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Blue diesel-powered emergency generator outdoors
Backup Generator Fuel – Keep Full 1024 1024 Star Oilco

Backup Generator Fuel – Keep Full

Star Oilco Generator Refueling Service in the Portland area.

Set up a Generator Diesel “Keep Full” account with Star Oilco before the bad weather.

Need fuel for your backup generator? Star Oilco delivers emergency diesel fuel right to your location before the power goes out and while you’re relying on it. We offer fast, reliable backup generator fuel delivery in Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington, and surrounding areas. Whether you’re powering a business, hospital, data center, or another business that uses a backup generator, you can count on us to keep your generator fuel tank full, your lights on, your business running and your customers served.

 

Commercial Fleet Fueling in Portland

 

Remember that ordering diesel for your generator is a specialized service.

You want to stabilize and treat your diesel for generators and other back up equipment.

Order fuel treated for long term storage!

We often receive questions about backup generators, backup water pumps, and other emergency equipment. Fueling these critical pieces of equipment is a special kind of fueling service but we’re here to answer all your questions. We also encourage you to call with questions about generator fuel.  If you have questions about your building’s back up diesel generator’s fuel quality in the Portland, Oregon area we will sample and test your fuel at not cost with if you have an account with Star Oilco.

Generator Fuel is a specially treated oxidative stabalized off-road fuel designed to store for years.

Fuel for a backup generator is a specialized product. Besides the fuel, the service itself takes a vendor who understands your needs and can keep you up and running in an emergency.

Generators take off-road diesel, of course, but you want an ultra low sulfur diesel to ensure it works with modern emission systems. Some companies may deliver a higher sulfur heating oil product that looks the same but can foul the emission systems of your equipment.

Backup Generator Fuel in Portland

Beyond just the service provided by a truck and driver, you also want a vendor who offers a fuel stabilizer and biocide for the special long term storage needs of your backup generator. Star Oilco recommends you add a biocide and long term storage stabilizer to your fuel to ensure it is good whenever you need it. We use Valvtect Bioguard Plus 6 for generators, emergency water pumps, backup boiler fuel, and other long term storage purposes. This product kills any existing biological growth and stabilizes your fresh diesel fuel for long term storage. Make sure your diesel is ready the next time you need backup power.

As a complimentary service to our customers, Star Oilco will also test fuel for its quality. If you want to confirm fuel quality at the time of a top off, let us know and we will ensure the driver has a sample kit to get your backup fuel tested for peace of mind.

Feel free to message us if you need a backup tank filled. If you are in charge of Corporate Fueling, please call with any questions you may have.

Read more about stabilizing your generator fuel for long term storage.

Keep it simple with Star Oilco. We make it easy for you to be prepared. Don’t wait for a power outage to find out your generator is low on fuel. Trust Star Oilco for fast, dependable diesel fuel delivery for backup generators in Portland, Salem, Vancouver, and throughout Oregon and SW Washington. Whether you need on-site generator fueling, dyed diesel, or emergency fuel service, we’re ready to help. Call (503) 283-1256 today to schedule your standby generator fuel delivery and ensure your power stays on when it matters most.

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Person looking through binoculars in an autumn forest with vibrant fall colors reflected in both lenses, symbolizing focus on Oregon’s diesel and CO2 credit market conditions.
Oregon Diesel Market Forecast Fall 2025 1024 1024 Star Oilco

Oregon Diesel Market Forecast Fall 2025

What market forces are impacting the Oregon diesel outlook?

The US market is short diesel in storage while the Oregon market is short CO2 credits causing a unique market condition as we head into fall.

Diesel prices in the Pacific Northwest have not been following National trends for diesel.  The west coast is paying a premium compared to other nearby states.  Diesel in Oregon is significantly higher than the national average.  More to the point, the carbon credits associated with biodiesel and renewable diesel in Oregon are trading at recent record high prices. Higher than California’s CO2 credit prices. What’s going on?

Well for once it isn’t the price of crude oil causing this, or the amount of biofuels. Its all about todays Oregon diesel and carbon markets.  The story starts a few weeks before Memorial day.

Memorial day is often cited as the kick off to the driving season.  It also is when we usually see construction and trucking pick up with the summer weather.  A few weeks before Memorial day the Olympic pipeline went down unexpectedly.  The Olympic pipeline serves Portland and Eugene with their diesel and gasoline fuels from the refineries in northwest Washington state.

That pipeline had an unexpected outage.  Those happen for plenty of reasons usually safety checks or repairs. When the pipeline went down the market was notified it would probably be a week and open again the Monday before memorial day.  That Monday, the Monday before one of the bigger fuel weekends of the year, came and notice went out the pipeline would still be down for another week.

At that moment supply was already short for gas and diesel. Especially diesel.  The Portland and Eugene market saw diesel like a dollar cheaper in states like Idaho, Utah and others. So guess where diesel started flowing from? Markets responded as the bigger players on the ground in Oregon started moving diesel from those states.  Your local truck stops, gas stations, and cardlocks didn’t run out of fuel in several parts of Oregon because of these efforts.

In a US diesel market that was already tight for diesel supply, Portland, Oregon had an event that made it even tighter demanding diesel from around the region. Markets responded sending higher price offers to bring diesel into Oregon. Source is US EIA.

Oregon does not have any petroleum refineries or even biofuel plants.  It can only be supplied by pipeline, barge, rail or truck from outside the state.  When the pipeline came back online quite a bit of outside diesel had flowed into the state from nontraditional sources by rail and truck.

The people who moved that diesel are regulated in Oregon with two programs for CO2 emissions.  One is called the Clean Fuels Program which requires anyone importing diesel into Oregon to come up with a CO2 reductions by either blending low carbon biofuels or buying CO2 credits from others that use those fuels in the state.  Oregon also has a Cap and Invest program which only allows so much fossil fuel to be sold inside Oregon in a calendar year.  Oregon caps the total market for fossil fuels sold at retail stations as part of it’s carbon reducing strategy.

Guess what happens when a bunch of suppliers start bringing in gas and diesel to meet the market need?  They have to come up with Carbon credits and allowances to meet those carbon reduction programs for liquid fuels.  When unexpected volumes of diesel get imported into Oregon the CO2 market dynamics change.

For diesel, they need to start blending biofuels such as renewable diesel and biodiesel.  So since that Memorial Day pipeline outage the people who imported diesel from other states need CO2 credits under Oregon Clean Fuels Program as well as to ensure they done sell to many additional gallons of fossil fuel diesel to exceed the allowance of Oregon’s cap and invest regime.

Therefore CO2 credits are high, people are trying to blend more biofuels to catch up to the unexpected volumes of diesel they moved into Oregon.  Prices are higher than the rest of the US for diesel as a hangover to the supply disruption.

Upside for the first summer in a few years there is plenty of Renewable Diesel in the Portland, Oregon market as the CO2 credit prices are higher than California and the diesel prices are also high to help.  In the last month we have seen a huge amount of Renewable Diesel show up into the terminals in Portland.  So hopefully we will see lower prices heading into fall as all this works itself out.  As we pass by Labor Day the market cost of diesel should normalize and return to a much more affordable price.

The one downside of high diesel prices is that it makes Renewable Diesel the same price as fossil diesel.  If you want to try it, now is a good time where you can get it affordably and field test it for results with your fleet.  Want to see how it performs in reducing truck regens, EGR services, and see if fuel economy improves with a cleaner burning synthetic diesel running in your fleet.  This fall is a good time to experiment with it.

