Amanda Martens

Here are some fuel-saving tips that a fuel delivery company can offer to their construction customers to help them save money on fuel.  

Why Construction Job Sites Need A Fueling Service 

It can be frustrating to waste time and lose productivity on your Portland construction site due to refueling. Eliminate those headaches with an on-site fuel delivery service. This can save your crew valuable time spent waiting in gas station lines or running errands. This leads to increased efficiency and productivity.  

Reduced Costs

In today’s competitive construction environment, keeping costs down is crucial. An on-site fuel delivery service can be a game-changer for your Portland-based projects. Eliminate wasted time and money traveling to gas stations. Fuel can be delivered directly to your job site, minimizing downtime and keeping your team focused on productivity. As a result, bulk fuel pricing through our service often translates to significant cost savings compared to pump prices at retail stations. Besides saving on fuel, you’ll also save on wear and tear on your vehicles and labor costs. 

Improved Safety

In the fast-paced world of construction, safety is paramount. On-site fuel delivery services solve this problem by eliminating gas station travel. This reduces the risk of road hazards, spills during transport, and fuel transfer dangers on-site. Our trained professionals handle everything, ensuring safe and efficient refueling that keeps your workers focused on what they do best – building your project. 

Convenience and Streamlined Operations 

Your Portland construction site will be more efficient and you’ll spend less time at the gas station. An on-site fuel delivery service eliminates wasted time and keeps your crew focused on what matters most – building. Forget about wasting valuable worker hours on refueling trips. Fuel delivery minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity.  

• Eliminate wasted trips to the gas station and keep your workers focused on construction. 
• On-site fuel delivery ensures minimal disruption to your schedule, maximizing project efficiency. 
• Forget refueling – fuel delivery frees up valuable worker hours for what truly matters – building. 

Business owners typically consider these factors when deciding between a fuel card and a credit card for their fleet. 

Control Over Spending 

Fuel cards offer additional control as they restrict purchases to fuel and specific stations. Credit cards allow for multiple purchases, making expense tracking more challenging. This level of detail makes it possible for better budgeting and financial planning. Cardlock programs allow spending limits on individual cards. This provides an extra layer of control over fuel expenses, preventing employees from exceeding the designated budget. 

Fuel discounts 

Fuel cards often come with discounts at participating stations, reducing fuel costs. Credit cards may offer reward points, but these could have less value than fuel discounts. With a fuel card, you get a discount right away, which can be several cents or even more per gallon. That can add up quickly depending on how much you drive. With a credit card, reward points may have a waiting period or expire after a certain amount of time. Additionally, fuel cards are typically easier to use than credit cards, as they are accepted at more gas stations. 

Fuel cards: 

• Offer immediate discounts at participating fuel stations. 
• Discounts can be significant (several cents or more per gallon), leading to substantial savings with high fleet fuel consumption. 
• Wide network of participating stations ensures easy access to discounts. 

Credit cards: 

• Reward points may offer less value than fuel card discounts. Earning points often translates to minimal gas discounts. 
• Points typically come with restrictions like redemption minimums, blackout dates, and limitations on usable items. 
• Using points often requires extra effort compared to automatic fuel card discounts. 

Data and tracking 

Fuel cards provide detailed data on fuel purchases, driver behavior, and fuel efficiency. Credit cards offer less data, making it more difficult to identify trends and optimize fleet operations. With a fuel card, companies can track individual driver behavior, such as what fuel stations they use, how much they purchase, and how often they make stops. They can also compare this data with other fleets to identify trends and areas for improvement. With a credit card, companies must rely on self-reported data, which can be unreliable and make it difficult to make informed decisions about fleet operations. 

Fuel cards: 

• Track fuel purchases (date, time, location, amount, gallons). 
• Reveal driver behavior patterns (frequent stops, refueling times, locations). 
• Enable monitoring of fuel efficiency (by tracking fuel use vs. mileage). 

Credit cards: 

• Limited data (total amount spent, merchant name). 
• Hindering identification of fuel usage trends. 
• Make it difficult to optimize fleet operations (due to lack of driver and efficiency data). 

Security 

Fuel cards typically have PIN verification and spending limits, minimizing fraud risk. Credit cards can be misused for unauthorized purchases. Additionally, fuel cards are more secure than credit cards because they are not linked to a bank account, limiting the amount of money that can be withdrawn. On top of that, fuel cards are easier to track and monitor than credit cards, making it easier to identify any suspicious activity.  

Here are some fuel-saving tips that a fuel delivery company can offer to their construction customers to help them save money on fuel.  

Optimize Routes and Schedules 

Plan deliveries to minimize travel distances and combine multiple stops whenever possible. This will reduce fuel and time costs and emissions from vehicles. Additionally, it will increase efficiency by reducing wait times and allowing for more deliveries to be made.

Reduced Costs & Environmental Impact: 

• Minimize travel distances and combine deliveries to save on fuel and related expenses. 
• This strategy also reduces emissions from our delivery vehicles, contributing to a greener future. 
• Enhance your efficiency. By combining stops, we streamline delivery routes, reducing wait times and allowing for more deliveries in a shorter amount of time. 

