designed with a heater as a standard feature, which enables it to operate in ambient temperatures down to -20°C (an extended temperature package is also available). Currently, there are over 25,000 Gilbarco Veeder-Root Encore Ultra-Hi dispensers with DEF actively being used in the retail diesel market today.

Hose Master Hose Master offers a competitive advantage with all stainless construction DEF Flex Connectors, offering the safest and strongest connection for corrosive media. All stainless DEF Flex Connectors offer excellent corrosion resistance, strength, increased flexibility and service life. Though the solution is non-toxic and safe to handle, it still has corrosive properties. The use of all stainless steel increases resistance to DEF and any other chemical impurities. DEF Flex Connectors are available with stainless steel hex males, female union or Hose Master’s QuickClamp design (with special peroxide-cured EPDM gasket). DEF Connectors are ideally suited for mobile skids, aboveground totes and storage tanks. www.HoseMaster.com

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www.Gilbarco.com

KleerBlue KleerBlue’s patented Fueling IslandFriendly Mini-Bulk Systems are ideal for small to medium DEF retailers and fleets needing lane fueling. These innovative systems are engineered for long-term investment protection. Triple wall construction with secondary containment significantly reduces the risk of leaks. Insulation and redundant heating lead the industry in protecting against freezing and DEF degradation. KleerBlue patented the revolutionary design and they are pleased to announce that their 400 and 1000 Gallon MiniBulk tanks were recently issued patent number US 9,669,991 B1. With their state-of-the-art Mini-Bulk systems, KleerBlue enables North American retailers and fleet managers to tackle the challenge of storing and dispensing DEF. www.KleerBlueSolutions.com

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DEF ROUNDUP

Liquid Controls, LLC

Micro Matic

MISCO Refractometer

Liquid Controls (LC) provides two flow measurement technologies engineered specifically to meter DEF. The patentpending design of LC DEF Positive Displacement Flowmeter Systems features a 316 stainless steel housing— 33% lighter than similar DEF systems in the marketplace today—as well as advanced polymer components within, and DEF-resistant EPDM seals. LC positive displacement DEF meters are built to meter with sustained accuracy and low maintenance in stationary applications such as DEF carts, bulk plants and terminals as well as highvibration mobile applications, such as delivery trucks. With sizes from ½" – 4" and flow rates from 2 – 1,200 gpm, they are manufactured with 316 stainless steel housings, duplex stainless steel rotors and engineered polymer sleeve bearings.

As an industry leader in closed systems and with over 50 years of experience, Micro Matic has worked with DEF manufacturers and distributors to assist in consistent delivery of DEF purity throughout the supply chain. They understand that there are different ways of bringing DEF to market and have designed a complete portfolio of DEF Closed Systems to meet these requirements. Micro Matic is not a onesize-fits-all company and offers closed system options to best serve different operation and application environments so industry professionals can operate most efficiently, effectively and, most importantly, economically.

Protect your SCR-equipped vehicles from accidental DEF dilution or tampering with the MISCO DEF Tester. The MISCO Palm Abbe DEF-201 and DEF-202 are handheld digital refractometer models designed specifically for testing the concentration of urea-based DEF. By applying a ureaspecific temperature compensation, MISCO achieves a higher level of measurement precision, +/- 0.1 percent by weight. Proper urea concentration is critical for sustaining reduced diesel emissions that, besides being good for the environment, can save the DEF consumer money, prevent damage to expensive SCR components and help identify tampering. Custom programming is also available for measuring a variety of coolants, antifreeze, methanol, battery acid, brake fluid or any other water-soluble fluids.

www.LCMeter.com

www.MicroMatic.com

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www.MISCO.com

DEF ROUNDUP

OmegaFlex

OPW Engineered Systems

OPW Retail Fueling

DEF-Trac® addresses the emerging needs of the DEF supply industry. Unaffected by the corrosive effects of DEF, DEF-Trac is manufactured from corrugated 316L stainless steel, and is supplied in long coils to streamline the installation of distribution piping from the storage tank to the dispensing pumps. Other features are as follows: manufactured with 316L highly flexible stainless steel tubing; stainless steel fittings that are field attachable with a self-flaring metal-to-metal sealing surface; available with or without insulation or heat trace; no special tools required for assembly; fluid components meet ISO 22241-3 standard; one Thermon low-temp self-regulating heater BSX cable; and much more.