If you want to try Renewable Diesel in your fleet.  Star Oilco has it immediately available.  Please reach out to give it a try at either our Cardlock locations, with Mobile Onsite Refueling in your yard, or a Loaner Bulk Tank trial of the fuel in a few trucks.

Star Oilco has Renewable Diesel seven days a week for your fleet: Mobile Onsite Fueling, Cardlock, and Bulk Delivery.
Call us at 503-283-1256 or email at OrderDesk@StarOilco.net.

Renewable Diesel in Oregon

Yellow diesel backup generator for emergency power
Fuel Quality In An Emergency Back-Up Generator Matters – Find Out Why 1024 683 Star Oilco

Fuel Quality In An Emergency Back-Up Generator Matters – Find Out Why

                      Emergency Back Up Generator Diesel Fuel Quality

The fuel in your generator is the single most overlooked item in maintaining a back up generator.  Be prepared and know your back up generator diesel fuel quality is ready with these best practices.

When the power goes out, don’t let a decade old tank of diesel be your weak link.

 

Diesel Generator Fueling Service

As a provider of back up generator fueling services we know how critical fuel is in an emergency.

Back up generators are everywhere when you start looking for them.  Rarely needed but when a storm or disaster strikes their failure to fire will be extremely conspicuous. In the Pacific Northwest where resilience planning around a major subduction zone earthquake is a monthly subject of talk.  Back up diesel will be the only immediately power source after a quake.  Diesel generators are taking center stage for emergency preparedness, placing those who maintain them in some high level policy discussions.

Avoid a double emergency when the back up power isn’t there for your need by focusing on the diesel fuel quality.

The worst case scenario for fuel quality is water getting into your diesel fuel reservoir as well as biological growth occurring in that water logged diesel. If water is present in diesel, and that diesel is in a warm dark place, bacteria will start growing in your tank. So first preventive step is watch for water.  The most likely problem with fuel you will see is the fuel aging and degrading in place over years of not being used.  That can be addressed with your routine maintenance on the tank.

CIM-TEK water absorber

NOTE: To get a small amount of water or to ensure a dryer tank of fuel, CIM TEK makes a Tank Dryer which absorbs a small amount of water in a tank. Handy similar to adding a desiccant into a closet with a slight condensation issue. 

Back up power generator diesel fuel quality.

The big rule for storing back up generator fuel is to make sure the diesel you use is clean and dry.

First ensure you are testing the generator by running it once a month.  Move fuel through the system and ensure the generator is starting right up. Run the generator for a while to use up fuel and be prepared to order a regular top off when you get below 3/4th of a tank. When checking the fluids on the generator prior to start up see if the fuel filter has a visual transparent bottom where you can see what the fuel looks like there. If it looks like dirty fuel or there is evidence of water take notice.  After cycling the generator take a peek and make sure the fuel it’s pulling into the generator is bright (not dark and degraded).  If you are seeing any water (even a small drop) that is an indication of real concerns.

If you are using up half a tank a year and adding to it, the fuel quality will usually stay within specification.  If you have worries the easiest way is to just start over. With older generators sometimes it’s a good idea to just evacuate the tank (empty all the older diesel fuel) and replace it with fresh diesel treated and stabilized for long term storage.

Most back up generators are seeing routine annual maintenance where the mechanical needs of the equipment are walked through. If this is occurring ask for a bottom sample from the back up generators fuel tank. Also ask to see what the fuel in the bottom of the fuel filter (assuming they are changing that) would give an indication if problems might exist deep in the fuel tank.

Back Up Diesel Generator Fuel Service

Sampling and Onsite Testing of Fuel from Generator Diesel Tank:

  1. Pull sample from tank bottom
    1. Use a professional “Bacon-Bomb Sampler” (google it to see one) or a small fuel transfer pump available at any auto parts store.
  2. Visually inspect it by swirling it in a beaker or mason jar.
    • Look for water and dirt fall out as you swirl.  If you see a few drops of water form you’ve got a water problem. If you are seeing coffee ground type material in the fuel, that’s biological growth. If an algal or gunk type slime appears, that’s also biological growth.
    • If clear like cranberry juice and bright – your fuel is in good shape.  If a darker cherry color yet still clear, your fuel is aging and you should consider swapping or burning fuel off in the next year.
  3. If fuel is dark in color (showing that it is aging in the tank) you can send that sample to a lab to test it. You want to ensure you are confirming the following:
    • Oxidation Stability (or Accelerated Stability)
    • Water Content in PPM (under 50 PPM is what you want, under 100 PPM is not uncommon, and over 100 PPM there is probably water in the fuel and you want to pursue remedial action.)
    • Make sure the fuel testing lab you are using (your current fuel vendor should have a recommendation or do it for free for you) is checking for:
      • oxidative stability (if it’s aging out of specification),
      • biological growth (if bugs are growing in it),
      • water content (indicating a puddle someplace in the tank causing higher water content in the fuel) and,
      • dirt content of the fuel (if there is dirt, there is probably biological growth or some other problem).
  4. Set aside sample in a warm dark place for a month and check it for biological growth occurring which will confirm if you have fuel growing inside the tank.
    • How to test diesel for biological growth In-House:
      • Take your sample that appears to be in great condition and set it aside in a warm dark place for a month (day light kills most biological growth in fuel, though day light ages your diesel in other ways).
      • When you come back to look at the sample, if a film or layer of darker color is appearing in the fuel, this is biological growth occurring.
      • If you see nothing and want to experiment further, add a slight amount of water to this sample, shake it up, and put it back in a warm dark place.
      • When you check back if there is a a new layer of darker color on the surface of where the water contacts the fuel, that’s what grows in your tank.
      • If nothing grows, your fuel is safely stabilized for storage this year. Even if water is finding its way into your fuel tank, the fuel is safe and will be ready to start.
        • NOTE: Do not leave water in your tank, even if the fuel looks good. Eventually it will be a major problem and something will grow. If you are putting biocide in your tank regularly and their is an environment for growth, something resistant to that biocide will take root and you WILL NOT be able to get it out of the tank without serious effort.

NOTE: If you are curious to see a fuel lab analysis of the diesel this is an example.  This is a lab analysis from Hydrotex, Star Oilco’s premium diesel additive provider.  They are very supportive in testing everything we send them for quality assurance. 

 

Do you have questions about generator diesel fuel storage?

If you have questions about fuel storage, Star Oilco has answers.  Star Oilco does not do tank cleaning, we still will help you figure out what you need to do in order to have the result you need.

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For more on Diesel Fuel Quality Assurance please see these other Star Oilco articles:

Desiccant breathers, dry diesel, and keeping your diesel fuel clean.

Every question Star Oilco has been asked about dyed diesel.

Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner. 

Bioguard Plus 6, Kill and prevent biological growth in your diesel fuel storage tank.

 

Star Oilco truck fueling a large generator during winter conditions
Diesel Backup Tanks – Treating and Refilling 1024 768 Star Oilco

Diesel Backup Tanks – Treating and Refilling

Here’s good advice if you are relying on diesel as a back up fuel in the Pacific NW.

Now is the time to refill and treat your back up fuel tanks.

