New heavy- and light-duty EPA carbon standards face fierce pushback.
In The Lead: Mansfield Energy
This family company supplies commercial and government customers from coast to coast.
Need Quality Employees? Hire Former Military
The military instills unique qualities that are highly transferable in the transportation sector.
to Pivot Store Operations as Gallons Decrease One c-store’s downfall may offer lessons in innovation and future proofing.
in the Digital Age
Social media is critically important in retail, and the convenience sector is no different.
Wash Site Design Considerations
Thinking about adding a car wash? Location and layout are critical.
COMMERCIAL FUELS
As diesel prices surge following refinery shutdowns, shippers must prioritize fuel budget resilience.
FUEL MARKETERS
Diesel in Flux More supply is coming online, and new markets as well.
How to Increase the Value of Your Company
new plan for a successful exit strategy.
Suburban Propane helped pass a technology neutral low-carbon fuel standard in New Mexico.
Driving the industry forward, together
Convenience is always evolving, but NACS delivers the insights and innovative tools to help retailers win. Our latest initiatives improve how you serve your customers and communities and keep your business one step ahead.
Revolutionizing age verification at the register and beyond
Optimizing retailers’ digital presence to drive traffic & growth
FROM THE EDITOR
Does Mandate Equal Success?
We are once again faced with an administration that claims to support an “all of the above” strategy towards carbon reduction while putting not only a thumb on the scale but the entire palm in favor of electrification (Read the article “EPA Virtually Mandates Electric Vehicles” for more details).
The EPA’s latest heavy-duty and lightduty carbon standards are extremely aggressive. The standards look exclusively at tailpipe emissions from the vehicle while ignoring lifecycle carbon, such as that used to generate the electricity for EVs—which do not have tailpipes. The Biden Administration is not alone in this: California and other states have announced a moratorium on internal combustion engine sales, as has the European Union starting in 2035.
There is no intention in this issue to assault EV technology, drivers and charging. The cars have come a long way, to where they can fill most lightduty usage scenarios. The problem is they do not fit every usage scenario, which particularly becomes apparent as you move up into the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sectors. However, even with light-duty vehicles, there are usage scenarios that are less than optimal and/or that require significant cultural changes for the American motorist.
A lot of people like EVs, and some love them. But a lot don’t, and not just because of political polarization on the issue. What happens if consumers broadly reject EVs after the auto industry has committed to producing them as the primary (or exclusive) solution? The ability to forcefully mandate solutions might not last more than one or two election cycles somewhere down
the road. And with the electrical grid and the AI boom’s energy demands, adding EVs to the mix as a primary solution is a complicated process.
Current and future liquid fuels with advanced engine technologies (and especially in a hybrid format) can be developed to effectively provide comparable carbon reductions from a life cycle standpoint to EVs while also providing more traditional fueling and driving experience for the customer who doesn’t want an EV. However, the signals being sent to the auto industry and investors are certainly not the type that would promote advancements in these areas.
Even with the most aggressive EV mandates imaginable (short of confiscation or punitive ICE ownership policies), almost half of the vehicles on the road in 2050 will still be legacy ICE vehicles.
Finally, from raw materials to finished products, China controls 80% of the lithium battery market and that will be the case for some time to come. Lithium is king in EV battery technology. China is showing an aggressive expansionist policy throughout the Pacific where there are at least monthly military confrontations in areas as far afield as the Philippines.
Is it solid policy to put so many eggs in this uncertain basket?
Keith Reid is the editor-in-chief of Fuels Market News. He can be reached at kreid@fmnweb.com.
EDITORIAL
Keith Reid Editor-in-Chief (847) 630-4760; kreid@fmnweb.com
Ben Nussbaum Editorial Director (703) 518-4248; bnussbaum@convenience.org
Nancy Pappas Marketing Director (703) 518-4290; npappas@convenience.org
Logan Dion Digital Ad and Media Trafficker (703) 864-3600; production@convenience.org
EDITORIAL COUNCIL
RETAILER/MARKETER MEMBERS
Mark Fitz, president, Star Oilco; Derek Gaskins, chief marketing officer, Yesway; Brian Renaud, director of retail fuel pricing and analytics, Sheetz; Scott Minton, director of business development, OnCue Marketing
VENDOR/SUPPLIER MEMBERS
Regina Balistreri, director of marketing, ADD Systems; Joe O’Brien, vice president of marketing, Source North America Corporation; Kaylie Scoles, marketing director, RDM Industrial Electronics Inc.; Ed Kammerer, director of marketing and global product strategy, OPW Retail Fueling
Fuels Market News Magazine is published quarterly by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
Convenience retailing in ustry unites to honor local heroes supporting communities 24/7/365.
Now in its sixth year, 24/7 Day (hel July 24) is the only ay that celebrates the convenience store in ustry. The NACS Foun ation Response Relief program’s signature event celebrates an recognizes the first respon ers, me ical personnel an Re Cross volunteers who are there for their communities uring times of nee . The event unifies the collective efforts of more than 30,000 convenience stores that honor an thank those who work 24/7 through isaster relief onations or promotions specific to their business, like a hot cup of coffee, col beverage or a breakfast san wich.
There is no cost to join the 24/7 Day celebration. The NACS Foun ation oes all the legwork in terms of igital content, me ia an support alongsi e participating retailers an suppliers to promote these activities.
Registration for the 2024 NACS Show Is Open
The convenience industry’s biggest global event is headed back to Las Vegas.
The NACS Show is returning to Las Vegas in 2024. With thousands of new products and top-notch education sessions led by industry thought leaders, you don’t want to miss this year’s event. And don’t forget about the invaluable opportunity to tap into a co-learning network of 20,000+ attendees. When our industry wins, everyone wins.
Full conference registration includes access to all General Sessions, Education Sessions, the Expo and the official NACS Show Kick-Off Party taking place on Monday, October 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Azilo Ultra Lounge & Pool, located in the Sahara Las Vegas.
One-day registration options are available for buyers only:
• Tuesday One Day—Includes access to all education sessions and general sessions on Monday and Tuesday, the Expo on Tuesday and access to the NACS Show KickOff Party on Monday, October 7, from 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Azilo Ultra Lounge & Pool (located at the Sahara Las Vegas). Note: You must be 21 years of age or older to attend the Kick-Off Party. ID (with proof of age) is required to access the event.
• Wednesday One Day—Includes access to all Wednesday Education Sessions and the General Session and Expo on Wednesday.
• Thursday One Day—Includes access to the General Session and Expo on Thursday.
Stay In the Know With the NACS State of the Industry Report of 2023 Data
Save your organization time and money.
The NACS State of the Industry (SOI) Report® is the industry’s best tool for improving your business. For more than 50 years, the convenience and fuel retailing industry has relied on the SOI Report to provide a benchmarking tool and the most comprehensive collection of data and trends.
Retailers get a behind-the-scenes look at aggregate data in critical areas, including financials, store operations, merchandising, foodservice, fuels and more. Suppliers will be able to streamline R&D resources with targeted insights that will help them discover their next big product innovation or development opportunity.
The SOI Report will help you:
• Understand the big picture with data and analysis on economic, market and shopper dynamics.
• Maximize effectiveness and profitability with access to aggregate financial, operational and category data from more than 30,000 convenience stores across the United States.
• Benchmark against top performers in the industry and determine key drivers to success.
Upon purchase of a digital license, you will receive access to the report through a DRM-secured PDF through your convenience. org login profile. Discounts are available for purchasing multiple licenses. Purchase your copy of the State of the Industry Report at convenience.org/store or contact Chris Rapanick at crapanick@ convenience.org
Additionally, retailers who submit data to the NACS State of the Industry Survey receive a complimentary license of the SOI Report and one complimentary registration to the NACS State of the Industry Summit.
OCTOBER
NACS Show
October 07-10 | Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
NOVEMBER
NACS Innovation Leadership Program at MIT
November 03-08 | MIT Sloan School of Management
Cambridge, Massachusetts
NACS Women’s Leadership Program at Yale
November 17-22 | Yale School of Management
New Haven, Connecticut
2025
JANUARY
Conexxus Annual Conference
January 26-30 | Loews Ventana Canyon
Tucson, Arizona
FEBRUARY
NACS Leadership Forum
February 11-13 | The Ritz-Carlton
Amelia Island, Florida
NACS Convenience Summit Asia
February 25-27 | Conrad Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
MARCH
NACS Day on the Hill
March 10-12
Washington, D.C.
Climate Change and Transportation
Reducing emissions requires more than just going electric.
BY JOHN EICHBERGER
Elected leaders in 164 countries (as of 2017, 84% of all countries had a set of climate change policies) are highly concerned about climate change, as are many of their constituents. They are specifically focused on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that come from the transportation sector. Why?
First, transportation is responsible for a significant share of GHG emissions as well as other impacts on air quality. Depending on what data you review, we can say with confidence that transportation contributes 25-35% of GHG emissions in the U.S. and Canada.
We can safely assume that nearly every person has seen emissions from the tailpipe of a vehicle. But far fewer have been in proximity of a power plant, a cement factory or other major industrial facility. Therefore, politicians feel confident that blaming GHG emissions—and thereby climate change—on the tailpipes of vehicle will resonate with the constituency that is listening. It is simple, relatable and there is sufficient supporting data that could back up the strategy. Hence, transportation becomes an even more attractive target.
TAKING A SHORT CUT
Most voters are impatient to see leaders act, and politicians want to be seen as responsive to the concerns of their constituents. Therefore, taking time to explain the complexities of decarbonization and waiting for scientists and engineers to come back with options is not consistent with some definitions of demonstrative
leadership. This impatience forces politicians to seek solutions that fit into a quick sound bite. Regarding transportation and climate change, this has resulted in policies designed to eliminate tailpipes, promote electrification and migrate away from existing solutions.
Let’s be clear—I am a big fan of electric vehicles. They are fun to drive, less expensive to operate, can help reduce emissions and will become a significant part of the transportation market for decades to come—and a lot of them are just hot looking cars. They are a fantastic choice for a lot of drivers. But it is disingenuous for someone to say that they are zero emission vehicles and the only viable path to decarbonize transportation.
We must address carbon emissions wherever they originate, not just at the tailpipe. Our lifecycle comparison report published in 2022 showed that a battery electric vehicle (BEV), when charged with electricity that matches the average carbon intensity of the U.S. grid, could reduce GHG emissions by about 41% compared with an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) over a 200,000-mile lifetime. This is a significant improvement and should not be dismissed, but it is not zero. Traditional hybrid electric vehicles emit nearly 28% fewer GHG emissions over their lifetime—also not an insignificant reduction.