The all-new Kamvalok® Flat is the next generation of OPW dry-disconnect couplings. The manufacturer took its proven, best-in-class Kamvalok and flattened the connection points. The Kamvalok Flat reduces product loss at disconnect by up to 85% compared to its already high-performing standard Kamvalok. The patent-pending flat-face poppets virtually eliminate spillage of any residual liquid contained within the line after disconnection. OPW Engineered Systems offers the most comprehensive line of dry disconnect products in the industry, and its couplings have built a reputation as a trusted technology to help protect workers and the environment in the transfer of hazardous materials.

The OPW 21Gu™ DEF Nozzle outperforms and outlasts the competition, giving you outstanding reliability and durability. With OPW’s unique Mis-Filling Prevention Device, your investment is safe. Other nozzles can leave your expensive trucks vulnerable to fuel contamination; however, the 21Gu DEF has been engineered with magnetic internal components that will only release DEF when inside an appropriate filling receptacle. With automatic shutoff, the 21Gu DEF is the industry standard in Europe and is trusted by fleets across the United States. Plus, the nozzle’s strict manufacturing process guarantees compatibility with DEF, allowing you to maintain focus on generating revenues instead of babysitting your fleet.

www.DoubleTrac.net

www.OPWGlobal.com/OPW-ES

www.OPWGlobal.com/OPW-Retail-Fueling

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DEF ROUNDUP

Quality DEF Solutions Quality DEF Solutions is a manufacturer of DEF and is centrally located in Texas. The DEF is offered in 330-gallon totes, 55-gallon drums, 2 x 2.5-gallon jugs, single 2.5-gallon jugs, truck load bulk and rail car. Their products are API certified and ISO 22241 compliant. Quality DEF Solutions is also a distributor for Enduraplas chemical and water storage tanks. The sizes range from 50 gallons up to 42,000 gallons. www.QualityDEFSolutions.com

Roth North America Roth double-walled oil tanks offer the highest level of safety and environmental protection. Storage liquids include diesel, DEF, ATF, heating oil and biofuels. The outer tank is made from leak-proof weld-free galvanized steel and roll seamed with an oil and fire resistant seal. It can contain at least 110% of the capacity of the inner tank for maximum protection. The inner tank is made of blow-molded, high-density, seamless polyethylene that is leak-proof and will never corrode. Additionally, Roth’s compact tanks are available in several different sizes, providing more flexibility for placement in any garage, service station or lube shop.

by Rovanco under strict quality standards, assuring you years of trouble-free operation. Rovanco has already provided miles of DEF piping for several hundred stations, so look to Rovanco for the experience you need and DEF piping systems that work.

solution for you. Choose from one of their standard designs or work with Semler to bring your imagination to life! www.SemlerIndustries.com

www.Rovanco.com Shaw Development LLC

Semler Industries Semler Industries has over 100 years of experience in meeting customers’ demands and 50-plus years of serving the petroleum and chemical markets. Their DEF equipment portfolio ranges from low-flow drum and tote dispensing to high-volume storage and transfer, and also extends to prill or liquid blending equipment. With all in-house engineering and fabrication, Semler’s customers are guaranteed the quality they deserve. So, whether you are moving DEF from tanks to totes, rail cars to trailers, or simply storing bulk quantities, Semler has a

Shaw Development LLC is a privately held company specializing in the design, validation and manufacturing of fluid management solutions. Shaw components and systems range from ground-level refueling systems, autonomous mine refueling systems, centralized fluid service connections, positive displacement pumps, fluid filtration systems, SCR/DEF systems and DEF/AdBlue filtration solutions to fluid caps, adapters, strainers and plugs. Shaw Development’s extensive experience in offroad, on-road, military vehicle and stationary applications has positioned them as a trusted partner for vehicle OEM and engine manufacturers worldwide. www.ShawDev.com

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

www.Roth-USA.com

Rovanco Rovanco manufactures DEF piping systems designed to transfer fluids from your holding tanks to dispensers in either an aboveground or belowground operation. All of Rovanco’s DEF piping systems can be constructed utilizing any of the approved materials for the carrier pipe. Rovanco is a top choice for DEF systems because they can manufacture the product to your customer’s specific needs. These piping systems are made CFB Magazine 57

www.CommercialFuelBuyer.com

DEF ROUNDUP

Snyder Industries

Shields, Harper & Co. is the largest petroleum equipment distributor on the West Coast with eight branches located throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. They have been supplying DEF handling equipment to commercial and industrial companies, truck stops and service stations since it first appeared in the North American market. Shields, Harper & Co. offers the full spectrum of DEF solutions and carries inventory at each of their warehouse locations. From tanks and pumps to dispensers and nozzles, they make sure your site continues smooth operation. You can be assured there is a knowledgeable sales staff member who can assist with your DEF questions.