Diesel as a back up fuel

Quite a bit of our business at Star Oilco is fueling back-up generators, emergency water pumps, refrigerated trailers and other long term off-road diesel storage requirements. In the Pacific Northwest, biodiesel blending is required by state laws and you need to take an extra duty of care when storing diesel as a back-up fuel.

This means that most off-road diesels and heating oils are ultra low sulfur diesel containing a small quantity of biodiesel.  That means long term storage requires a proactive approach.  You can’t just hope and wait to see what the fuel begins to look after years of storage.

Technical advice from Government Fleet Magazine to help you with storing diesel fuel.

Here is an article from Government Fleet Magazine on the subject which runs through the specifics of long term storage and what causes fuel to degrade when stored.  Government Fleet Magazine – How to Maintain Stored Diesel Fuel.

Star Oilco has also worked up a PDF check list on how to verify if your fuel is in need of freshening or is still in emergency ready shape.  If you are a customer of ours, we will deliver a laminated card version to keep next to your back up generator. If you are not a customer (or outside of our service area) drop us a message below and we will gladly email you the PDF.

For our customers, we recommend that you check the tank bottom fuel quality on an annual basis to make sure the product looks good. If the tank has sat for years and is dark in color (good diesel is bright and transparent – you will notice if it is in bad shape), we recommend pumping the tank out at least partially and replacing with fresh fuel. Often you can also hugely improve the quality of the fuel by polishing the fuel. Polishing is when you circulate fuel from the bottom of the tank through a pump, filter repeatedly in order to remove any sediment or growth from the fuel, and then place this fuel back in the same tank.

Look at your fuel for a bright and clear color.

For stored fuel, you also want to make sure it is stabilized and contains a biocide. Stabilizers prevent the oxidation of the fuel and prevent the effect of metals like lead, copper and zinc, which can react and degrade fuel. For heating oil systems with a return line, for instance, the fuel is flowing through a copper line to the furnace and then back to the tank in a return line.

Use additives designed to prolong the life of your emergency diesel fuel.

Biocides prevent the growth of biological activity in the tank. In scenarios whcontaminated_dieselere micro-organisms like algae, bacteria, yeasts, and other bugs are growing in your fuel, biocides can kill this growth. It is still important to remove the residual grit and other contaminants that are the hallmark of bugs growing in your tank. Usually you remove them by filtration or total turn over of the fuel. If your tank absolutely has to be clean, you can contract a tank professional to enter the tank and physically clean the tank bottom or reline the tank with either fiberglass or an epoxy resin.

Water in diesel destroys fuel quality rapidly. Check your tank for water every fall and spring.

In events where water finds its way into your storage tank, that can also be corrected by pumping the tank bottom. Additionally, you want to put in an absorbent material designed to absorb water and not fuel. If your long term storage tank has water and you are not planning to burn 100% of the fuel in the near future, DO NOT add anything that removes water by distributing into the fuel. Adding a “fuel drier” that actually pushes the water into solution with the diesel will worsen the long term quality of your fuel, not improve it. That water is where bugs find their home to grow in fuel.

Star Oilco will test your fuel at no charge if you have an open account.

Feel free to call us with any questions you may have about long term storage of diesel. Star Oil can also deliver treated diesel ready for long term storage complete with Hydrotex PowerKleen Premium Diesel additive to improve the long term storage quality of your fuel. For biocide, we use Valvtect BioGuard fuel microbiocide to kill any possible biological activity and prevent any chance of it starting.

Diesel Testing and Storage in Portland

If you have a long term diesel storage tank and you are in the Portland, Oregon area, we are here to test your fuel.  Make sure your diesel is there for you when disaster strikes.

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For more reading on diesel fuel quality assurance:

Fight Humbug in your Diesel Tank (using Valvtect Bioguard Plus 6 to stabalize your stored diesel)

Diesel Fuel Technical Review (an easy to read and free text book on diesel fuel)

Emergency Back Up Generator Fuel Quality (designed to provide a checklist to help Facility Managers keep those back up generators ready for emergency action)

Using Desicant Breathers to keep diesel fuel dry and clean (an introductory primer on desicant breathers and how they can be used to keep long term diesel storage drier and cleaner)

Using Diesel Filters to clean up your diesel fuel quality (an introductory primer on using aggressive filtration in line with diesel fuel dispensing for fuel quality assurance)

Star Oilco fuel tanker truck delivering diesel to refrigeration unit during icy winter conditions
Do you need Refrigerated Trailer fuel? We fuel reefers automatically. 1024 768 Star Oilco

Do you need Refrigerated Trailer fuel? We fuel reefers automatically.

Refrigerated Trailer Fueling Service.

Dyed Diesel delivered to your trailer.

Need to keep your refrigerated trailer running during the summer heat in the Pacific Northwest? When temperatures rise, having a reliable reefer trailer is more important than ever to protect your inventory. That’s where Star Oilco comes in. Our team provides fast, dependable refrigerated trailer fuel delivery in Portland, Salem, Vancouver, and nearby areas. We’ll keep your cold storage trailers fueled and your goods safe, so you can focus on your business, not the weather.

Keep your refrigerated trailer running with our automatic keep full program.

Reefer trailer fuel service

Refrigerated trailers, often also called “reefers” in trucking.  These are popular in grocers, food processors, and many other industries. Reefers expand refrigerated inventory for grocers during the food rush of the holidays, and Star Oilco is ready to keep your inventory cold.

Star Oilco is the Portland area’s leading refueler of refrigerated trailers. We’re ready to help you expand your on hand inventory by supplying dyed diesel for your refrigerated trucks. We have the industry’s lowest price for service, a flat fee of $65 for service on an automatic keep full schedule. We’ll keep your inventory the right temperature this holiday season! Our trucks are ready and on the road driving past your location. This program is designed specifically in response to grocers and food processors needing a partner to simplify their refrigeration needs during their busiest time of year.

We make it one less thing to worry about.

How often should you fuel your refrigeration trailer?

Reefer Trailers typically can run for two days without a refuel if opened only once or twice a day.  Three days if you go a weekend without opening the trailer if fueled on Friday.  If you have staff leaving the door open regularly expect to need fuel daily.

Refrigerated trailer fueling. Keep full program.

Call for service. The first step is to open an account or run the service on a credit card, fleet card, or other payment method used by your business. 

Star Oilco can provide either Ultra Low Sulfer B5 Diesel, or low CO2 R99 Renewable Diesel to your reefer. All fuels are dyed and for off-road use to avoid the expensive taxes associated with using clear diesel from a gas station pump. All of our dyed diesel is treated with Hydrotex PowerKleen Premium Diesel. This additive guarantees long-term storage stability and improves performance at time of combustion.

A refrigerated trailer typically burns between 10 and 15 gallons a day in the Portland area during the winter. In our experience, fuel burns faster if the door is continually opened. Some customers are able to get by with service twice a week. Given this experience, we usually recommend a refill schedule of three days a week. This ensures you have no downtime or worry with the refrigerated trailer.

Customers on automatic keep full schedule receive emergency response services for fuel theft at no additional charge. We will be there for you to make running your business that much easier.

Also remember if you are storing a trailer onsite for back up or overflow purposes you will want to prepare the fuel in the tank for long term storage. Star Oilco’s fuel additives ensure the storage and make sure your refrigerated trailer fires when you need it to.

To set up Refrigerated Trailer Refueling Service call or email our office.

We are ready to keep you full.