THE CONSEQUENCES
Governments across the world have implemented policies to support electrification of the transportation system, and to date they have been modestly successful. A key objective of most policies is to accelerate the price competitiveness of these vehicles with traditional ICEVs and to build out a reliable recharging infrastructure to assure drivers they will always have access to transportation energy. I don’t have a problem with these programs.
Where I have concern is when the
governments take it a step further and marginalize any solution that does not fit this narrative, such as jurisdictions seeking to ban the sale of ICEV and, by consequence, reduce investment in research and development for such engines and their appropriate fuels. By adopting policies that exclude other decarbonization solutions, these leaders are stifling innovation and putting all of our eggs into one basket. It leaves me with these questions:
• What solutions will exist if the aspirational goals of existing policies are not achieved and alternative solution development has not been supported?
• If all expectations are placed on replacing the existing global fleet (1.5 billion vehicles) with a new technology, how do we address the emissions being generated in the meantime?
• How can we ensure all communities, regardless of income or infrastructure capabilities, retain access to affordable, reliable and cleaner transportation energy as we make this transition?
This is why innovation is so important. Perhaps single-solution policies can be successful and achieve the desired results, but that is a big risk if we shut the door to any alternatives that might provide emissions reductions that can be achieved earlier and benefit more communities. We can and should pursue both near- and long-term solutions.
OPTIONALITY
Our goal is to reduce emissions—GHG and air pollutants. This is a great goal that we can all support, but to get there we need to be open to as many viable options as possible. Yes, we should be supporting and bringing to market new technologies, but at the same time we should be exploring new energy options that might be applied to the existing 280 million ICEV in the U.S. today.
Think back to 20 years ago. Electric vehicles were not considered viable and were rarely discussed. Even 10 years ago, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected in its Annual Energy Outlook that EVs would represent less than 1% of sales by 2040. Times, conditions and circumstances change.
However, we should be embracing options. We should throw the doors open to smart people who have ideas, invite them to sit at a very large table with a lot of other smart people and explore every solution available to us today and down the road. If we allow our future to be constrained to just one idea, our chances of achieving our goals will be greatly reduced. If we create this level of collaboration, under the single purpose of sustainably reducing GHG emissions, then we may, in fact, find that shiny new viable solution in five years rather than 20.
By adopting policies that exclude other decarbonization solutions, these leaders are stifling innovation and putting all our eggs into one basket.
John Eichberger is the executive director of the Transportation Energy Institute.
From Retreat to Reentry
Recent interest from major oil companies in direct retail fuel.
BY JOE O’BRIEN
According to “The History of Fuel Retailing” on convenience.org, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and BP all mostly exited the retail side of fueling in 2007 and 2008. At the time of their departure, the primary model for retail fuel was a basic, no-frills operation where customers bought “smokes, Cokes and gas.” Environmental compliance demands and costs were on the rise. Independent marketers and hypermarkets created an increasingly competitive atmosphere. Although a few major oil direct retail sites remained, the paradigm had shifted by the end of the decade.
NACS reports that today less than 0.2% of all convenience stores that sell gasoline are owned by a major oil company, and about 4% are owned by a refining company.
Although most convenience stores (95%) are owned by independent companies, whether one-store operators or regional chains, there are indications that Big Oil is again pursuing direct retail ownership in the United States:
Through an acquisition of Brewer Oil Company’s retail division, Shell is acquiring 45 fuel and convenience sites in New Mexico. The acquisition, which also includes cardlocks for fleets, joins Shell’s directly owned footprint of almost 200
retail sites. BP acquired Thorntons and TravelCenters of America Inc. Chevron and BP are expanding their portfolios to include commercial cardlock sites.
So, what’s changed? Why are major oil companies getting back into direct retail fuel, and how much of a threat do they pose to the current competitive landscape? Here are a few thoughts for consideration.
1. The major oil companies have recognized an opportunity to fully capitalize on the current c-store value offering.
During the major oil companies’ retreat from retail fuel, independent marketers largely wrote the playbook for c-store growth. They elevated gas stations from a place where customers primarily came to refuel to a destination that encourages them to go inside and shop. Providing exceptional customer experiences became a cornerstone for success.
And although major oil companies exited direct retail operations, much of their branding did not. Independent retailers licensed to represent oil or refinery brands have kept those brand identities in front of end users. To a
large extent, the brand legacy of the major oil companies has benefited from a transformation cemented through a period of entrepreneurship in which they had a minimal contributing role.
2. Lucrative sales inside c-stores are also now bolstered by attractive profit margins for fuel.
The majors see an opportunity at the gas pump. After hitting an all-time high of $5.02 in June of 2022, average U.S. retail fuel prices stabilized through 2023 and in the early part of 2024, when prices were averaging $3.36.
While many factors affect the supply-and-demand dynamics of fuel in the U.S., which in turn affects fuel prices, traditionally, when supply is high, prices are low. To that end, it’s worth noting:
The U.S., the world’s largest producer of oil, pumped a record amount of oil in 2023.
In 2019, total annual U.S. energy production exceeded U.S. energy consumption for the first time since 1957.
If oil companies are able to bring their products to the pumps at their direct retail sites at a lower production cost than their competitors, they could theoretically pass along those savings to the end user. Since fuel retailers typically see fuel profits rise when fuel prices fall, these companies could position themselves to capture more sales volume through an incredibly competitive pricing strategy.
3. Amid the shift toward new forms of transportation energy, major oil
companies are seeking ways to diversify their operations.
Getting back into direct retail fuel not only expands the scope of their operations beyond oil, but it also establishes a footprint where they can swiftly bring new products to market.
For example, with about 80 company-operated fuel sites, Chevron maintained a presence in direct retail fuel when the other major oil companies left. This descendant of Standard Oil has also developed a line of fleet-focused lower carbon fuels. It makes sense that it is expanding to include cardlock sites in its operations.
4. Conditions are favorable for the majors to buy property.
With more extensive cash holdings than other buyers, high interest rates aren’t much of a deterrent for major oil companies. Their financial position affords them a wider assortment of properties to choose from with fewer buyers to compete against.
5. Once “retired” business strategies are often reborn as “new” initiatives when corporations seek to enhance financial performance.
The cyclical nature of management goals has an uncanny way of finding “new” objectives in pursuit of bottom-line growth. Downstream control may be the latest area of focus.
That notwithstanding, the major oils have ceded their presence in direct retail fuel for about 15 years. It will take at least as long as that for them to reach the level of prominence they once enjoyed.
During the major oil companies’ retreat from retail fuel, independent marketers largely wrote the playbook for c-store growth.
Joe O’Brien is vice president of marketing at Source North America Corporation. He has more than 25 years of experience in the petroleum equipment fuel industry. Contact him at jobrien@sourcena.com or visit sourcena.com to learn more.
How to Pivot Store Operations as Gallons Decrease
One c-store’s downfall may offer lessons in innovation and future proofing.
BY ROY STRASBURGER
Foxtrot Market suddenly closed all its stores in late April 2024. If you’re not familiar with Foxtrot, it was a chain of 33 convenience stores operating in multiple states. Although it was a small chain, Foxtrot gained attention for being touted as the
next wave of urban convenience. Foxtrot launched in 2013 to deliver beverages to students at the University of Chicago, then expanded into small local markets in gentrified, upscale neighborhoods. It started a more rapid expansion in 2022 which took it into
Washington D.C., Dallas and Austin, Texas.
The premise of Foxtrot was to sell a highly curated selection of local products and freshly made-to-order food while at the same time providing a community space for people to meet and hang out. Think of a cross between a Starbucks and a very small Whole Foods—without the vegetables and meat. It did not sell fuel, and many locations were street fronts without dedicated parking.
Foxtrot collaborated with local food providers to create a proprietary food offering featuring a wide range of products. Its target patrons were middle-to-upper income Millennials. Staying true to its origins, it delivered through its in-house service. It had a slick online presence.
Foxtrot was hip, cool and appealed to Millennials and Gen Z consumers. But Foxtrot is no more.
What is there to learn from the demise of Foxtrot? There have been a lot of people saying they knew Foxtrot wasn’t going to make it because it was overpriced and under merchandised. While this may be true, I think that it was onto something important, and that what Foxtrot did well reflects how convenience retailing will need to evolve to survive.
Foxtrot was successful at creating a space where people wanted to be—the most frequent comment that I have read about its demise is along the lines of “How did it go out of business? People were always in there.” Foxtrot positioned itself as a neighborhood hub, offering pastry, snacks, coffee and alcoholic beverages along with a few high-end grocery staples and gourmet take-home meals. The later iterations of the stores that I visited were similar to mini-supermarkets with a wider range of products. This was not the case in its earlier stores where they may have had some issues with sales volumes. (Just to be clear, I have no insider knowledge as to Foxtrot’s financial performance.)
As counterintuitive as this may sound, I think a version of the later Foxtrot format is where retailers need to move to be successful in the future.
Since you are reading this magazine, chances are that you’re in the fuel business and, possibly, are either a retailer or you work with a retailer. Over the next decade, fuel demand is going to go down. Whether it is due to electric cars, more fuel-efficient ICE vehicles or reduced automobile ownership and fewer miles driven because of public transportation or bikes, the total gallons of gasoline sold in the United States will decline. That means that fewer gas customers will be making less frequent visits to your store. You already know this.
So, what to do? The goal, of course, is to attract as many customers to your store as possible. The most sustainable
way of doing that is to provide a retail offer that makes the customer want to come to you.
This can be done by taking some of the highlights out of the Foxtrot playbook:
• The inside of your store needs to be warm and inviting and not cluttered or sterile.
• There needs to be a place where people can congregate and spend time either working or chatting.
• You need to be a good host and offer a quality food and beverage program serving bean-to-cup coffee and delicious prepared food in a way that makes it easy for your customer to purchase and enjoy it.
• Your merchandise mix should be carefully selected and reflect the needs and desires of your customer base.
• The store should offer items that can’t be found in competing c-stores, such as locally sourced products and artisan goods.
• You should offer a local delivery service combined with a loyalty program.
• Your store will need a vibe—either through the architecture, artwork or music—that fits with the aesthetics of your customers.
• You need to execute your program every minute of every day through staff who are trained in customer service and hospitality.
If your business is currently successful, but you don’t think it encompasses the items mentioned above, invest in your future. By building upon your current business with these strategies, you will help to futureproof your store. When gasoline sales decline, you are not going to replace the lost profits by putting in an EV charging station. You need to be increasing the size of your average purchase and the frequency of those purchases.
Foxtrot saw the future and did a lot of things right. There’s an opportunity to learn from everyone, even if they didn’t make it in the long run. RIP.
Over the next decade, fuel demand is going to go down. That means that fewer gas customers will be making less frequent visits to your store.