Snyder Industries manufactures a wide variety of storage tank solutions for the DEF and lubricant industries. Products include HDPE rotationally molded DEF storage tanks in both single wall and double wall containment designs, which range in size from 30 – 20,000 gallons, along with stackable lube and DEF storage and dispensing tanks. Snyder offers a selection of commercial tanks as well as industrial-grade tanks designed and built to ASTM D1998 standards. Snyder operates eight manufacturing plants across the U.S. to serve their customers’ needs. Snyder has been manufacturing tanks for 60 years and they are focused on exceeding their customers’ quality, value and service expectations.

www.ShieldsHarper.com

www.SnyderPetroTanks.com

Shields, Harper & Co.

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SPATCO DEF DEF is necessary for your diesel-fueled operations, and it must be stored properly to ensure quality and to maximize effectiveness. SPATCO DEF designs and manufactures storage and dispensing systems that safely protect your investment night and day. Their broad portfolio of products includes something for every diesel application. From retail and commercial mini-bulk and bulk systems to portable solutions for off-road, SPATCO DEF can customize the ideal product to meet your specific requirements. www.SPATCO.com

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DEF ROUNDUP

TECALEMIT, Inc.

Thunder Creek Equipment

Wayne Fueling Systems

TECALEMIT, Inc. is a Horn Group company with deep roots in the European markets, bringing decades of experience and performance to North America. TECALEMIT is not just a DEF pump company. They are your one-stop shop for high quality, heavy-duty measuring and dispensing equipment for lubes, fuels and chemicals, as well as DEF. TECALEMIT offers off-the-shelf items such as transfer pumps, dispensers, nozzles and meters, but also designs and builds customized hiflow transfer skids, dollies and DEF minibulk solutions. No customer is too small and no job is too large for TECALEMIT to handle. Let them show you why their customers #TrustTheT.

Thunder Creek Equipment provides solutions designed for both on- and off-road applications that simplify the storage and dispensing of DEF, all while maintaining the highest fluid quality. This includes bulk systems that fit seamlessly into the flow of existing fueling and service operations, and mobile solutions that provide businesses in agriculture, construction, oil fields, mining and other off-road environments with reliable means of transporting DEF out to the field. All are equipped with Thunder Creek’s exclusive closed 2-in-1 DEF Pumping System. Together, this maintains ISO compliance for life and helps ensure the integrity of the emissions systems found in today’s trucks, buses and heavy equipment.

www.TecalemitUSA.com

www.ThunderCreek.com

Wayne Fueling Systems, part of Dover Fueling Solutions, is pleased to present the new Wayne Ovation™ HS Ultra-High-Capacity Dispensers. These new dispensers provide all the benefits of the Ovation Dispenser user interface features—leading secure payment technology, large color display options, media, etc.— coupled with fast master and satellite refueling to optimize truck refueling throughput. The HS and DEF models offer the convenience and space-saving benefits of dispensing diesel and DEF from the same dispenser. Whatever your highvolume fueling island need, Wayne has an Ovation HS Ultra-HighCapacity Dispenser that will fit.

Did You Know

www.Wayne.com

Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is a non-hazardous solution that is 32.5% urea and 67.5% deionized water. DEF is sprayed into the exhaust stream of diesel vehicles to break down dangerous nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions into harmless nitrogen and water.

Yara North America, Inc. Yara’s knowledge, products and solutions grow farmers’, distributors’ and industrial customers’ businesses profitably and responsibly while protecting the earth’s resources, food and environment. Yara’s industrial and environmental solutions improve air quality by reducing emissions from industry and transportation, and serve as key ingredients in the production of a wide range of goods. Since 2004, Yara has been at the forefront of the development of DEF and its compatibility with SCR technology in heavy-duty trucks, buses, passenger cars and non-road mobile machinery. As the world’s largest producer of DEF, Yara can ensure product quality, guaranteed sourcing and reliable distribution through their large number of production plants and terminals.