Construction equipment fuel delivery service

Message us below if you want to get a call back from our Dispatch about setting up service or call 503-283-1256 for immediate service.

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greenhouse gas emissions reduction graphic by Star Oilco
Why diesel fuel in Oregon may go up in 2025 940 788 Star Oilco

Why diesel fuel in Oregon may go up in 2025

What are the market forces impacting diesel in Oregon for 2025?

There are some big changes coming for diesel fuel in Oregon and it is not widely reported. The biggest likely change being a smaller supply of renewable diesel in the first quarter of 2025.  Renewable Diesel is expected to see a shorter supply than in recent years as imports drop off with the removal of subsidies.

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Oregon is going to see several major market forces impacting the wholesale, as well as retail cost of diesel to those that buy it.   To list them simply, the following events will converge on New Years Eve:
– The end of the $1 a gallon US Blenders Tax Credit (BTC) subsidy on biodiesel and renewable diesel.
– The subsidy replacing the BTC, the Producers Tax Credit (PTC), blocks imported biofuels such as Neste Renewable Diesel.
– Oregon is relaunching its Climate Protection Program which will cap the market allowance for fossil fuels.
– Portland has a Renewable Fuels Program that requires the blending of Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel under a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions from petroleum diesel (biofuels sold in Portland must be below a 40CI under Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program).
– California has mandates for Renewable Diesel in many uses raising the cost of R99 renewable diesel throughout the US.

These forces will raise the cost of fossil fuel diesel, renewable diesel and biodiesel while at the same time Oregon and Portland are requiring the use of these biofuels.  This will mean a higher retail and wholesale price inside Oregon compared to the rest of the United States. We cover the details of these trends below in depth.

THE OREGON CLIMATE PROTECTION PROGRAM

The biggest change impacting the price for on-road diesel is the return of Oregon’s Climate Protection Program (CPP). The program’s more common name is Cap and Invest, in fuel pricing it is referred to as “Cap at the Rack” as its allowance requirements are priced on a gallon of fossil fuel.  The program caps the total fossil fuel allowed to be sold inside Oregon. Then, revenue generated from selling the allowances to import CO2 contributing fossil fuels into the state, is invested to reduce future needs for these fuels.  In 2025, this program will return and fuel importers into the state of Oregon will have to capture the cost of reducing their CO2 emissions under this program.

Oregon previously had a “Cap and Invest” program limiting the total market share allowed for petroleum diesel fuels.  This created a higher cost for diesel fuels refined from petroleum compared to renewable diesel and biodiesel. This program was stopped by an Oregon court decision in 2023. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) just finished and published the new rules for this program correcting the issues the court had with the program.

The way the Oregon Cap and Invest works on the market is similar to musical chairs. If you imagine the market for diesel is limited just like seats in musical chairs, every year they will take a few of the fossil fuel chairs away.  That means that anyone maintaining their existing customer gallons or trying to grow their volumes must meet this demand with renewable diesel, biodiesel or some other fuel.  The limited market for fossil fuels is represented by “Allowances” provided by the Oregon DEQ.  If a fuel seller cannot reduce their fossil fuel dependency, they need to buy a CPP Allowance in an Oregon DEQ curated market for them.

The value of these CPP Allowances is actually charged on each gallon of fuel sold by the regulated parties.  It is commonly called “Cap at the Rack” and can range in cost from nothing to over $.50 a gallon depending on how hard it is to meet the need of the program.  The biggest impact on the Cap at the Rack cost is how much renewable diesel or biodiesel is being used by those selling fuel.   Prior to the stoppage of Oregon’s CPP program, the Cap at the Rack cost usually ran around $.05 to $.30 a gallon.  It is expected we will see a return to this cost starting January 1st, 2025.  OPIS reports have an adjusted and non-adjusted option to capture the cost of this program.

The way the CPP program is designed is that if a fuel seller brings in a lower CO2 fuel like renewable diesel or biodiesel into the state of Oregon those gallons do not count towards the fossil fuel market cap.  So a R99 seller has no CPP Allowance obligations for those gallons.  A B20 biodiesel blender, as well, picks up 20% more gallons available to sell as those biodiesel gallons do not count against their CPP Allowances.  This facet of the CPP is why the market of renewable diesel in particular is a big deal for diesel prices.

The intent of Oregon is for consumers, fleets, farmers, municipalities, and industry in Oregon to grow their energy needs, they will need to use more low carbon energy.  If this energy use is a fleet running over 32,000 GVW this will mean low CO2 biomass based diesel fuels.   At the same time, the CPP program is kick-starting back into existence, the world of these biofuels is seeing some major market changes.

Secure Your Low Carbon Fuel Today

OREGON CLEAN FUELS PROGRAM

Oregon has another program to reduce the CO2 of the liquid fuels sold inside the state.  This program is additional and works in conjunction with the CPP.  It is the Clean Fuels Program (CFP) and is extremely similar to the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).  This program creates a market for Carbon Credits that are traded and required by fuel importers into Oregon.  OPIS also shows this program’s cost per gallon on their reporters.

Where the Climate Protection Program is like musical chairs with market share as the allowed market for fossil fuel shrinks year over year, the Clean Fuels Program is like a coupon required with sales of fossil fuel.  The major importers of fossil fuels into Oregon must show they are blending lower CO2 biofuels by presenting CO2 credit generated under the CFP program.  Users of fuel inside Oregon also see a benefit for bringing in low CO2 fuels when the market needs the credits so that voluntary users of high blend biofuels like R99, B99, B20 or E85 (85% ethanol) get financial support via a reduced final cost per gallon if using those fuels.

The reason we see renewable diesel in Oregon compared to the rest of the United States is because of this program.  This value of a Carbon Credit is usually taken to buy down the competitive price of these biofuels.  The concept is that if a fuel importer is bringing low CO2 fuels into Oregon, the reduction in CO2 these fuels represent can generate a CO2 credit.  That credit being sold on an open market to help reduce the cost of a low CO2 fuel compared to a fossil fuel.  The market for these credits is banked and has been building for years. Currently, the CO2 value is low as there are plenty of credits.

If the market availability of renewable diesel and biodiesel is dropping, the value of these credits should be rising.  The overall market will be bearing this cost though consumers will likely never see it.  In effect these regulatory market impacts of less renewable diesel in Oregon will mean a higher Carbon Credit price under the CFP program.  That will help lower the blended or delivered costs of B99 biodiesel and R99 renewable diesel hitting the end consumer.

RENEWABLE DIESEL AND BIODIESEL SUPPLY IN OREGON

Biodiesel and renewable diesel are called “Biomass Based Diesel” as a respective class of biofuels.  Where fossil fuel diesel is made from crude petroleum, biomass based diesels are diesel fuels made by several technologies from biomass feedstocks. The most widely used feedstock being fats, oils, and greases from virgin vegetable seed oils (soy and canola) or waste streams like recycled deep fryer oils, meat processors rendering fats, recovered trap greases, and many other sources of fat waste streams.

The 2025 Oregon Fuels Forecast for Oregon predicts a 199+ million gallon need for R99

The Oregon Department of Administrative Services Office of Economic Analysis produces a Clean Fuels Forecast which describes the size of the market need in Oregon.  In 2023, Oregon used 133.3 million gallons of R99 inside the state. The fossil fuel diesel used in 2023 was 577.6  million gallons by comparison.  So R99 and B99 blended with those gallons is a substantial 26% of the diesel burned in Oregon by the most recent total data.  The forecast for 2024 Renewable Diesel is 46.6 million gallons of R99, which appears to be exceeded by quite a bit.