Roy Strasburger is the CEO of StrasGlobal. For 35 years StrasGlobal has been the choice of global oil brands, distressed assets managers, real-estate lenders and private investors seeking a complete, turnkey retail management solution.
THRIVR in the Digital Age
Social media is critically important in retail, and the convenience sector is no different.
BY JEN JOHNSON
In an era dominated by e-commerce giants and digital marketplaces, brick-and-mortar stores face unprecedented challenges. However, their relevance remains undeniably crucial in shaping the retail landscape. To thrive, these physical establishments must adapt to the digital age by ensuring searchability, active response to customer reviews and robust engagement through social media platforms. This article delves into the
significance of these strategies and explore how they intersect with the NACS THRIVR program.
AVOIDING MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
At the onset of Covid, a lot of retailers were trying to figure out how to handle last mile delivery services and do curbside pickup so that they could retain their customers. Obviously, the convenience industry did well, but retailers discovered that they just weren’t being
found online. And if somebody can’t find you digitally, they will never know that you are offering delivery services, curbside pickup or any of these other amenities.
Retailers are investing in these offers, but they aren’t promoting them, and so customers don’t know to take advantage of them. One large retailer, for example, had a huge wine area—which is becoming very common among retailers in the c-store space— and it even carried bottles of Caymus, an upscale wine brand. There’s a lot of very expensive inventory that sits on the shelf. The store wasn’t coming up online when consumers searched for wine nearby, so the retailer missed out on transactions.
Another store in a Louisiana town with a lot of fishing sold a wide variety
of bait, shiners, crickets and night crawlers, as well as items for tackle. It’s not uncommon for c-stores to carry basic bait, but this store’s bait products were wide ranging. But without promoting the products to local fishers or showing up online as a store that carried these items, the store had a huge missed opportunity for sales. Consumers need to know what you’re selling.
“Social media is important because we need to move into the direction of convenience having a ‘cool’ factor, other than just getting your gas and goods in the store,” said Dan Razowsky, director of operations and marketing for Northbrook, Illinois-based Rmarts and a THRIVR customer. “Having an online presence and going with the times is crucial in staying competitive. Being able to reach out to customers other than just face-to-face opens up the doors and opportunities on a whole new level.”
Rmarts has owned, operated and developed gas stations and convenience stores in the Chicago area since 1951.
THE SEARCHABILITY IMPERATIVE
In a world where consumers turn to search engines for everything from product research to local shopping, the importance of visibility cannot be overstated. Brick-and-mortar stores must optimize their online presence to ensure they are discoverable by potential customers. This entails more than just having a website; it requires strategic use of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.
By incorporating relevant keywords; optimizing Google, Apple and Yelp listings, to name a few; and ensuring consistency across online directories, retailers can enhance their search engine rankings and increase foot
traffic to their physical locations.
For instance, a convenience store in a bustling urban area might optimize its online presence to appear in searches for “convenience stores near me,” thereby capturing the attention of nearby consumers actively seeking their products.
THE POWER OF CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Customer reviews have significant influence in shaping consumer perceptions and purchase decisions. In today’s interconnected world, a single positive or negative review can reverberate across social networks and online platforms, impacting a store’s reputation and bottom line. Brick-and-mortar businesses must actively monitor and respond to customer feedback to foster trust and loyalty.
Prompt and personalized responses to reviews demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction and signal responsiveness and accountability. Even negative reviews present an opportunity for improvement and relationship building. By addressing concerns publicly and offering solutions or apologies, retailers can turn dissatisfied customers into loyal advocates, showcasing their dedication to customer-centricity.
LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
Social media has revolutionized the way businesses interact with consumers, offering a dynamic platform for engagement and brand storytelling. Brick-and-mortar stores can harness the power of social media to amplify their reach, foster community and cultivate brand loyalty. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter provide avenues for sharing updates, promotions and behind-the-scenes glimpses, humanizing the brand and
In a world where consumers turn to search engines for everything from product research to local shopping, the importance of visibility cannot be overstated.
Social media has revolutionized the way businesses interact with consumers, offering a dynamic platform for engagement and brand storytelling.
forging meaningful connections with customers.
Engagement on social media goes beyond broadcasting messages; it involves actively listening to and participating in conversations. By responding to comments, messages and mentions in a timely and authentic manner, retailers can nurture relationships with their audience and demonstrate a commitment to engagement. Additionally, user-generated content, such as customer photos and testimonials, can be leveraged to showcase products in real-world contexts and build social proof.
NACS THRIVR PROGRAM
The NACS THRIVR program embodies the ethos of adaptability and innovation in the retail sector. This comprehensive initiative equips convenience retailers with the tools and resources needed to thrive in an evolving marketplace, emphasizing the importance of technology adoption, customer-centricity and operational excellence.
how the SEO is working in our favor or not.”
At its core, the THRIVR program aligns with the principles of searchability, responsiveness and social media engagement. By providing retailers with insights into consumer behavior, best practices for digital marketing and strategies for enhancing the in-store experience, NACS empowers brick-andmortar businesses to stay competitive and relevant in an increasingly digital world.
“We were interested in THRIVR because social media can be overwhelming. Having one space to manage our social media helps keep everything in one place,” said Razowsky. “It also allows us to see if what we are doing is working or not through data, whether it’s managing Google reviews or seeing
THRIVR tracks business listings on nearly 150 networks and tracks social media in the range of operational areas for each of the retail sites in an organization. A highly visual dashboard interface allows the user to track sentiment trends and presents a visual word cloud that identifies positive and negative commentary by both color and size. It maps and tracks impressions, website clicks, phone calls and unique direction requests.
As the retail landscape continues to evolve, embracing connectivity and engagement will remain essential pillars of success for brick-and-mortar businesses seeking to thrive in the digital age. By prioritizing searchability, responsiveness to customer reviews and engagement through social media, retailers can fortify their position in the marketplace and foster enduring connections with consumers.
The NACS THRIVR program serves as a guiding light, equipping retailers with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate this ever-changing landscape and emerge stronger and more resilient than before.
Jen Johnson is NACS’ director of business development - localized marketing solutions.
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Car Wash Site Design Considerations
Thinking about adding a car wash? Location and layout are critical.
BY AUSTIN BURNS
Car washes are popping up with more regularity across the United States than ever before, making them a popular commodity in the c-store industry as an additional revenue source. A number of companies are adding larger format tunnel washes. Though margins on these investments may be shrinking ever so slightly, they add immediate value to
their locations and are one of the better ways to expand loyalty programs and create the loyalty engagement owners and operators are so desperately seeking. But what key elements go into designing a c-store or travel center site that features a large external car wash such as a modern tunnel wash system? What makes one location good and another better?
SIZE AND ACCESS
When designing a site, it’s important to take what the site gives us. While there is no magic number in terms of land size, it’s a good starting point to have no less than two acres. Smaller can work, but at Paragon we caution owners and operators to be wary due to tunnel size and other factors they may not be considering in relation to the overall site design.
It’s important to begin by evaluating ingress and egress of each site. Customer access points are so critical that they can make large sites seem impossible and small sites perfect. If you have quality points of entry and exits on your site, the customer experience is off to a great start.
One of the most challenging aspects
of our industry is planning for and accommodating the varying types of clientele, the vehicles they arrive in and how they interact with these sites daily. Typical sites include the store itself, a fuel canopy, parking and at least one QSR with a drive-thru. Now, let’s throw in a car wash while we’re at it. Understanding the amenities included on the site requires a proactive design approach. Journey mapping each customer’s experience is a required process.
It’s important to design to your peak. What that means is creating an optimized space when the site is at capacity. The design needs to ensure everyone has a place to go without negatively impacting the customer experience for another guest. A poorly designed site has pain points: areas that inhibit people from getting where they want to go. The goal is to eliminate any of those pain points that may occur.
Consider this pain point scenario: You are navigating your way to enter the car wash only to find that a line from the drive-thru is blocking the queuing lane for the car wash you are trying to access. This sort of confusion can be devastating to the overall customer experience and the result could potentially be the loss of one, if not two, profit centers. Something like this can easily be avoided if you design to your peak.
WAYFINDING AND OPTIMIZED VISIBILITY
Visibility is a fundamental tenet of good design. Effective wayfinding
combined with striking exterior aesthetics elevates the allure of the car wash tunnel, invigorating the senses and creating an exciting experience. Strategically locating the tunnel near major highways or thoroughfares becomes crucial, guaranteeing it is an irresistible draw for those passing by.
Allocation of space and management of queues play pivotal roles. Providing ample room for maneuvering and a queue that’s both visible and accessible are essential. Sharp turns should be avoided in favor of seamless navigation, as the length of the tunnel directly impacts wash quality and throughput. Furthermore, meticulous attention to detail extends to elements like water drainage, ensuring a smooth experience from beginning to end.
Vacuum stations, often overlooked, emerge as focal points of differentiation. Beyond the attraction of “free vacuums,” the layout and functionality of these areas determine customer satisfaction. Spacious stalls, equipped with dependable suction, elevate the post-wash experience, fostering confidence. Strategic placement of stalls—whether angled or straight— shapes traffic flow and accessibility.
PURSUING EXCELLENCE
In an environment saturated with hastily established car washes, prioritizing customer experience is principal. Hasty implementations will yield subpar results. Instead, dedicating time, expertise and resources to meticulous planning and execution makes success more likely.
The design needs to ensure everyone has a place to go without negatively impacting the customer experience for another guest.
Austin Burns is the director of sales and marketing for Paragon Solutions, a one-stop shop provider for innovative consulting, design and branding services for retail and commercial applications.
Proactive Fuel Cost Management
As diesel prices surge following refinery shutdowns, shippers must prioritize fuel budget resilience.
BY JENNY VANDER ZANDEN
Shippers experienced relief from diesel price swings through the end of 2023, but that appears to have been a blip, not a sustained trend. In other words, fuel volatility is back.
Reduced refinery activity has led to lower diesel inventories and pump price hikes across the Midwest. Production shortfalls are the result of unplanned power outages and maintenance at BP’s refinery in Whiting, Indiana—the U.S.’s largest inland refinery—and Phillips 66’s refinery in Ponca City, Oklahoma. As a result of reduced supply, on-highway diesel prices jumped
30 cents per gallon across the entire region in February.
For shippers, it’s yet another example of how difficult it is to plan for the myriad ways unexpected volatility can impact your network, budget and goals. These events underscore the importance of building flexibility into your energy budget to mitigate operational risks in both the near and long term.
REGIONAL DISRUPTION, WIDESPREAD IMPACT
In reality, the Whiting and Ponca City power outages are only part of the story. The Midwest’s fuel supply was
already running low.