Source: discoverDEF.com

www.Yara.us Read More CFB Magazine 59

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industry news U.S. DOT Proposals Simplify, Reduce Costs to States and Individuals Obtaining CDL The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced two proposals that would take steps toward responding to a national shortage of qualified truck and bus drivers. These proposed processes would simplify obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for many individuals and reduce administrative expenses to both the driver applicant and state driver licensing agencies.

personnel, including National Guard and Reserves, seeking to obtain a civilian CDL. This waiver would simplify processing and reduce costs for states and for qualified individuals. Commercial Learner’s Permit Validity: This proposed rule would allow states to issue a CDL learner’s permit with an expiration date of up to one year, replacing the current six-month limitation. This extra flexibility would eliminate burdensome and costly paperwork requirements by the states. It would also eliminate unnecessary re-testing and additional fees presently incurred by individuals who seek an additional 180-day renewal of their CDL learner’s permit. n

FMCSA is seeking public comment on the following two notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs):

Trucking Industry Congestion Costs Top $63.4 Billion

Military Licensing and State CDL Reciprocity: This proposed rule would allow state driver licensing agencies to waive the CDL knowledge test for qualified veterans and active duty

Traffic congestion on the U.S. National Highway System (NHS) added over $63.4 billion in operational costs to the trucking industry in 2015, according to research released by the American CFB Magazine 60

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Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). The calculated delay on the NHS totaled more than 996 million hours of lost productivity, which equates to 362,243 commercial truck drivers sitting idle for a working year. ATRI’s analysis also documented the states, metropolitan areas and counties that were most impacted by these delays and subsequent cost increases. The top 10 states experienced costs of over $2 billion each, with Florida and Texas leading with over $5 billion each. As expected, traffic congestion tended to be most severe in urban areas, with 88% of the congestion costs concentrated on only 17% of the network mileage, and 91% of the total congestion cost occurring in metropolitan areas. The analysis also demonstrates the impact of congestion costs on a per-truck basis, with an average increased cost of $22,676 for trucks that travel 100,000 miles annually. n

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CFB INDUSTRY NEWS

Global Pump Leader Launches New DEF Line in North America

mobile and self-contained storage/dispensing systems in 396-, 660- and 1,320gallon options. n

FMT Swiss Ag, a global leader in specialty fluid storage and dispensing solutions, has launched a full line of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) pumps and storage units for the U.S. and Canadian markets. Designed to meet the highest manufacturing tolerances, these products are specifically created with 100% DEF-compatible parts to safeguard the sensitive chemistry and meet the high demands of this growing industry.

U.S. DOT Announces Regulatory Reform Task Force and Officer

FMT Swiss Ag will conduct business under the name FMT NA, a wholly owned subsidiary with sales and customer service offices based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The company has tapped industry veteran Norm Winkler as its National Sales Manager to lead the new venture. FMT Swiss Ag will offer a complete line of drum/tote dispensing options along with

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Deputy Secretary Jeffrey Rosen will serve as the department’s Regulatory Reform Officer and Chairman of the department’s Regulatory Reform Task Force (RRTF). The RRTF was formed earlier this year in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order 13777, which directs each agency to establish an RRTF to make recommendations to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao has directed the RRTF to consider ways to accomplish DOT’s primary safety objectives in less burdensome

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ways and to further review “midnight rules” that were issued at the end of the last administration. n

Omnitracs to Acquire the Assets of Shaw Tracking, Expand Canadian Presence Omnitracs LLC, a global pioneer of fleet management solutions to transportation and logistics companies, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Shaw Tracking, the leading fleet management solutions provider in Canada, from Shaw Communications Inc. The terms of the transaction, expected to close summer 2017, subject to regulatory approval of the transfer of operational licenses, were not disclosed. Through the combination of Omnitracs and Shaw Tracking, Canadian fleet customers will have access to the

CFB INDUSTRY NEWS comprehensive Omnitracs product and service portfolio. Shaw Tracking has been the exclusive Canadian distributor of Omnitracs fleet management solutions for over 25 years, helping to increase efficiency and reliability for customers. Shaw Tracking will be integrated into the Omnitracs solution portfolio, further expanding Omnitracs’ customer base and reach into Canada. Every year, more than $650 billion in goods cross the U.S.-Canada border. With Omnitracs expanding its well-known presence into Canada, customers will benefit from direct access to Omnitracs’ products while operating cross-border trade routes, utilizing notable customer support centers in both countries. The actual legal entity acquiring Shaw Tracking is Turnpike Global Technologies Inc. (Ontario), a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of Omnitracs, LLC. n