We do not have total consumption numbers for 2024 yet, but we do know thanks to the US Energy Information Agency, that imported R99 from Neste Singapore by itself through October was roughly 62 million gallons rounding up.  The Oregon Clean Fuels Forecast expects 199.5 million gallons of renewable diesel in 2025.  As the program ramps up with this expectation, the imports of previous years will be far less competitive without subsidies.  This means the price of renewable diesel will be higher, unless US production scales to not only fill this market void but also add tens of millions of gallons into the state.

Of that 133.3 million gallons of R99 used in 2023 in Oregon, a third, more than 40 million gallons of it was imported Neste Renewable Diesel.  973,000 barrels of renewable diesel was shipped from Singapore to Oregon that year.  Other renewable diesel refiners such as Diamond Green, HF Sinclair, Marathon, Montana Renewables, Phillips 66 and Chevron also had R99 product sold into Oregon.  Regardless of the expansion of US domestic Renewable Diesel production in recent years, the Neste product no longer receiving subsidies will have a real impact to maintain these 133+ million gallons of R99 inside Oregon.

This same projection reports that Oregon’s B99 Biodiesel use inside the state in 2023 was 78.8 million gallons.  With a projection of Biodiesel to rise 83.8 million gallons in 2025.  Given these market needs, Star Oilco predicts R99 to be expensive compared to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel will be more competitive given the available product and no substantial change in suppliers.  Biodiesel will also need to be used to replace R99 gallons under the CO2 reduction programs of Oregon. Due to these market forces Star Oilco has contracts for supply at reasonable prices for our existing customers.

R99 is mandated in certain diesel uses in California by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) which make for an inelastic price.  Diesel equipment operators in California will have to buy R99 at any price.  This will raise the prices we in Oregon can expect to see renewable diesel at.  The other low CO2 diesel fuel biodiesel will not be impacted by CARB the same way and we can expect to see B20 become more widely sold because of its more competitive price.

Biodiesel has a much more widely used market development around the US, especially in over-the-road trucking.  The plants that make biodiesel also tend to be co-located, owned in collaboration with feedstock producers, and integrated within the Soy industry that produces the feedstock.  Expect that biodiesel will continue to be more competitive with diesel than renewable diesel if price is the concern.

It is worth mentioning that the CARB mandates for R99 use in California will have impact to set the price for renewable diesel in other states.  If the market demand mandated by CARB continues and the market is short, the price can be expected to rise to meet this demand.  So unsubsidized imported R99 will likely continue to flow into California and other states but it will be at a full cost to make up the subsidy.  This will likely mean that incremental gallons of R99 needed to meet the market growth projected in Oregon will be at a premium over Oregon diesel to match California’s diesel market.

US BLENDERS TAX CREDIT EXPIRATION IMPACTING OREGON

The biggest unknown on how expensive diesel will be for Oregonians relates to Federal biofuel policy.  For the last twenty years the US Government has had an on-again/off-again subsidy on biodiesel and more recently renewable diesel.  There have been years the subsidy was not renewed which informs us of what probably will happen with prices on biodiesel.  Renewable diesel though is a stickier market.  The reaction of R99 renewable diesel prices in California, Washington and Oregon market is the big question and it comes down to an issue of production.  Two big issues at play are how much renewable diesel will these states continue to see from Neste’s Singapore plant and how much new US production for renewable diesel comes online to feed the market need.

The Blenders Tax Credit will be replaced with the Producers Tax Credit

The Blenders Tax Credit expired December 31st.  There are those that hope that in January the new Congress will take up an extension of this but most experts in the industry do not expect and are not betting an extension will not occur.  Meanwhile there is subsidy regime named the “Clean Fuels Production Credit” or the slang term preferred by industry the Producers Tax Credit (PTC) which ranges from $.20 a gallon to $.80 a gallon depending on how low CO2 the fuel as well as some labor practices.  The PTC also bars imported renewable diesel and biodiesels from getting any money at import.  Approximately more than 40,000,000 gallons a month of renewable diesel flows from Neste Singapore to the west coast, this will have a huge impact on Oregon.  For those accustomed to that fuel at the same price as fossil fuel diesel, the expiration of this subsidy will raise our prices for those demanding R99 renewable diesel which was already in short supply prior to this change.

There is also another wrinkle in the subsidy policy of the US with this.  The subsidy on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), basically renewable diesel meeting the Jet A fuel specification, is still in place for imported product for another year.  Europe also has some significant incentives and mandates for SAF.  Renewable diesel refiners, both domestic as well as foreign have a huge financial incentive to make renewable jet fuel over renewable diesel. This reality probably means that if a gallon of fuel can go to a jet fuel market over a transportation market it will.

So the market forces for renewable diesel in particular probably means less R99 available nationwide in the US.  While that is happening, the state of California has mandated that all off road equipment run R99 Renewable Diesel.  So regardless of what the price of this fuel is, California will have to use it in huge volumes.  Markets being what they are, for high volume fleets demanding R99 they can expect the R99 price in Oregon will track the price paid in California.  There will be exceptions of contract relationships for supply of R99 as well as retail brands moving renewable diesel blends to meet their strategic CPP requirements.  This will definitely mean anyone wanting R99 will want to line up a contractual supply agreement or can expect a higher price than in 2024.

THE FEDERAL RFS AND RINS

It should also be mentioned that the US EPA has a Renewable Fuel Standard of its own. It is a completely different regulatory system compared to the Portland RFS.  This program requires gasoline refiners as well as importers to use so much biofuel in their sales inside the United States.  Federally refiners and importers must prove they blended specifically assigned amounts of ethanol, and biomass based diesel fuels.

This program attaches a Renewable Industry Number (RIN) on every gallon of biofuel sold in the US.  As there are many unobligated users of this biofuel in the US those blending their own biodiesel, renewable diesel and ethanol generate RINs that can be sold to the refiners and importers of gasoline inside the US.

The RIN value has been low compared to historic values for biomass based diesels.  As Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel generate the same type of RIN, the reduction in imported R99 might raise the value of these RINs.  This value increase for the Renewable Industry Number is expected to slightly off set the hard subsidy.  It will be a market based value so it can not be relied upon for lowering the cost of biofuels, but can be expected to help with price.

As more US produced renewable diesel is coming online, hopefully enough to replace the lost imported gallons before the busy summer diesel season, these RIN values may not have a major contribution to the wholesale price of R99.

CONCLUSION

We predict diesel prices to rise in Oregon compared to the US in the first quarter of 2025

Star Oilco’s team saw these market conditions coming during the summer of 2024.  We have locked in contractual supply of R99 renewable diesel for our existing customers and have additional supply for customers seeking R99 renewable diesel by Star Oilco owned cardlock sites, mobile onsite fueling or smaller volume bulk delivery.

Star Oilco expects a Cap at the Rack price from the Oregon CPP to be between $.10 and $.40 a gallon by the end of January depending on biofuel supply. With unofficial conversational predictions with several large fossil fuel refiners and brokers, there is an expectation of over $.25 a gallon as a Cap at the Rack price.  We think it will be higher than that with the removal of millions of gallons of R99 from Oregon’s market.  In the first quarter with the removal of imported R99 hitting the state we expect the Cap at the Rack price to start in the higher $.30 a gallon range where it left off when the program was ended by a court. As the low CO2 exempt renewable diesel gallons shrink in the first quarter a heavier reliance on fossil diesel will be required.