These two recent production pauses came on the heels of a January deep freeze that temporarily closed several refineries in Texas, a region where facilities aren’t designed to withstand severe winter weather. Extreme weather events are the No. 1 transportation challenge for 2024, according to transportation leaders, and the Texas shutdowns are a reminder that severe and unexpected events can lead to compounding disruptions that reverberate throughout the supply chain for weeks or months. Together, the Texas, Whiting and Ponca City disruptions caused U.S. refinery utilization to decrease 11% and briefly drop below the five-year low in mid-February.
Unfortunately, if you have a national-based fuel program, when fuel supply issues are concentrated along a regional shipping lane, you and your carriers feel the impact whether you operate along that lane or not. This type of fuel program reimburses carriers based on the diesel fuel index published by the Department of Energy (DOE). The index rate is calculated
weekly using a sample set of less than 10% of fueling stations across the United States.
The result is an imbalance between the amount carriers pay at the pump and the price at which shippers reimburse them. For example, carriers traveling busy lanes in the Midwest— where prices were temporarily higher than average—may be undercompensated for the fuel they purchase, putting strain on their operations. But carriers transporting shipments in other areas of the country may be overpaid.
STRATEGIES TO INSULATE YOUR BUDGET
You can’t predict disruption in the energy market, but there are certain tools that make it easier to move with market changes and minimize their impact on your business. Rather than leaving your fuel budget to chance, equip your team with the energy market insights and fuel reimbursement
solutions necessary to optimize outcomes. This will enable you to get ahead of cost scrutiny from c-suite leaders and proactively modify budget plans when circumstances change.
• Access to energy market insights: Unbiased, data-driven resources, whether from expert advisors or your own industry reports, can keep your team up to date on diesel fuel price trends and offer a comprehensive perspective on the energy market. This gives you the ability to forecast and plan for different scenarios. For example, you may not be able to control diesel price swings caused by a severe hurricane—or a refinery outage—but you can gain a better understanding of the precise impacts to your network. Getting ahead of surprises creates a shared understanding between your transportation team and senior leaders so you can more easily adapt to disruption and pivot plans faster.
State Average Diesel Prices
Month-over-month change, February 2024
When fuel supply issues are concentrated along a regional shipping lane, you and your carriers feel the impact whether you operate along that lane or not.
Jenny Vander Zanden is the chief operating officer of Breakthrough, a strategic transportation partner empowering shippers with data technology and market knowledge to reduce cost, create efficient networks and decarbonize transportation.
• Fuel reimbursements that align with transacted costs: Fuel surcharge schedules used to be the only option for calculating how much to reimburse your carriers. However, advanced technology solutions now make it possible to fairly and accurately compensate carriers based on daily fuel prices along individual lanes. For example, if diesel prices spike in California, you can maintain strong relationships with your West Coast carriers by fairly reimbursing them for their actual fuel costs. Likewise, you can ensure you’re not overpaying or putting stress on your budget when prices decline. This creates transparency so both you and your carrier partners are more equipped to ride out periods of volatility.
DON’T LET FUEL PRICE SWINGS DICTATE YOUR STRATEGY
Continued energy market disruptions are inevitable. It’s just a matter of when and where they arise. But your budget doesn’t have to be beholden to unpredictable market influences.
With the right tools at your disposal, your transportation team can create a resilient fuel strategy that positively impacts your organization’s overarching cost reduction goals. At the same time, a proactive approach to fuel cost management can help your team foster strategic relationships with carriers by bringing transparency to the fuel reimbursement process.
The earlier you modernize your approach to fuel reimbursements and market forecasting, the greater benefit you can deliver to your organization.
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Renewable Diesel in Flux
More supply is coming online, and new markets as well.
BY MARK FITZ
The U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) is predicting a huge increase in renewable diesel flowing into the market, with R99 (99% renewable) set to double from 2022 levels by 2025. Much of this new renewable diesel product is coming from former petroleum refineries flipping their process to vegetable fats, oils and food waste greases. On top of these repurposed petroleum refineries, there are new plants coming online.
Don’t be surprised to see blends of 80% renewable diesel and 20% biodiesel all over the West Coast this summer. This blend can provide practical, significant carbon reductions and can therefore benefit greatly from low-carbon initiatives that reduce product cost.
WHY
IS THIS HAPPENING?
The West Coast states have laws that pay a premium for non-petroleum, low-carbon fuels. California, Oregon
and Washington have cap and invest programs mandating anyone moving petroleum fuels into their states blend their petro-fuels with low-carbon fuels like biodiesel, ethanol, renewable diesel and renewable naptha (a gasoline-like fuel). There is virtually no opportunity to reach their fuel carbon reduction goals though lower percentage blends of biofuels. Common 10% ethanol or 20% biodiesel are not going to be enough to meet the legal obligations as a fuel seller, especially at retail gasoline.
In fact, with gasoline not going away anytime soon no matter how many gasoline engine bans are enacted, there is not a clear path to move gasoline to a low-carbon fuel. That puts the burden of “decarbonizing” (as the West Coast governments call it) on
diesel fuel buyers.
The volumes required as these programs ramp up mean that traditional petroleum refiners selling gasoline at retail stations must increase their renewable diesel sales into the market to meet their lower carbon fuel obligations on the West Coast.
The availability of this new low CO2 diesel is causing California in particular to ramp up its rules. As of the first of this year, off-road equipment in California (dyed diesel) must be R99 renewable diesel. Marine markets are also being pushed to renewable diesel. All bioblends in California require R99 for blending as well.
The city of Portland has gone a step further and passed a law to phase out petroleum diesel in the near future, replacing it with renewable diesel and biodiesel blends within the city limits.
Oregon and Washington also have their own CO2 laws modeling California’s, and while they haven’t outright mandated R99, the rules mean these fuels must be sold by truckstops, gas stations, cardlocks and other retail outlets.
The West Coast also sees many fleets, especially municipal, wanting R99 for its benefits beyond regulatory requirements. For example, vehicle emission systems benefit from the cleaner burning fuel from both a reliability and maintenance standpoint.
It’s also safe to say that this trend is expected to find its way to the Northeast and Midwest as well. A series of suggested legislation and rules have been floating around following the California low-carbon lead. New York City has already outlawed petroleum diesel as a heating fuel (requiring biodiesel and renewable
diesel substitutes), which raises questions about if the city will enact a ban for other off-road and on-road uses for diesel. Neste, the world’s leading renewable diesel manufacturer, has been moving volumes to Massachusetts and New York and its R99 renewable diesel product is now appearing. It can be expected that state-directed incentives or mandates will not be far behind.
SO HOW DOES THIS EFFECT DIESEL FLEETS?
If you are on the West Coast, this year you are going to be seeing far more biodiesel and renewable diesel. If you are in the Northeast, you will also start feeling the renewable buzz. A billion new gallons of this premium fuel is coming online, and we are going to start finding who will pay top dollar for it.
But what does it cost? Oregon, Washington and California have CO2 rules that subsidize the retail price. The other states seeing this product can expect to pay a premium if they want R99 renewable diesel.
Without getting too deep on the market forces, on any given day the price of low-carbon diesel can beat petroleum diesel given the incentives needed to see biodiesel and renewable diesel uptake. This summer Oregon and California saw a widespread request for a 20% biodiesel and 80% renewable diesel which had it popping up at truck stops—or dropping off— based on its price.
This year is going to be an interesting one for renewable diesel and the impact from availability to cost will vary and shake out as market forces work themselves out.
This summer, Oregon and California saw a widespread request for a 20% biodiesel and 80% renewable diesel.
Mark Fitz is the president of Star Oilco, a Portland, Oregon-based petroleum company that is one of the largest distributors of biodiesel and renewable diesel to both retail and commercial customers in the Portland area.
How to Increase the Value of Your Company
Your new plan for a successful exit strategy.
BY JOHN J. KIMMEL
Do you know how much your company is worth? Is the number high enough that you could exit today and still leave something behind for your family?
Could you double the company’s value in three to five years? Could you triple it, or increase its value even more?
Most of the factors that influence the value of your company are within your control. Unfortunately, many petroleum marketers don’t start focusing on these elements until it’s time to sell the company, and then it is simply too late. Consequently, if their company isn’t worth as much as they hoped for—or needed—they are forced to make tough decisions. It doesn’t have to be that way.
The strategies below will help give you a clear path to a successful exit.
The more time you have, the more impact these ideas will have on the value of your business long term. But even if you have to exit at the end of this calendar year and only have six months to implement these methods, they will still make a difference.
START WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN
Before we start on individual items, we need to decide where we are going and what it will take to get there. If it were November or December, I would tell you to do a real annual strategic plan. But if you are reading this now, I would suggest drawing up a plan that goes from now until the end of 2025, as anything shorter than that means you will be back in the planning stage in too short a time. Almost without exception, you should bring in a third-party expert to
help you with strategic planning. There are many qualified options, our firm included, that can bring out the best in your team and set up the systems you will need to stay on track and hit the goals that will get you to your desired destination. There are also very inexpensive software solutions that can capture the information generated in your planning session and keep it in a format that is interactive for your entire team.
IMPROVE YOUR SALES
Notice I did not say increase your sales, but rather improve them. There are many factors that go into selling the perfect mix of products to the perfect set of customers.
If I asked you to tell me how much profit each of your customers generated, would you be able to tell me? If we are going to improve your sales, the first thing we need to do is define who your best customer is. There are so many variables, but generally consider: what sector they are in; what products they buy; how often they take delivery, and in what quantities? Odds are, you already have a few different types of great customers. We want to focus our growth on those
companies before we focus on anyone else, because we know we are already successful at that kind of business.
The next step is to improve your sales team. According to research, as many as 92% of salespeople have never been trained to sell. They have been trained on the products but not on how to sell them. It is no wonder that among all the salespeople our company has trained, the lowest increase we have seen in year-over-year sales is 22%. Most of those salespeople are industry vets, not rookies. So, training makes a difference. Training will also allow you to maximize the profit you make from your customers. If the only strategy the salesperson has to get the order is to lower the price … well, you get the picture.
EXAMINE YOUR COSTS
We work in an industry that runs on profit measured in pennies. If you are only making pennies, then you better not spend any money that you don’t need to spend, especially if you want to increase the value of your company.
There are many different types of costs that can eat up your profit, starting with your people. One of the most valuable exercises you can do is to right-size your staff. While some companies run skeleton crews, barely able to get all the work done every day, most suffer from being overstaffed. Here is something to consider: According to Gallup, the average American worker wastes 3 hours and 31 minutes per day. How much more could your staff do if they worked an extra three hours per day?