CommercialFuelBuyer.com

TBG Completes Acquisition of DTN With the completion of TBG’s acquisition of DTN from Schneider Electric SE for a total consideration of $900 million, TBG plans to fully reinstate the powerhouse DTN brand that has been known and trusted since 1984, and focus on growing the business in both the domestic and international markets. DTN President Ron Sznaider said, “TBG provides strong and stable ownership that offers unmatched long-term investment and commitment to the DTN business. With this support, we intend to deliver new world-class solutions to the market to drive our domestic growth and international expansion plans, and to further enhance the DTN brand.” As an independent source of missioncritical proprietary content and decision support tools, DTN provides customers with actionable insight to make smarter decisions, manage risk and operate more efficiently. DTN’s refined fuels business

connects the downstream oil and gas supply chain as the digital hub for all supply chain participants enabling operational efficiencies and improved profitability. n

U.S. Bank Voyager ® Fleet Card Adopts a “Green” Hue Beginning this summer, public buses, delivery trucks and other corporate fleets will have the opportunity to reduce their environmental footprint more than ever before. U.S. Bank is teaming up with ChargePoint, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, to offer Voyager Network Fleet Card acceptance at tens of thousands of ChargePoint charging ports throughout the United States. Together, the companies are bringing many firsts to the industry. ChargePoint is the first EV charging network to accept corporate fleet cards, and Voyager is the first fleet card issuer to be accepted at their charging spots. This first-of-its-kind relationship in the fleet industry is timely, as Electric Vehicles International predicts electric car fleets to reach 20 million by 2020 globally. The Voyager Network, owned and operated by U.S. Bank, is one of the largest fleet fueling and maintenance acceptance networks in the United States. The Voyager Fleet Card is accepted at more than 320,000 fueling, maintenance and service locations and used by millions of drivers of fleet cars, trucks and heavy-duty commercial rigs. The network offers sophisticated purchase controls and data that simplify fleet expense management by giving fleet managers greater visibility and control over fleet spend. ChargePoint offers a broad range of smart networked charging offerings, software solutions and cloud services to help fleet managers effectively manage EV fleets. In addition to charging solutions, ChargePoint provides a number of tools for a wide range of fleet scenarios, including depot, mixed-use and on-route. n

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CFB INDUSTRY NEWS

Ryder Launches NaviShare, a New Software Platform Ryder System, Inc., a leader in commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation and supply chain solutions, announced the launch of Ryder NaviShare™, a cloud-based platform that provides real-time shipment visibility, predictive alerts and exception dashboards. Ryder’s deep engineering expertise, combined with features that enable real-time exception handling, routing and analytics, make NaviShare the ultimate tool in logistics network management and customer service. The technology is accessible through a customer-facing website and mobile application that utilizes cellular and GPS technology to link shippers with onboard vehicle technologies. The system provides real-time visibility and event management capabilities to shippers, and delivers information updates and routing instructions to drivers. NaviShare will be available to all Ryder customers in North America in the third quarter of 2017.

The Weather Company Introduces New Solutions to Help Freight and Logistic Companies Weather-related delays cost the freight industry alone approximately $8.7 billion a year. To help address these inefficiencies, The Weather Company, an IBM Business, has introduced its new Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation, a solution that is designed to help optimize workforce productivity and route selection for freight and logistics companies. This comprehensive, customizable dashboard includes key information on weather and road condition information, such as precipitation, wind, fog, ice and pooling water. The dashboard also integrates real-time traffic flow and incident data, and flags safety hazards.

NaviShare provides real-time information regarding load status, tracking status, carriers, shippers, customers, origins and destinations. A user—who can be a shipper, carrier/driver or dispatcher—is able to toggle among multiple features for each load, including stops, maps, updates and messages. If there is a delay in a shipment while in transit, NaviShare alerts the shipper and recipient, and provides the shipper with a list of rerouting options. The software application also has the capability to track shipments at a SKU/part level and to monitor the condition of the load. The NaviShare platform is transportation management system agnostic. The front-end user experience is combined with Ryder’s logistics engineering services on the backend to deliver the most proactive and unique platform in the industry today. n

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The Operations Dashboard for Ground Transportation is designed to provide input across the trucking and fleet organizations. n

Leighton O’Brien USA Signs Dealership Agreement with Conidia FUELSTAT ® Leighton O’Brien has announced a U.S. sales distribution agreement with Conidia Bioscience Ltd, manufacturers of FUELSTAT®, the latest technology in microbial contamination detection in middle distillate fuels. FUELSTAT® complements Leighton O’Brien’s patented fuel cleaning and polishing services and improves fuel quality testing and treatment strategies for the fuel cleaning and polishing industry. “Through this partnership, we can expand our product and service offering