We expect quite a bit of biodiesel to be loaded up ahead of the $1 a gallon subsidy being ended on December 31st.  Renewable diesel will be in short supply due to disruptions in supply of imported product.  So first quarter R99 will be at a premium and B99 for blending with diesel will be a deal to be had as fossil fuel diesel prices rise.  Expect to see far more B10 and B20 offered in the market place as either a more common than not fuel at retail gas stations, truck stops, and most cardlock stations, especially in Portland.  Star Oilco will have options for our customers of either B20, R99, or R20 blends of diesel all complying with the City of Portland Renewable Fuel Standard inside the city.  Star Oilco’s Portland CFN and Pacific Pride locations will have both R99 and B20 hoses available for customers.

California will continue to demand any and all R99.  If the market is short R99 because of a removal of imported renewable diesel, the value of R99 in California will rise to justify foreign R99 to enter the market without a subsidy.  Star Oilco presumes that number will be between $.40 to $.80 a gallon.  If R99 in California is able to demand a premium, Oregon will have to pay that price for incremental gallons.  Oregon has a specific need for R99 and B99 for retail gasoline sellers to meet the Climate Protection Program (if you sell so much gasoline you must reduce your market share someplace and R99 diesel is the easiest way to do that).  Oregon retailers will be seeking to move a budgeted amount of renewable diesel and biodiesel to meet their fossil fuel allowance budgets under the CPP.  Each gallon beyond that will have to compete with California at a high price.

R99 will still be available but we expect incremental gallons to be at a premium.  Contractual gallons direct with a refiner of renewable diesel will have a consistent price that a business can manage fuel surcharges against diesel.  Outside of a contract for volumes, the wholesale rack price of R99 may vary wildly compared to a B5 ULSD fossil fuel diesel prices depending on how high diesel is going for are as well as the CPP and CFP values of a Carbon Credit and Cap at the Rack.

The big unknown to price is how one key importer of R99 will respond to the market without a subsidy.  It is the assumption of Star Oilco that California will continue to buy imported R99 without a subsidy for it’s off-road mandated market. If the economics of Neste are such, they can compete and open the floodgates of R99 and this could change.  This open flood of product is not expected especially given the economics of Sustainable Aviation Fuel which renewable diesel plants are expected to make more of in 2025.

The Oregon and Washington market will see a flow of new capacity of R99 for retailers mandated to reduce their fossil fuel volumes.  US production of R99 is expected to more than compensate by 2026, but 2025 will be a chasm to jump.  Chevron, HF Sinclair, Marathon, and Phillips 66 will be procuring and supplying US made biomass based diesel to the Pacific NW for their retail gas station needs.  We would expect to see R99 or blends of it sold at parity with branded diesel in the retail market in Oregon.

Commercial sellers of wholesale unbranded diesel will have a tougher time lining up R99 at a price in line with wholesale B5 or B20 ULSD.  No doubt with these higher prices we will be seeing an evolution of R20 (20% renewable diesel) as well as blends of biodiesel with renewable diesel available inside the City of Portland for it’s Renewable Fuel Standard as a premium fuel at a competitive price with diesel.

Star Oilco has R99 and R20 blends for commercial customers in the Portland, Oregon area.  We also have R99 available for Clark County Washington commercial and municipal fleets.  Star Oilco also has biodiesel blends and can support fleets seeking to succeed with it.  Call us if you would like to talk about your fuel supply in 2025.

If your fleet has an interest in a consistent and contractual supply of R99 renewable diesel or wants to develop a relationship that prioritizes a 20% of renewable diesel blended to meet Portland’s Renewable Fuel Standard compliance please feel free to reach out to Star Oilco.

Call Us Today

For further reading of news coverage of the Oregon Climate Protection Program please see the following:

KGW8 – Climate Protection Program returns after being struck down by court

KATU2 – Oregon adopts Climate Protection Program to cut fossil fuel pollution by 90% by 2050

Oregon Capital Chronicle – Redo of Oregon program to cap greenhouse gas pollution ready for public review. 

The Oregonian – Oregon restores signature Climate Protection Program to cut greenhouse gases.  

Central Oregon Daily News – Oregon commission approves redo of landmark climate program after lawsuit derailed it

Oregon Public Broadcasting – Oregon to reinstate ambitious climate program amid divided reactions from industries, environmentalists

US Energy Information Agency: Biofuels Displacing Petroleum on the West Coast

Reach Out To Our Team

Our team of fuel experts would be happy to work with you and help you understand how this affects your operations

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Abandoned vintage fuel truck rusting in a grassy field
Oregon Self Serve Gasoline: Know-How 683 1024 Star Oilco

Oregon Self Serve Gasoline: Know-How

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signs historic Consumer Choice (Self Serve) Gasoline bill.

Oregon legalizes self serve gasoline.

Self Serve Gasoline law awaits Governor’s Signature.

Oregon Self Serve Gasoline FAQs:

Q: Can I self serve gasoline at a cardlock location?
A: Not unless you are doing so for a commercial use. 

The Gas Self Serve bill requires for retailers to provide Full Serve as an option alongside Self Serve gasoline.  Diesel fuel can be self served and the general public can fuel themselves with diesel at a Commercial Cardlock now.  For gasoline customers, as cardlock does not offer full serve we can not open it up to the general public.  Commercial Cardlock is regulated by the Oregon State Fire Marshall who still requires a business purpose for self serving gasoline at a 24-7 stand alone cardlock.

Q: When does Self Serve become available at a retail gas station?
A: Friday August 5th, 2023 is when consumers can opt to fuel their own gasoline in Oregon. 

Q: What if I do not want to self serve my own gasoline?
A:  The new Self Serve gasoline rules in Oregon require that any retail gas station offering self serve also provide full serve. 

There must be well marked islands for Self Serve Gasoline and Full Serve gasoline service.  Anyone wanting full service will still have it as an option.  The law also requires that all sites have no more Self Serve fueling pumps as Full Serve fueling positions. So Full Service gasoline will be readily available at any site offering Self Serve gasoline.  The law also expressly requires that there is no difference in price between Full Serve and Self Serve gasoline.

Oregon Self Serve is Legal in Oregon State

Oregon Self Serve at retail gas stations is coming to consumers who want it.  The Oregon Legislature has passed HB2426, a law that would give consumers a choice if they want to serve their own gasoline at a retail gas station. This law is awaiting the Governor’s signature to be signed into law.

As the Legislature has adjourned, Governor Tina Kotek has 30 days from when the Bill was passed to sign it into law, veto it, or let it expire without signature.

 

THE HISTORY OF FULL SERVE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS IN OREGON

Oregon outlawed self serve gasoline in 1951.  The trend for self serve as a business model started in California.  The first self serve retail gas station was in 1947 in Los Angeles.  The restriction on serving your own gasoline had a basis in public safety and was not allowed by the Fire Codes in most states.   With the potential for large self serve gas stations coming Oregon made a decision to prevent the widespread adoption on a fire safety basis.