We recently completed a project with a company where every single department claimed they were understaffed and needed to hire extra help. After a thorough analysis, we determined that the organization should trim its payroll by a whopping 40%. Today, with systems in place to reward diligent workers, the company can reward individuals and still save a ton of money on payroll.
There are a lot of other places to save money on everything from office supplies to truck maintenance to software providers. A common place companies lose value is through bad financing. If there is a better loan available than the one you have, take the time to explore your options. It could yield positive results. Overall, doing a deep dive into your costs can result in putting a lot more money to the bottom line.
ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES
Even if you don’t want to exit in the foreseeable future, increasing the value of your company will give you the ability to borrow more money when you need to expand. Many in our industry have increased their company value exclusively through acquisitions. It could be that acquiring certain companies will have a dramatic effect on your company’s value.
For some, the other side of this equation could be even more powerful—divesting. There may be a division of your company that you need to sell. Maybe you are great at lubricants, but your retail division is draining the life (and value) out of your company. Maybe you need to keep your retail and sell your propane. You get the idea. Just because your company has always done something does not mean it needs to continue doing it.
DEFINE YOUR PATH
It is impossible to plot a course if you don’t know where you are starting. Having clean, accurate books is critical if you want to maximize your company’s value. Once you have books that are accurate, you can project where you will be if you stay on your current course or where you will go if you alter course. Like strategic planning, this may require an expert’s help. Very few accountants or even CPAs have the expertise to do this correctly, so you need to make sure whomever does this work knows what he or she is doing.
We recently completed a project where every single department claimed they were understaffed and needed to hire extra help. After a thorough analysis, we determined that the organization should trim its payroll by a whopping 40%.
provides custom solutions to increase the effectiveness and profitability of sales teams for petroleum marketers all over the United States. Visit www. johnjkimmel.com
John J. Kimmel is the author of Selling with Power. Kimmel
How Propane Plays a Role in a Lower Carbon Future
Suburban Propane helped pass a technology neutral low-carbon fuel standard in New Mexico.
INTERVIEW BY KEITH REID
Doug Dagan is the vice president of Strategic InitiativesRenewable Energy at Surburban Propane.
New Mexico became the fourth state to adopt a low carbon fuel standard. The signing of New Mexico House Bill 41 established a clean transportation fuel standard program to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels through 2040.
The bill sets goals to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in the state by at least 20% below 2018 carbon intensity levels by 2030, and at
least 30% below 2018 carbon intensity levels by 2040.
According to the New Mexico Environment Department: The clean fuel standard is designed to reduce the carbon intensity of the state’s transportation fuel mix over time. This technology-neutral program allows the state to set a standard for the carbon intensity (i.e. amount of lifecycle greenhouse gas emission per unit of fuel energy) of transportation fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel. Producers or vendors of transportation fuels that produce low carbon fuels (i.e. fuels that are below the standard) generate credits to sell in the clean fuels marketplace. Producers or vendors of transportation fuels that produce high carbon fuels (i.e. fuels that are above the standard) obtain credits in the clean fuels marketplace.
Suburban Propane was part of the New Mexico Clean Fuels Coalition, which led advocacy efforts supporting House Bill 41. The company is a
nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and producer of and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives. It serves the energy needs of approximately one million residential, commercial, governmental, industrial and agricultural customers at approximately 700 locations across 42 states.
FMN spoke with Doug Dagan, vice president of strategic initiatives, renewable energy, about the company’s support of the bill through the coalition and some of its renewable and otherwise low carbon solutions.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CLEAN FUELS COALITION.
It’s been a long process—three years of engagement. We sit on the board of the Low Carbon Fuel Coalition, which includes some well-known names in the traditional energy and electrification space. The coalition’s goal is to promote technology neutral approaches that drive down carbon intensity. I think one of the strengths of that coalition is just the sheer number and diversity of players.
We wanted to make sure that the legislation is truly technology neutral, and that it allows for the best available technology to win out—one that doesn’t put its thumb on the scale in terms of picking an end user or an end goal beyond just saying it’s going to reduce carbon emissions.
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUBURBAN PROPANE?
Fortunately for us, in many cases the best available technology today is propane. And the best available technology of tomorrow is going to be renewable propane, blended with renewable DME or RNG or hydrogen. And those are all products that we have a hand in.
We live in a society that is very divided. But when we can get through
to people and explain carbon intensity and explain the realities of the different options that are out there, people do come around. There are technologies today that are abundant, affordable and available, but we are not using them. We can absolutely leverage those and should be using them.
If you put your thumb on the scale and say, “Just electrify everything,” well, the grid can’t handle that. And we’re seeing increased emissions from the electric grid, and in many places the carbon intensity of the electric grid is actually significantly worse than the carbon intensity of propane. In many cases, it’s even worse than the carbon intensity of diesel and gasoline. But if you use renewable propane, the emissions are even lower. If you blend renewable propane with renewable DME, you can get zero or potentially even negative carbon intensity levels.
THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A CHALLENGE GETTING LEGISLATORS AND REGULATORS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES BEYOND ELECTRIFICATION. HOW HAVE YOU NAVIGATED THIS?
We try to educate policymakers about that. It’s hard to do because there’s so much resistance to anything other than electrification. But when you can break through and really have a conversation with someone, you can explain to them that carbon intensity is an objective measure that was established by the Department of Energy. It’s been adopted by several states, and what it does is level the playing field. We have a great team here at Suburban Propane, and we’ve been good at getting that message out.
DESCRIBE YOUR RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS PRODUCT.
We operate a large renewable natural gas facility in Arizona. We have a partnership with seven farms in that area that produce manure that we take into our anaerobic digesters. That process
If you put your thumb on the scale and say, ‘Just electrify everything,’ well, the grid can’t handle that. And we’re seeing increased emissions from the electric grid, and in many places, the carbon intensity of the electric grid is actually significantly worse than the carbon intensity of propane.
But if you use renewable propane, the emissions are even lower. If you blend renewable propane with renewable DME, you can get zero or potentially even negative carbon intensity levels.
produces raw biogas, and we clean that up in a processing plant and then purify it to almost pure methane, which is the largest component of natural gas.
We also have a facility in the metropolitan Columbus area that takes in and processes food waste and agricultural waste. And then we have a facility in upstate New York where we have partnered with a farm to host an aerobic digester.
We’re selling that to California’s LCFS market for transportation. The biggest application is in natural gas vehicles, whether they’re CNG or LNG.
DESCRIBE THE ROLE RDME PLAYS IN RENEWABLE PROPANE.
DME is a molecule that’s very similar to propane, and what it allows for is a blending of the two (DME and propane) that you can move and transport in existing propane infrastructure. It can also be used as a drop-in replacement for whatever you use propane for today. We sell renewable DME (RDME) propane blends out of our Southern California location.
We get the RDME molecules from Oberon Fuels, in which we own an equity stake. The DME molecule that we’re delivering comes from renewable methanol, a byproduct of processing wood and paper. The long-term plan is to use an even lower carbon intensity feedstock and get a bigger bang for the buck when you blend it with traditional propane. We’ve invested a lot of time,
energy and money to figure out the blending process and test engines to make sure that the product runs without any changes. Users then just take the propane blended with RDME, put it in their forklifts and do their business.
WHAT ABOUT HYDROGEN PROPANE BLENDS? ARE YOU WORKING WITH THOSE AT ALL?
We are not producing any hydrogen now, but we think that hydrogen is a long-term solution for many applications including heavy industry and material handling.
Our core propane business has a distributed, sort of hub-and-spoke layout across the country. And we’re looking to do a similar hub-and-spoke layout approach with hydrogen.
Back to the platform, you can use RDME and propane to move hydrogen. You move it and store it in a regular propane tank and then put it through a chemical process called reforming to produce hydrogen on site.
So that’s one area that we can play in. And you can use biogas to make RDME, renewable propane and RNG. Plus, you can use RNG to make renewable hydrogen. So, there are interplays between each of those pieces, but all three of them really leverage our 95-year legacy of safely and effectively delivering energy to customers and position us to be in a good place for the next 95 years.
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ELECTRIC EPA VIRTUALLY MANDATES
By Keith Reid
New heavy- and lightduty EPA carbon standards face fierce pushback.
If reducing carbon is truly the goal, meeting that goal should focus on the required end results and not mandating the specific approach to get to that point. However, the latest EPA emissions standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles set a de facto solution for transportation carbon reductions— electric vehicles.
The final EPA Phase 3 heavy-duty standards apply to delivery trucks, refuse haulers, public utility trucks, transit, shuttle and school buses and tractors (such as day cabs and sleeper cabs on tractor-trailer trucks). The standards vary according to vehicle type and range up to 60% stronger than the previous standards for vocational vehicles. For tractors (semi-trucks), standards vary according to vehicle type and range up to 40% stronger than previously.
VEHICLES
The EPA’s Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Regulations and Standards Final Rule covers cars, SUVs, light pickup trucks and medium-duty large pickups and vans for model years 2027-2032. These standards provide a 44% reduction in projected fleet average emissions target levels.
The expectation is that from 2030-2032 manufacturers may choose to produce battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for about 30% percent to 56% of new light-duty vehicle sales and about 20% to 32% percent of new medium-duty vehicle sales.
The EPA announcements claim that both heavyand light-duty standards are “technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing each manufacturer to choose what set of emissions control technologies is best suited to meet the standards and the needs of their customers.”
Specific solutions noted are advanced internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
However, in addition to being highly aggressive, the standards are based on tailpipe carbon reductions that do not consider lifecycle carbon inputs.
“The regulations are based on tailpipe emissions; that’s how they’re structured,” said John Eichberger, Transportation Energy Institute director. “I understand why they’re doing it this way, but it ignores all the emissions that happen upstream from power generation, material harvesting and manufacturing. A much more comprehensive way to address carbon and provide the reductions we need is to tackle emissions where they come from. Our studies showed almost three quarters of an EV’s emissions come from electricity generation.”
The tailpipe focus of the regulations has been addressed numerous times during discussions with the EPA and in congressional testimony. For example, in testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability last year, NACS General Counsel Doug Kantor stated the following:
While we are supporters of the development of EVs and EV chargers, we have concerns with the approach taken by the EPA in its tailpipe rules. By focusing on tailpipe emissions rather than overall lifecycle emissions and choosing EVs as the preferred technology rather than other technologies—including internal combustion engines and potentially additional innovations in engines or liquid fuels— the EPA has reached conclusions that are not as effective as they should be for the economy or for the environment.
We need policies in place that take a clear-eyed look at all emissions related to the transportation sector and that lead to emissions reductions from all vehicle technologies. Only by allowing different technologies to compete on emissions reductions as well as on their appeal to consumers will we get the best environmental and economic outcomes that we can achieve.