CFB INDUSTRY NEWS to enhance our portfolio of marketleading technologies,” said Jeff Davis, President of Leighton O’Brien USA. “We can now offer our customers the best onsite diesel fuel quality test. The FUELSTAT® PLUS diesel fuel test is ASTM D8070 compliant to determine the presence of fungi, bacteria and diesel bugs in 10 minutes. “This partnership will enable our customers to properly detect and treat diesel fuel quality issues at a significantly reduced cost when compared to older methods on the market. If you can use an eyedropper, you can now test your diesel fuel in minutes,” Davis said. n

OOIDA to Push Forward with Fight against ELD Mandate An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by a national association of small-business truckers will not be reviewed. The OwnerOperator Independent Drivers Association

(OOIDA) contends that a mandate to electronically track commercial truck drivers was never about safety and that the government was never able to demonstrate how such a mandate would improve safety.

“That intrusion on the rights of hardworking Americans cannot be justified. The mandate will not improve safety. It will, however, be another costly regulatory burden heaped upon an already over-regulated industry,” Johnston noted.

Jim Johnston, President and CEO of OOIDA, said that the association will continue to pursue the issue on the congressional side as part of its “Knock Out Bad Regs” campaign, and will continue to communicate with the administration about this and other regulations.

The association also says there are still many questions about the technical specifications and enforcement aspects of the mandate.

OOIDA had filed the petition seeking a review of a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit regarding the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. The court had ruled against the association last year on its lawsuit against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). OOIDA says mandating ELDs is the equivalent of warrantless surveillance of truckers and that the government’s weak excuses for doing so fail to justify violating their Fourth Amendment rights.

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“The mandate has everything to do with large, economically motivated entities using the government to impose their will on small businesses, which comprise the majority of the trucking industry. Until the government is able to answer many fundamental and basic questions about the mandate, they should at least delay its implementation,” said Johnston. In its petition to the Supreme Court, OOIDA asked the court to determine whether the ELD rule violated the Fourth Amendment by failing to establish a regulatory structure at the state and federal levels that serves as a substitute for a warrant. n

What Does That Mean °C

Degrees Celsius

°F

Degrees Fahrenheit

API ATA ATF ATG ATRI

American Petroleum Institute American Trucking Associations Automatic Transmission Fluid Automatic Tank Gauge American Transportation Research Institute

Test Your Acumen The list below represents acronyms used in this issue of Commercial Fuel Buyer.

FMCSA

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

FTL

Full Truckload

GHG

Greenhouse Gas

gpm

Gallons Per Minute

GVWR

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

HDPE

High-Density Polyethylene

HOS

Hours of Service

AUS 32

Aqueous Urea Solution

L/min

Liters Per Minute

Carbon Intensity

MVR

Motor Vehicle Record

CO2

Carbon Dioxide

NAFTA

DEF

Diesel Exhaust Fluid

North American Free Trade Agreement

EEOC

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

NHS

National Highway System

NOx

Nitrogen Oxides

EGR

Exhaust Gas Recirculation

NTEP

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

National Type Evaluation Program

EPDM

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer

FAME

Fatty Acid Methyl Esters

FCRA

Fair Credit Reporting Act

OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

PADD

Petroleum Administration for Defense District

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PEI

Petroleum Equipment Institute

Preventative Maintenance

POS

Point of Sale

ppm

Parts Per Million

PRE

Previous Record of Employment

PTFE

Polytetrafluoroethylene

ROI

Return on Investment

rpm

Revolutions Per Minute

RSV

Reusable Stainless Valve

SaaS

Software-as-a-Service

SCR

Selective Catalytic Reduction

SPCC

Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure

TIF

Transportation Improvement Fee

ULSD

Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel

UST

Underground Storage Tank

VFD

Variable Frequency Drive

ZEV

Zero-Emission Vehicle

ADVERTISER’S INDEX

Our Advertisers Company

Page

Advanced Fuel Solutions

Biobor

Blackmer

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Cummins & White

Dennis K. Burke

Diesel Direct

ICUEE

Integer DEF Forum

Integer DEF Market Sponsored Content

36 – 37

Integer Emissions Summit

Keystone

Liquid Controls

Lomosoft

Inside Front Cover

MISCO

Inside Back Cover

OmegaFlex

OPW

RDM

8 and Back Cover

Roth

Rovanco

Shaw Development

SPATCO

Tanknology Thunder Creek Valvtect

5 26 6–7

WPMA Expo

Yara

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