Inside the Oregon fuel industry there are anecdotal stories of the full serve mandate law coming from a coalition of consumers and local fuel sellers resisting bigger entrants to the market with huge numbers of fuel islands and few employees.  Full service gas was viewed as a competitive advantage for local gas stations that was also preferred by consumers.  In the 1980’s a few attempts were made to legalize self serve in Oregon and was resoundingly shot down by the public.  The growth of Oregon’s cardlock industry came out of this as business allowances were made for self serve gasoline with 24-7-365 access to fuel.

HB2426: SELF SERVE IS A CHOICE, NOT A REQUIREMENT

Talk to any longtime born and raised Oregonian, Full Serve Gas is a cherished right of Oregon residency.  This right will not be extinguished with this law.  Self Serve in the more populated parts of Oregon will require Full Serve as a choice.  The point of this law is to get wider service available for gas stations currently forced to close, operate at reduced island capacity, or reduced hours due to labor shortages.

BACKGROUND ON GASOLINE RETAIL IN OREGON:

Oregon has required gasoline be served by an attendant at retail gas stations.  Gasoline is a Class 1 Flammable Liquid.  Under a safety basis this fuel was restricted to only professionals and businesses to dispense it.  Diesel, which is a Class 3 Flammable Liquid because it catches fire at a higher temperature was not restricted from self serve.

In 2015 the more rural and less populated counties of Oregon were allowed to use self serve gasoline as a strategy to increase service hours at gas stations.  In 2017 this policy was expanded to more rural counties in Oregon.  The rules required options for full service gas service during predictable hours for those wanting or needing service.  During the COVID lock downs due to extreme labor shortages as well as fear of human contact self serve was allowed statewide.  With this House Bill 2426 all of Oregon can choose to serve gasoline themselves if they want.

HB2326 – THE OREGON SELF SERVE LAW:

HB 2326, as a statute, has a great deal of legal detail.  We have paraphrased and simplified the language of HB2326 as it relates to the self serve subject below:

A gas station selling gasoline at retail may not designate more than the same number
of fuel pumps for self-service as are available for full service.

Retail gas stations must:
Post signage clearly showing what fuel pumps are self serve and which are full service.

Designate at least one person to be available to pump fuel for those needing full service.

In the more populous counties of Oregon, any gas station must provide a Full Service attendant during any hours they offer the choice of self serve gasoline.

Gas stations opting to allow self serve fuel pumps cannot charge a different price for Full Service or Self Service gasoline at those pumps.

If you have any questions about Oregon’s Self Serve legal change please feel free to reach out to Star Oilco.  If we do not have the answer to your questions we will find it for you.

 

Excavator on construction site using off-road diesel
Diesel Loaner Tanks for Construction 683 1024 Star Oilco

Diesel Loaner Tanks for Construction

WE LOAN DIESEL TANKS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

DYED OFF ROAD DIESEL FUELING SERVICE BY STAR OILCO

Wethose Fueling for Construction

If you need diesel, kerosene, gasoline, biodiesel, or renewable diesel in bulk or as a wet-hose fueling service, we are ready for your project.  We also deliver Diesel Exhaust Fluid on jobsites. We won’t let your generators go down.  Daily routes for diesel fueling in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. 

Star Oilco serves the whole Portland metro area included the ex-burbs.  Our routes deliver to Salem, Oregon as well as Longview and Kelso, Washington.

Call and ask for our Dispatch to set up service today at 503-283-1256.

Off Road Dyed Diesel Delivery

All-dyed construction and generator fuel delivered by Star Oilco is premium diesel treated with Hydrotex PowerKleen. Star Oilco’s premium diesel is stabilized for long-term storage for the total up-time needs of construction fueling. There is an additional treatment of fuel microbiocide to kill and prevent growth of bacteria/algae in your diesel. Star Oilco can add Valvtect BioGuard to your fuel to stabilize your fuel for long term storage upon request as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction season is here.

Star Oilco still has loaner tanks immediately available for your job site, project or temporary fleet needs.  Make life easier and keep your team working hard. Get ahead of the rush and reserve your UL142 double wall loaner tank now.

Just let us know if you need a 12V pump (powered by your equipment’s battery) or a 110V plug in pump with your equipment set up.

Star Oilco has both 550 gallon and 275 gallon tanks with 110% containment meeting UL 142 for your next construction project.  Star Oilco can provide larger tanks if arranged with notice beforehand.  Larger tanks available for longer term project if needed.  We also provide remote tank monitoring on these tanks. These tanks meet fire code in Oregon and Washington for construction refueling and provide temporary storage of fuel on an ever-changing construction job site. Oregon and Washington fire code allow temporary double wall tanks for construction projects where an active permit has been pulled and needs diesel to complete.

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel is 15 PPM
Please also remember that ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is the standard of off-road dyed fuel now as well. New off-road equipment will need ultra low sulfur diesel given the modern emission systems required.  This is a recent change.

If you are renting newer equipment, it will have a need for ULSD and Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). You will need to ensure that any fuel on a jobsite running newer equipment with diesel after treatment is ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. If you are operating your own tanks as you receive newer equipment, you will want to flush the fuel to make sure you get all the higher sulfur fuels out of it. All equipment from Star Oilco is drained as well as flushed prior to deliver as part of our set up.

If you are a contractor, project manager, or need a temporary tank for on-site fuel, we can help. In cases where you need an auxiliary tank, transfer fuel tank, an emergency back-up fuel supply, or even a long-term rented loaner tank for specialized equipment, Star Oilco can solve problems for you. For long-term projects, we can also work to get cardlock and other novel tracking solutions to secure your on-site fuel needs. Give us a call, we are here to help.

Kick the Can Card

Call our Dispatch at 503-283-1256 or tell us what you need in the following Contact Form.

We have loaner tanks immediately available. Open an account and get started today.

 

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Row of school buses using heavy-duty biodiesel fuel
Biodiesel as a Heavy Duty Low CO2 Solution 768 1024 Star Oilco

Biodiesel as a Heavy Duty Low CO2 Solution

Save money with Low CO2 Biodiesel in your heavy duty fleet.

In Oregon the state ensures there is a cost associated with the CO2 intensity of a fuel.  This is why Biodiesel is consistently lower cost than petroleum Diesel fuels on the West Coast.  Get ahead of this curve and ensure your fleet benefits.


Why B99 Biodiesel was used in the past?

Prior to 2007 emission systems on modern diesels B99 Biodiesel was commonly used by fleets.  The fact that Biodiesel is a domestic, renewable and low CO2 fuel with a benign tail pipe emission made it popular.  B99 was the preferred fuel of dozens of fleets in the Pacific NW.  After the EPA requirements starting in 2007 which added particulate traps, SCR, their dosing systems, and the general complexity of these clean diesel systems on modern diesels, B99 became problematic.  Specifically the Tier 3 and Tier 4 diesel emission systems had a habit of choking on high blends of Biodiesel approaching B99.  This issue has been solved by Optimus Technologies Vector System.

Why B99 Biodiesel is the solution for Heavy Duty Diesel fleets seeking a Low CO2 solution today?

The Optimus Technologies Vector System provides the solution by enabling two tanks of fuel.  One tank dedicated to the diesel or R99 Renewable Diesel and the other tank dedicated to B100 or B99 pure Biodiesel. These systems optimize the systems of your modern Diesel fleet while also optimizing the performance and realities of the emission systems.