The blowback from the final standards has been strong outside of the EV sector.
American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) President and CEO Chet Thompson issued the following statement:
At a time when millions of Americans are struggling with high costs and inflation, the Biden administration has finalized a regulation that will unequivocally eliminate most new gas cars and traditional hybrids from the U.S. market in less than a decade. As much as the President and EPA claim to have ‘eased’ their approach, nothing could be further from the truth. This regulation will make new gas-powered vehicles unavailable or prohibitively expensive for most Americans. For them, this wildly unpopular policy is going to feel and function like a ban.
Others opposed to the final standards include SIGMA, NATSO, Specialty Equipment Market Association, ATA, National Corn Growers Association, Consumer Energy Alliance, Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, Clean Freight and others. Political opposition is bipartisan in nature and includes Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. John Tester (D-MT), Rep. John James (R-MI) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).
WHAT ABOUT THE GRID?
In a release, NATSO and SIGMA noted that to support the full electrification of long-haul
vehicles, fuel retailers will need to invest $57 billion to build out a sufficiently dense longhaul charging network, according to a recent study released by Roland Berger. To electrify all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, fleet and charge point operators will need to invest $620 billion into chargers, site infrastructure and utility service costs. Off-highway refueling locations will need dozens of fast-chargers to service heavyduty trucks.
Is it even doable?
potential strategies are unacceptable?” asked Eichberger. “I am most concerned that by putting all eggs in one basket, if that basket doesn’t materialize then what do we have to fall back on?”
A coalition of over 5,000 auto dealerships and the National Automobile Dealers Association both object to the new standards for the same rationale. As NADA said in a statement:
“EPA’s proposed rule goes too far, too fast by not acknowledging current real-world consumer demand
“A much more comprehensive way to address carbon and provide the reductions we need is to tackle emissions where they come from. Our studies showed almost three quarters of an EV’s emissions come from electricity generation.”
“I’ve not seen the alarmist, bold, large font language before that I’ve seen in the response to this that I’ve seen in any of the other rules,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Engine Technology Forum. “This is one where people are saying, ‘Are we seriously going to try and do this?’ Just run the numbers.”
Schaeffer noted that utilities can’t keep up with the challenges they have today with data centers and such, as well as future challenges like the electrification needs of AI. The challenges trickle down to the retail sector.
“A bunch of our larger members made the point that they’re having trouble getting the electricity connections approved just to put in a new regular store,” said Kantor.
He went on to add that having several lightduty grade DC fast chargers takes far more power than a typical convenience store requires. Five chargers with two connection points is roughly equivalent to a Walmart Supercenter for power. And truck chargers can create a demand that’s practically like adding an entire town to the grid.
DOES THE MANDATE WORK FOR CONSUMERS AND FLEETS?
Another challenge is that a one-size-fits-all solution fails to acknowledge the actual needs and wants of the consumer or commercial vehicle operator.
“By laying in policies that are designed for one outcome, are we then suggesting all other
for EVs. Members of Congress are encouraged to support efforts to counter EPA’s overly aggressive EV mandates and attempts to effectively ban the sale of gas-powered cars.”
On the commercial fleet side, electrification is a solid solution for some sectors, and a poor solution for others.
“[EVs] make perfect sense for an Amazon, U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS—operators with local delivery routes,” Eichberger said. “It is probably the most purpose-built solution you could have. But that’s the key. We need purpose-built solutions.”
However, for long-haul heavy-duty trucks the American Trucking Associations (ATA) cites the following disadvantages with EVs:
• A clean diesel truck can spend 15 minutes fueling anywhere in the country and then travel about 1,200 miles before fueling again. In contrast, today’s long-haul battery electric trucks have a range of about 150-330 miles and can take up to 10 hours to charge.
• Battery electric trucks, which run on two, approximately 8,000-pound lithium ion batteries, are far heavier than their clean-diesel counterparts. Since trucks are subject to strict federal weight limits, mandating battery-electric will decrease the payload of each truck, putting more trucks on the road and increasing both traffic congestion and tailpipe emissions. This transition also comes at a cost.
“A bunch of our larger members made the point that they’re having trouble getting the electricity connections approved just to put in a new regular store.”
A recent Clean Freight Coalition study found that fully electrifying the nation’s medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles will cost motor carriers $620 billion in charging infrastructure alone. That does not include the vehicle cost, which increases by two to three times compared to a diesel truck.
Further, our economy and quality of life hinges on a smooth-running logistics infrastructure. What impact and disruptions will such a radical change in shipping technology bring into U.S. society?
IS THE MANDATE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE FOR THE STATED GOALS?
One of the biggest shortcomings with the EV mandate beyond practical deployment and operational concerns is the uncertain impact on actual carbon reduction. The current consumer and commercial vehicle fleets will be dominated for decades by both new and legacy vehicles burning liquid fuels—renewable, bio and dominantly petroleum.
“What the folks advocating for the rules should understand—but don’t—is that they’re worse
for the environment,” Kantor said. “By picking a technology winner, they will stop research and engineering and innovation on the internal combustion engine, which no matter what the rules say, will be most cars actually on the road for a very long time.”
Consumers in the United States still get a vote (both figuratively at the dealership and literally in the voting booth) on how they want to travel down the road. If the mandate flops as consumers become fully aware of its scope and impact (which is lacking today but will be obvious shortly), alternatives will be required to fill the void moving forward.
History provides a guide on the commercial front. The transition to ultra-low sulfur diesel saw both an aggressive purchase of older technology vehicles ahead of the deadline as well as a strong effort to keep these legacy vehicles in operation longer. And the operational disadvantages between a clean diesel and legacy diesel are far less meaningful than the issues involved in a transition to an EV platform.
“I predict great things for the used truck market,” Schaeffer said. “People are going to hang on to the older equipment for longer, there’s going to be some pre-buy of new equipment. You already see this at some scale now. Fleets are going to go with what works. If we had a lifecycle approach it would offer fleets more choices. It would give liquid renewable fuels a bigger chance. And we might find ourselves looking at something 10 years from now that would reinforce the notion that the internal combustion engine is not the enemy here.”
NEXT STEPS
With the standards finalized, what are the next steps? Kantor noted that there is a multipronged legislative and legal approach to combating the standards. Litigation has been filed by several states challenging the rules.
“The major legal angle’s going to be the statutory authority question,” Kantor said. “That sort of major questions doctrine has been a key piece of overturning other EPA rules, particularly regarding the power plant regulation. There is a very clear directive in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act that tells the Department of Transportation you must consider at internal combustion engines.”
He noted that in the past the two agencies (EPA
and DOT) always produced their rules together on this, and here they separated them specifically to try to evade that part of the law.
“A big part of the argument will be that it doesn’t work,” Kantor said. “There’s a very good policy-based reason for why the law said make these engines as efficient as possible as a performance matter. Declaring them at some point unlawful was not what they had in mind.”
Is it possible for there to be a stay while the court considers the lawsuit? Kantor noted that is usually the initial skirmish and that there is lead time built into these things. On the other hand, automakers in particular make planning decisions five years out.
“Federal courts can take as much or as little time as they decide, but a decent rule of thumb is that often the initial trial court wave of litigation takes about a year to get a decision, and then an appeal might take about that same amount of time. So that gives you a sense of the dimensions there.”
Federal agencies are largely directed by the current administration. It is no secret that the Biden administration is heavily focused on aggressive carbon reduction and a focus on EVs as the primary solution for the transportation sector. Could a less enthusiastic administration turn things around should Biden lose the election later in the year?
“That is possible. It is difficult and takes a long time,” Kantor said. “It would require focused work for quite a while for a new administration to undo things, short of a court telling them to do it, in which case then it gets easier.”
Keith Reid is editor-in-chief of Fuels Market News. He can be reached at kreid@fmnweb.com
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MANSFIELD ENERGY IN THE LEAD
By Keith Reid
This family company supplies commercial and government customers from coast to coast.
Mansfield Jr., chief operating officer, Mansfield Energy
In 1957, John and Winnie Mansfield purchased a Cities Service Oil Company franchise in Gainesville, Georgia. It was the inception of what is now Mansfield Energy, a family-owned organization headquartered in Georgia that operates in every U.S. state and all 10 Canadian provinces.
Mansfield Energy delivers over 3 billion gallons of fuel and complementary products annually to 8,000+ customers across the United States and Canada, and provides reliable fuel supply, logistics, DEF, additives and strategic solutions. In addition to owning dedicated assets, Mansfield represents the largest independent fuel distribution network in the country, the DeliveryONE Network, which enables it to deliver products and services exclusively to more customers in extremely efficient ways.
There are two other businesses underneath the Mansfield core umbrella. Mansfield Power and Gas is an asset-light natural gas business and Mansfield Service Partners is an asset-heavy provider of lubricants, fluids, fuels and environmental services.
Fuels Market News discussed Mansfield’s operation with Michael Mansfield Jr., the company’s chief operating officer. As COO, he has executive responsibility for the performance of Mansfield’s operations, supply, transportation and technology functions.
Michael
WHO IS YOUR TYPICAL CUSTOMER?
Our bread-and-butter customer is a company like UPS—a large Fortune 500-type company. They are typically either a U.S. or Canadian company with a large footprint and are burning a lot of diesel running their own fleets, transit systems, mining or agribusiness. We provide a one-stop shop and connect them with the broader industry.
HOW DO YOU GET PRODUCTS TO THE CUSTOMER?
We run an asset-light business model, meaning we don’t own or operate refineries, pipelines or storage terminals, or even trucks outside of our relationship with Mansfield Service Partners, which operates in Texas, Ohio, Minnesota and Colorado. Everything we’re doing is contracted out on someone else’s truck.
We do some pipeline shipping, and we hold some inventory positions around the country, but we say that we operate in that final mile of the energy supply chain and that final mile starts at the rack. We have either rack availability or supply contracts at every rack across the country. When the phone rings and UPS says, “We need a full truckload delivery of diesel in Doraville, Georgia,” we say “No problem.” We’ll call one of our hauling partners in that area and say, “UPS needs a full truckload delivery tomorrow afternoon—pull off the Exxon contract.”
ARE THE PARTNERS LOCAL MARKETERS, COMMON CARRIERS OR BOTH?
Both. We have three different types of agreements in place: with our customers, with the
majors for the fuel supply and with the hauling partner or LTL jobber to go and make the delivery.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A HAULING PARTNER?
We look for the footprint covered, and if it lines up with our strategy. We look at all the safety and delivery scores associated with the partner. We have worked with pretty much everybody at this point, so we have a good understanding of the different companies’ reputations and what they’re about. And a lot is just a gut check based on history.