Promote Proper Equipment Maintenance 

Every minute counts on a construction site, but even short breaks can lead to unnecessary engine idling. Idling not only wastes fuel and increases costs, but also contributes to air pollution. With Portland’s new fossil-based diesel fuel restrictions within city limits, with the larger effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, this is a great time to consider how your business operations can reduce its fuel consumption and overall work to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. To promote a more environmentally friendly work environment and keep fuel costs down, employees should work together to discourage idling. A simple yet powerful solution is to remind workers to completely shut down engines during breaks, no matter how short. This small step can significantly reduce our overall fuel consumption and create a cleaner, healthier site for everyone. 

Idle Reduction: 

• Even short breaks can lead to unnecessary engine idling, wasting fuel and increasing costs. 
• Idling also contributes to air pollution, impacting the environment and worker health. 

Simple Solution, Big Impact: 

• To promote a cleaner, more cost-effective worksite, all employees should work together to discourage idling. 
• Remind workers to completely shut down engines during breaks, no matter how short. 
• This small step can significantly reduce fuel consumption and create a healthier environment for everyone. 

Invest in Fuel-Efficient Equipment 

Consider upgrading to newer equipment models known for better fuel economy. By investing in fuel-efficient equipment, businesses can reduce their fuel costs and reduce their carbon footprint, as newer machines tend to be more fuel-efficient. Plus, newer models tend to have fewer parts and are more reliable, so businesses can expect to spend less on maintenance and repairs. 

Upgrading to fuel-efficient equipment: 

• Reduces fuel costs for construction projects. 
• Lowers a company’s carbon footprint by minimizing emissions. 

Newer equipment: 

• Has fewer parts, simplifying maintenance needs. 
• They also tend to be more reliable, leading to less downtime and repair expenses. 

Train Operators on Fuel-Saving Techniques

Operators should be trained on fuel-efficient driving habits, like avoiding excessive acceleration and maintaining steady speeds. Regular maintenance is crucial for fuel-efficient equipment as it ensures optimal performance and fuel efficiency. Maintenance services include regular engine tune-ups, oil changes, and air filter replacements, all of which contribute to better fuel economy. Additionally, regular maintenance helps to detect and fix any potential issues that may impact fuel efficiency, such as clogged or dirty fuel systems or faulty sensors, ultimately prolonging the life of the equipment and maximizing its fuel savings potential. 

Fuel-Efficient Operation: 

• Avoid rapid acceleration and maintain steady speeds for optimal fuel economy. 

Regular Maintenance for Efficiency: 

• Schedule routine engine tune-ups, oil changes, and air filter replacements. 

Identify & Fix Issues Early:  

• Regularly check for clogged fuel systems, faulty sensors, and other potential issues. 
• Early detection saves fuel and extends the equipment’s lifespan. 

Save Money with a Cardlock Fuel Card

Take control of your fueling operations and put money back in your pocket with a convenient cardlock fuel card program. Cardlock fuel cards are an easy way to track and manage fuel purchases. You save money and time by eliminating manual recordkeeping and billing. Plus, you can monitor fuel usage and get real-time reports. 

Pacific Pride offers a mobile cardless pay option through their app, PRIDE PAY.

With PRIDE PAY, drivers can initiate fueling directly from the app at participating Pacific Pride locations without a physical card.

Here’s how it works: 

There are many Pacific Pride fueling locations throughout the United States and Canada. There are over 1,400 locations in total, and that number is still growing. You can find Pacific Pride stations in a variety of places, including truck stops, convenience stores, and travel plazas. Since Pacific Pride locations are independently owned and operated, not all services are available at all locations. It’s always a good idea to call ahead to confirm amenities offered at a station.   

Mobile cardless payment systems, also known as contactless payment, can improve your business’s bottom line and efficiency in several ways:  

Faster Checkout Time: Mobile payments are faster. This reduces checkout times, keeps lines moving, and improves the customer experience.  

Reduced Costs: Less time spent processing payments translates to lower labor costs. Additionally, mobile payments eliminate manual cash handling, reducing errors and costs.  

Increased Sales: Faster checkouts can lead to higher customer satisfaction and impulse purchases.   

Improved Cash Flow: Transactions are settled electronically, which means you receive funds faster than checks or waiting for credit card payments to clear.   

Enhanced Security: Mobile cardless payments use secure authentication, where a unique digital identifier is used instead of your actual card details. This reduces fraud risk compared to physical cards.  

Data & Sales Insights: One of the benefits of mobile payments is that they provide you with data and insights into your sales activity.   

Operational Efficiency: Mobile payment systems can streamline back-office operations by simplifying record-keeping and reconciliation.  

Accessibility: Mobile cardless payments are convenient for businesses and customers.   

PRIDE PAY offers many benefits like convenience, security, and potential fuel discounts. Remember to check with your Pacific Pride account manager for details and ensure your company account is enrolled in the program. 

An additional bonus is the ability to track multiple drivers, companies can gain insights into their routes, driving behavior, and travel times. This allows for better coordination, improved time management, and reduced fuel consumption. Additionally, tracking helps to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement in the overall transportation process, leading to cost savings and reduced paperwork through automated reporting. 

In the end, this advanced tracking system goes beyond simple location monitoring, transforming fleet management into a data-driven operation that optimizes efficiency, cuts costs, and streamlines the entire transportation process.