Star Oilco at the National Biodiesel Conference in Las Vegas

Mark Fitz, the President of Star Oilco, was invited to speak in front of a bunch of soy bean farmers on the subject of decarbonizing Heavy Duty diesel fleets.  Below is a walk through of his view on where diesel fleets can go to cut their CO2 emission in half or more today. NOTE: Mark Fitz’s portion begins at 18 minutes.

 

Please reach out to Star Oilco if you have further questions about using B99 or other blends of Biodiesel to reduce your fleet’s operating cost while cutting CO2 emissions in half.

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Pacific Pride commercial fuel station with service vehicles fueling
7 Ways to Stop Fuel Theft Before it Happens 1024 556 Star Oilco

7 Ways to Stop Fuel Theft Before it Happens
STOP FUEL THEFT

IN YOUR BUSINESS TO REALLY SAVE ON YOUR COST OF DIESEL AND GASOLINE

Save money by managing  your diesel and gasoline fleet cards. Know who, how, and where fuel is bought.

In the new world of diesel and gasoline over $5 you need a strategy to control where and how fuel is bought by your business.

Controlling your fuel expense can be time consuming and vital for any business. We recommend approaching it from a Human Resource management perspective.

Seize control of the use of fuel cards with real time feedback:

  • Who is buying
  • What type of fuel
  • Where it’s bought
  • When are they buying

Set a clear standard and make sure you put controls on your fleet cards to ensure you keep honest employees from doing something that requires discipline.  Below are some of the best practices for controlling your fleet’s fuel purchases.

7 Ways to Stop Fuel Theft Before it Happens

Why Pacific Pride and CFN Fleet Cards?

Often we are asked how to save money on fueling a small business fleet.  Usually the biggest cost isn’t the pennies you save per gallon, but the gallons you can save by stopping theft.  To save money on gasoline, make sure you aren’t paying for thieves to use your small business fuel cards.

Every fuel business seeks to avoid fuel slippage – the loss of fuel due to theft, waste or buying the wrong and/or more expensive fuel product. How can you secure the slippage, once and for all?  These steps not only help with managing employees, but they can help you spot unusual purchases from stolen or skimmed cards. Skimming is when thieves hide a device that copies cards information and pin information. Thieves then clone the card and can attempt to use them in other locations.  Using fuel cards vs Credit cards can save owners thousands of dollars.  Employees have less access to non-authorized purchases and thieves can’t use fuel cards to purchase other items.

Star Oilco can help you establish a program to eliminate fuel slippage that includes an easy-to-use management process and enforcement of a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy.”

Star Oilco has a simple and effective approach designed to empower you to easily manage your fuel cards.

Cardlock and secure fleet cards have been around since the 1970s and oddly enough, our competitors fail to field them properly. Star Oilco is here to help and would like to give you some simple and efficient practices to eliminate fuel slippage. We have an easy to implement strategy to lock down your cardlock and fleet cards in order to knock out the opportunity for fuel theft in your business.

Fuel cards assigned to the vehicle not the person

By attaching the fuel cards to the vehicle and not the human being, you immediately break the driver’s belief that the company is providing fuel to them and not the company vehicle.

That’s why we recommend you attach the fleet card to the vehicle key chain and NOT in a driver’s wallet. For additional security, employ a Corporate Fleet Card that is secured by a PIN.  Star Oilco recommends either Pacific Pride or CFN, both of which are in the Fuelman Network. Star Oilco will provide you with a keychain designed to hold up to two fleet cards.

Each Person has a secret PIN

Use a “Floating PIN” system where every member of the team has a secret PIN that is only to be used by them.

We recommend attaching fuel cards to the vehicle key chain and having each driver use their own secret PIN to purchase fuel. With this secret PIN, Star Oilco’s Fuel Cards track their name with every fuel purchase. Their name will appear next to the transaction on the bill and on an E-Receipt confirming who bought what, when, and where. This personalizes all fuel usage. Many companies already have a secret PIN policy around time cards and clocking in and out of work. This Best Practice stacks well with that.

Enforce a "No Tolerance Fuel Theft"

Implement and enforce a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy” that every employee must sign.

Policies vary but should generally include language that requires the use of a fleet card for fuel purchases, states that PIN use is tracked by employee, confirms that employees are held accountable for any wrongdoing associated with their PIN and acknowledges that fuel theft will lead to immediate termination.  Star Oilco’s approach documents and provides evidence as well as real time knowledge for you to respond and ensure a fuel theft culture doesn’t grow in your business.

If you have fuel thieves in your business, make sure you document it at a Human Resource level.  In many states a first time a fuel thief is caught they may still qualify for unemployment when dismissed.  A No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy when you on-board a new employee protects your from thieves getting away with it at the expense of your business.

Set-up E-Receipts for purchases

Use E-Receipts to reinforce your fuel policy.

An E-Receipt is a real-time email showing who bought what fuel, when and where, as it happens. Make sure this E-Receipt is going to several levels in your office, where employees are paying attention to what your drivers are doing.  If your fleet knows that their fuel purchases are completely transparent, they will think twice before doing something convenient for themselves over what the company needs. When a driver buys the wrong product, or was getting fuel out of route, you can follow up immediately to reinforce your fuel policies without waiting for a bill to show up at the end of the month. This is a great tool to spot additional transactions that may not be coming from your employees.  “Get an email every time your fleet stops for fuel” is another article that talks about this if you would like more information.

Limit hours and locations for Usage
Star Oilco can limit your fuel cards to work only during your business hours and/or within your territory.

Whether your territory is an entire state or limited to specific zip codes, you can define where your fleet can get fuel and where they cannot. And to avoid late night or early morning fuel theft, consider disabling your fuel cards during specified periods of the day or week, so that your cards don’t work when you don’t want them being used. This can easily be done as you need it by either contacting Star Oilco and asking us to do it for you, or by logging into your online Pacific Pride / CFN portal to set these restrictions yourself.  Cards with limits are less attractive to thieves the more you can limit the usage the less appealing your card is for skimming thieves.

Limit the amount of fuel per purchase

Set up your cards to only allow for a certain quantity or specific grade of fuel.

Consider limiting the volume of fuel purchased to match the size of a vehicle’s tank. Also, limit the number of transactions per day as well. That way, if for some reason that card gets stolen and someone has a working PIN, their theft is thoroughly limited.

Review your bill - Annual audit at least

Ask your vendor to review of all the cards and PINs you’ve used throughout the year.

Star Oilco seeks to do this annually. As per the state of Oregon (where Star Oilco is located), we receive a Fire Marshall audit every year and as they audit our cardlock records, we do the same and review every card and PIN for that year. You should do this too and Star Oilco can help. We recommend turning off all cards that are not being regularly used, which also allows you to adjust other details as needed. If you would like more information about this ‘What’s in a “Keep it Simple Fuel Audit”’ tells a little more about how we can review your current bill and simplify what you’re spending, where you’re spending it and give you tips on how to save some money.

Why use Commercial Cardlock over a retail gas station fleet card?

Commercial Cardlock locations in the CFN and Pacific Pride network are designed for business.  Fast and easy in and out to save your business on labor as well as far more competitive prices especially on diesel.  In Oregon where self serve gasoline is limited there are rules to using fleet cards at stand along cardlock locations.  Here are the rules involved with getting a Pacific Pride or CFN commercial cardlock card which enables you 24-7-365 access to stand alone commercial fuel stations.

If you would like to learn more fill out the following form.

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