One of our selling points is not only supply liquidity, but also carrier liquidity. When things get tight, we don’t have relationships with just one hauler—we’ve got six relationships in that market. So, we try to cultivate as many carrier relationships as we possibly can, just to be able to continue to go back to the customer and say we really are your one-stop shop from a supply and carrier surety standpoint.
WHAT ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS’ PRIORITIES WHEN THEY’RE LOOKING FOR A SUPPLIER?
I would divide our customer base between commercial and government. About one-third of our book is government business and most of it is RFP based. So, an RFP comes into the deal desk and we do our best to meet the requirements. Sometimes we win and sometimes we don’t.
We have some commercial customers who are mostly interested in price. But what we are interested in is being more of a consultative solutions-based seller. We like to say that anybody can sell a gallon of fuel, but it sets you apart when you can take that gallon of fuel and provide a fixed-price offering with hedging to protect a customer’s budget for the coming year. We can provide them with diesel exhaust fluid or sell them fleet cards to give them transactional transparency or consign their fuel.
We have a construction group that installs tanks and card readers. We offer inventory management services for these customers. So, it’s all these additional products and services that we wrap around that gallon that are really what brings more value to these big commercial customers.
MANSFIELD HAS BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE?
The depth of the bench that we have from a supplier and carrier perspective allows us to help
Mansfield Energy is well known for its annual Muscular Dystrophy Association charity golf event.
with disaster relief. I would proudly say we’ve been very successful in our hurricane and general storm response efforts in Florida, the Texas panhandle and on the East Coast. There is a lot of planning work that goes into that kind of response, but our ability to take trucks from Chicago, for example, and bring them down to Florida to help with refueling first responders and other high priority customers in that area is what allows up to be there and contribute to relief efforts.
WHAT ROLE DOES TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN YOUR OPERATION?
It plays a huge and increasingly important role. Technology in this space is very quickly becoming the leading value proposition. This industry is antiquated and disconnected in a lot of ways, and systems don’t talk to one another. On the carrier front, a lot of companies are just not as technologically focused on the back office as you might want them to be. We understand and appreciate that, and it opens an opportunity for us sitting in the middle of suppliers, hauling partners and customers to get them all connected and go digital with transactions.
We ‘ve got an amazing technology and innovation team that is out there solving these problems. We have a carrier relations department whose whole job is managing those relationships every single day, cultivating them and making sure that everyone is happy on both sides. We also have a department inside our IT group that’s focused exclusively on integrations.
HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THE PUSH FOR BIO AND RENEWABLE ALTERNATIVES?
Our approach is to take part in the evolution as it’s occurring. I will say that we’re serious about it. We have some dedicated sustainability leaders on the payroll, and their job is to partner with our customer base and understand what their goals are and how they think they’re going to achieve them. Then they come back to Mansfield and we get the game plan together for how we’re going to enable our customers to be successful with their own sustainability goals.
It’s slow going, as states continue to study and potentially adopt LCFS standards. California is the major player, and we’re now focused on maximizing the use of renewable diesel in California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington state. We’re highly focused on the logistics piece of this as well. Renewable diesel isn’t readily available and so we’re trying to figure out how to get it to be accessible for our customers.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FLEET CARD PROGRAM?
The fleet card program is home built and card agnostic. That’s important for customers. For example, in the state of South Carolina they’re running a WEX card as opposed to North Dakota’s Voyager card. So, we can accept anything and normalize transactions in the card engine that we’ve built.
We have developed something called multiagency billing. There might be a police station with a 12,000-gallon tank in the back, and the state wants all the different agencies to be able to pull from there, which might cause some complications. We can take those transactions, parse them out and assign them based on the card to the different agency that used it and bill it out correctly. That’s a big fleet card offering for us, especially in the government space.
WHAT ROLE DOES DEF PLAY—IS IT A VALUE ADD OR IS IT A REASONABLE PROFIT CENTER?
We’re a major player in the DEF supply world, and we certainly think of it as a standalone business unit and profit center. It’s got its own separate leadership and operations teams. It’s a different kind of delivery than fuel. A lot of our DEF customers are running a hub and spoke model so it’s not the big truck stop kind of operation.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE COMPANY CULTURE AT MANSFIELD?
I’m proud of the human investments we’re making. We take culture very seriously and it’s not something we just talk about. We spend time, money and energy on lots of different programs. Over time we have started to see the benefits of investing in this. Our retention rates are high, which just makes a world of difference from an operational standpoint when you’re not turning people over all the time.
We’re holding our annual Muscular Dystrophy Association golf tournament this summer, and that’s been going on since 1986. It is a part of the Mansfield fabric. We’re proud of the impact that we can make in that area.
Keith Reid is editor-in-chief of Fuels Market News. He can be reached at kreid@fmnweb.com
HIRE FORMER MILITARY NEED QUALITY EMPLOYEES?
By Kelly McGurk
The military instills unique qualities that are highly transferable to jobs in the transportation sector.
Most businesses today understand the value of the military veteran workforce within their organization. Yet, many find it challenging to tap into this essential pool of talent. A vital part of the American economy and workforce, veterans still face many challenges in transitioning to civilian careers. As a recent study by the Merck Foundation and Hiring Our Heroes highlighted:
• 86% of transitioning military don’t know what they want to do when they exit or retire.
• 70% will go one month without a paycheck—half of this group will go three months or longer.
• Female veterans have a greater challenge in finding their first civilian job. These statistics identify a particular onus on employers to do more to find and hire transitioning talent.
HOW TO FIND PARTNERS TO FUEL YOUR MILITARY HIRING STRATEGY
Individuals transitioning from the military, and their spouses, face significant geographic dispersion and strict transition timelines. That means frequent outreach and early-stage talent acquisition strategies are key, but also challenging—many companies find reaching former military personnel to be resource prohibitive due to time, money and travel.
On top of the geographic and timing challenges, the Department of Defense (DoD) prioritizes approved Department of Labor Apprenticeship and SkillBridge programs. These programs are supported through grants.
The Department of Labor provides a range of apprenticeship programs available to veterans. Searchable online, these include a range of disciplines. Here are several examples related to transportation and logistics that were searchable as this article was being developed.
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores provided apprenticeship opportunities for diesel and truck trailer mechanics at several locations: The Love’s Truck Care and Speedco Diesel Mechanic Apprentice program is a company paid training program designed to provide apprentices with classroom, on the job training (OJT) and computer-based training opportunities while working towards certification as a Love’s/Speedco diesel mechanic.
Suburban Propane is strongly committed to hiring ex-military and offered the following at several locations: Looking for a career with purpose? One that grows your skills and contributes to a highly successful team? If you answered yes to these questions, then we would like you to join our industry-leading Delivery Driver Apprentice Program
Having a military talent acquisition and retention strategy is key to being not just veteran friendly, but veteran ready.
“We recognize that military veterans are trained in many of the managerial and service-oriented skills that are perfect for a career at Suburban Propane,” said Michael Stivala, Suburban’s president and CEO. “As a result, we have a growing effort to recruit and hire military personnel through our Heroes Hired program.”
With the company’s program, military veterans
who accept a nonseasonal full-time position can take advantage of the reimbursement of CDL and endorsement fees; reservist training compensation; and a Veteran Buddy Program. In addition, some hires are eligible for a military relocation allowance.
The SkillBridge initiative is a separate program that allows transitioning service members, within six months of separation, to participate in civilian job and employment training, including apprenticeships and internships.
And while any company can create a SkillBridge or apprenticeship program, it can take anywhere from a few months to even years to get the program certified, and even longer to expand it across geographic regions.
For this reason, many companies find value in partnering with other SkillBridge programs, apprenticeship providers and public and private sector organizations to effectively market their business to the military community and hire transitioning service members.
For example, TransForce, through its Troops Into Transportation program, offers companies in the trucking industry the ability to hire CDLcertified military veterans for open driving roles.
Troops Into Transportation trains and certifies over 2,500 members of the military community annually, placing them in CDL driving jobs with carriers of all sizes. T2T boasts an international and domestic recruiting footprint, with authorized CDL training locations across the United States.
HOW TO ATTRACT VETERANS TO YOUR OPEN ROLES
In addition to developing strategic partnerships, companies must ensure that their own marketing and advertising materials, as well as any internal processes focused on veterans, are well-defined. Having a military talent acquisition and retention strategy is key to being not just veteran friendly, but veteran ready
Below are TransForce’s top 5 recommendations for employers.
1
Speak Their Language
Sixty percent of veterans struggle to explain how their military experience would interest a civilian employer and list this as their most significant challenge in finding a job.
Your first line of contact in HR should be knowledgeable about the unique qualities offered
by the military community—veterans, guard/ reservists, and spouses and dependents.
Let veterans know their skills and experience are welcomed by using inclusive and clear language in job descriptions.
Examples of inclusive language might include:
• “Military highly encouraged to apply.”
• “Over 30% of our team have military affiliation.”
• “We offer an apprenticeship program for veterans.”
2
Remove Guesswork From the Career Path
Service members are accustomed to well-defined career progression offered through the military. For employers in the civilian world, it’s important to be clear about the application procedure for your business and the specific role. You want to paint a picture of what employment and growth at your organization looks like.
Detail procedures:
• Ensure all necessary job information is in your collateral and website.
• If you require training for the role, explain the certification process.
• Be clear about whether your business pays for reskilling or accepts the G.I. Bill. Simplify applications:
• Revise and shorten the application process if applicants are low.
• Adopt a more high-touch follow-up procedure for veteran candidates.
Highlight career path:
• Veterans are accustomed to career growth on two- or three-year cycles, so highlight their advancement opportunities early on.
3
Ensure Representative Collateral and Branding
Your brand materials give a snapshot of your organization and help recruits to imagine themselves as a part of your team.
Considerations:
• Are your organizational values and commitment to inclusion evident in your website imagery?
• Do you have a dedicated section of your website that speaks to recruiting veterans?
• Does the language on your website show that you respect and understand the needs of veterans?
Be sure to highlight any training programs or VA benefits you have for veterans, feature your military recruiters and highlight the veteran culture in your workforce.
4
Emphasize Quality of Life and Compensation
Like any employee, veterans are interested in employers who can offer competitive pay and quality of life. You may wish to consider:
• Offering financial coverage for reskilling or training.
• Highlighting core benefits like weekly pay, working hours and other distinguishing benefits (401K match, flexible time off, etc.).
5
Establish a Veteran Mentorship Program
Attracting talent from the military alone is not enough to meet your objectives. You need to be able to retain the great talent you’ve found. Mentorship programs for the military community employed in your business are a key strategy for many employers. By creating a mentorship program linking your internal military community together, you can:
• Create a sense of belonging for new veteran hires.
• Increase camaraderie amongst veterans.
• Further opportunities to network across the organization.
• Build your reputation throughout the larger military community.
• Boost morale and loyalty. This doesn’t have to be complicated—it can be as simple as making key introductions between military affiliated mentors already in your workforce to newcomers.
Kelly McGurk is the vice president of revenue marketing for TransForce, a leading provider of CDL driver solutions in the United States. TransForce, through its Troops Into Transportation program, offers companies in the trucking industry the ability to hire CDLcertified military veterans for driving roles.
INDUSTRY NEWS
RDM RELOCATES BRANCH IN LAKEWOOD, COLORADO
RDM Industrial Electronics announced the relocation of its Colorado facility to a larger space at 810 Quail St. Suite E, Lakewood, Colorado. The company stated that the move “represents a commitment to serving its Western customers with even greater efficiency and capacity.” The new facility, conveniently located just across the street from the previous location, provides RDM with increased square footage to support its expanding operations. This move underscores the company’s dedication to meeting the evolving needs of its customers and maintaining its position as a premier provider in the petroleum equipment industry.
IRELY PARTNERS WITH FLEETPANDA
iRely partnered with FleetPanda’s dispatch software in an integration that is designed to help petroleum marketers streamline operations and enhance efficiency. The collaboration with FleetPanda is designed to help petroleum distributors to choose the best dispatch solutions available, seamlessly integrating with iRely back-office software solutions. This partnership promises to deliver a complete solution for businesses in the fuel distribution industry, combining innovation and a commitment to customer satisfaction in every aspect of operations.
CIVACON OFFERS A COMPLETE RANGE OF PRODUCT-TRAINING EVENTS
Civacon, a part of OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions and tank-truck components and systems provider, now offers a complete array of product-training opportunities for its distributor and end-user customers. These training sessions are available to any new customers or those considering using Civacon for their future trailer specifications. Topics covered in the training sessions include a review of Civacon product offerings, how they work, how they can benefit the customer’s tank-truck and cargo-trailer operations and how to troubleshoot any operational issues that may arise.
WEX/SHELL AGREEMENT FOR PORTFOLIO OF COMMERCIAL FLEET FUEL CARDS
WEX, a global commerce platform that simplifies the business of running a business, announced that it has reached an agreement with Shell to manage Shell’s portfolio of commercial fleet cards across North America, offering customers a full range of features, functionality and solutions to meet the everyday demands of a modern
commercial fleet. This represents a continuation of agreements first established in 2018 and covers the United States, Canada and Mexico. The portfolio of Shell Fleet Cards includes the Shell Fleet Navigator Card, Shell Fleet Plus Card and the Shell Small Business Card (available in the United States only).
Veeder-Root announced it has added new Liquid Level Measuring Sensors to its portfolio. These new sensors are designed to offer simple detection and remote monitoring in aboveground storage tanks (ASTs), perfect for commercial and industrial applications. The liquid level measuring sensors include a remote dashboard to view information such as inventory levels, delivery alerts, fill alerts and more. The sensors are easy to install in existing riser openings or directly onto plastic tanks without the need for a riser, are CE Conformance and ROHS Compliant, and come with a 1-year warranty.
CHARGEPOINT RELEASES AN ENHANCED INTEGRATED CHARGING EXPERIENCE FOR FLEETS
ChargePoint, a provider of networked charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), announced enhancements to its software offering. The enhancements enable electric and mixed fuel fleets to find, use and pay for charging from a single application, including seamless driver reimbursement when they charge their company EV at home. Derived from the line of in-dash software solutions ChargePoint supplies to more than a dozen automotive manufacturers, the software is available to fleet operators in app format. Critically for larger fleet management companies, the option to integrate the technology into their existing branded fleet offering via ChargePoint’s open API is available.
THUNDER CREEK ADDS CLASS 5 ISUZU NRR CHASSIS TO PRODUCT LINE
Thunder Creek Equipment expanded its truck upfit line of fuel and service solutions with the addition of the Class 5 Isuzu NRR truck chassis. This expansion includes both the No HAZMAT Fuel and Service Upfit (MTU) model, as well as the Service and Lube Truck Upfit (SLU) for daily fluids and preventive maintenance. The Isuzu NRR truck chassis features a GVWR of 19,500 pounds and is built sturdy to handle bulk fluid delivery to sites ranging from paved commercial and institutional sites to off-road construction sites.
TITAN CLOUD ACQUIRES TRUEFILL
Titan Cloud, a fuel asset optimization software platform, announced its acquisition of TRUEFILL, a fuel supply management and logistics platform. Integrating TRUEFILL technology into the Titan Cloud platform will give fuel retailers, wholesalers and carriers powerful tools to reduce fuel supply costs, increase fleet utilization, decrease runouts, lower freight costs and minimize time required for efficient carrier management. The company stated that the move further solidifies Titan Cloud as a global leader in the downstream fuel software market and will help integrate the fuel supply chain, from terminal to the consumer.
THE JF PETROLEUM GROUP ACQUIRES GE GOODSON SERVICE COMPANY
The JF Petroleum Group, a provider of fueling system solutions, including equipment distribution, maintenance and repair, installation and construction and general contracting services across North America, has acquired GE Goodson Service Company, Inc. Goodson is an established general contractor serving the petroleum equipment industry, headquartered in Midland, Texas, that also provides maintenance and repair and compliance testing services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
NEW RESELLER AGREEMENT WITH KII FOR PDI TECHNOLOGIES WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS
PDI Technologies has announced a reseller
OUR ADVERTISERS
agreement with Kii Corporation, the leaders in petroleum tank management, to deepen the relationship among the two companies. Working through their PDI account teams, PDI Wholesale customers can now leverage the enterprise-grade platform offered by Kii for the petroleum market.
D&H UNITED ACQUIRES PRECISION TANK SERVICE
D&H United announced the acquisition of Precision Tank Service. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Cornelius, North Carolina, Precision Tank Service offers complete UST testing services including monthly, annual and periodic testing required for tanks and associated piping, sensors and equipment. PTS is a regional leader in regulatory compliance for the petroleum fueling industry and boasts a diverse customer base.
TECHOIL DISPATCH FOR FUEL WHOLESALE AND DISTRIBUTION
In a realm where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly indispensable, the introduction of Techoil Dispatch (TOD) by Inatech empowers stakeholders to adapt swiftly to evolving market dynamics while optimizing fuel management processes. Equipped with a modern workflow and intuitive user interface, Techoil Dispatch is revolutionizing the fuel inventory and order management processes in the U.S. petroleum retail, wholesale, distribution and motor fuel transportation industry.
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REMEMBER THIS?
Hiring the right veterans can drive success
BY KEITH REID
Veterans bring a lot to the table as employees. They’ve generally been instilled with discipline, a solid work ethic, a stoic outlook towards difficulty and a sense of professionalism that is not always present in civilian circles.
That was the initial hook of an October 23, 1946, National Petroleum news article titled “The Veterans Take Over.” Roughly a year after the end of World War II, there were plenty of veterans looking for work at the time.
The company studied in the article, Macmillan and Cameron, based in Wilmington, North Carolina, was at that point ran solely by the Cameron family and included a wholesale and retail fueling operation, a Buick dealership, the Cape Fear oil terminal, Atlantic Navigation Co., Morris Plan Bank, Carolina Business and Loan Assn., among others.
Two brothers, Bruce Cameron Jr. and Daniel Cameron, were former majors in the army, with Bruce serving in New Guinea and Daniel in France. Their father, Bruce Cameron Sr., passed away while they were in service. Upon return, the brothers took over the family operation. One of the first things they did was hire 50 ex-servicemen.
They told the article’s writer, Herbert Taylor, that: “… properly selected ex-servicemen make the best type of
help. They have learned how to give and take orders, as a rule are excellent housekeepers and, like the caveman brothers, are young aggressive men looking to the future.”
The article noted that the “properly selected” portion was critical. At the time, the government was providing a variety of “on- the- job” programs, causing some veterans tended to see this as an opportunity to not take the position seriously and slack off.
The operation itself highlighted how critical flexibility has been in the industry since its inception. We had recent experience with supply chain interruptions during the pandemic, but those were nothing compared to the supply chain disruptions the domestic market faced during World War II. Virtually every significant manufacturing entity was placed into war production, in whatever manner possible. The result was a severe shortage of the traditional equipment that supported the domestic infrastructure including gasoline pumps and truck parts. While items such as tires, engines and spare parts were produced, they were only available for military vehicles.
Before the war began, Macmillan and Cameron had invested in a machine shop to help support its operations. This meant that it was able to keep fuel dispensers repaired and trucks on
the road when many competitors were struggling. It was also able to rebuild grease guns, air compressors, gasoline pumps, heating equipment and any other equipment used in oil marketing.
Post-war, most of the work done in the shop consisted of rebuilding automobile and truck motors with an effective marketing radius of about 125 miles. Four salesmen worked the territory doing business with garages, repair shops, car dealers and other jobbers filling in where they came up short.
Many of the new veteran employees worked as mechanics in the shop operation, which was a natural fit. World War II was a fully mechanized war (at least for America) that involved numerous engine mechanics working in all branches of the service. They came back into the civilian workforce with an extraordinary amount of experience.
Peacetime was rapidly kicking up the economy (with a short post-war recession looming) and cars started to roll on the roads as gasoline rationing quickly became a thing of the past. The domestic automotive infrastructure to support this still lagged as the rest of the economy converted back, making the repair service even more essential and profitable. Macmillan and Cameron bought equipment from various war production plants in the area that were converting back to their original focus to expand their operations.
Still, time had progressed and so had technology. The article noted that: The Camerons are buying all the new equipment they can get and as newer styles and more efficient operating devices become available they will be purchased.
For more than 100 years, from its founding in 1909 to when it went out of business in 2013, National Petroleum News (NPN) documented the rise of petroleum marketing and retailing in the United States. NACS, PEI and The Fuels Institute have catalogued the rich history of NPN in its entirety. Each issue of Fuels Market News will look back at the history of our vibrant industry, through the eyes of NPN, to see how it reflect the issues, challenges and opportunities we face today.
Keith Reid is the editorial director of Fuels Market News.
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WHY ACTIVATE TRUAGE?
Start for FREE — No “swipe fees” or extra costs for age verification.
Protect Your Staff & Store — Verify age and log proof, reducing the risk of selling to minors.
Protect Customer Privacy — TruAge uses only birthdate, license number, state, and expiration date; no personal data is collected.
Stay Compliant — TruAge updates legal and manufacturer requirements to ensure compliance.
