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Fleet Fuel Best Practices

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Make And Keep Your Diesel Fuel Much More Clean 1024 768 Star Oilco

Make And Keep Your Diesel Fuel Much More Clean

                               Make And Keep Your Diesel Fuel A Lot More CleanClean, dry, premium diesel

What is Clean Diesel? 

Clean diesel is free of the contaminants that harm modern diesel engines. Today, there is a gap between ASTM diesel standards and the ISO cleanliness standards needed for use in high pressure common rail engines. Anyone operating a modern clean diesel engine is seeing the effect, including injector replacement, DPF regeneration, and a host of other fuel quality related maintenance concerns we never saw twenty years ago. On top of all of that, today’s refined diesel fuels are less storage stable than ever before. What is on the bottom of your bulk tank can also complicate matters further. When diesel is bought wholesale, it typically meets and exceeds ASTM required industry standards, but almost always requires additional filtration to avoid excessive engine wear and premature part failures.

Having clean diesel requires an additional amount of care. Namely, you need to make sure that the fuel is aggressively filtered at 4 microns to catch the microscopic particles that are big enough to damage your modern diesel engine’s high pressure fuel rail system. Furthermore, clean diesel is fuel that is free of water and stabilized with Premium Diesel to guarantee no bacteria, yeast and other creatures can grow and further contaminate the saddle tanks on your trucks.

For more on clean diesel, see Donaldson’s description of “The New Clean” for an in-depth explanation of what ISO cleanliness and filtration mean for your diesel fleet.

Making Diesel Cleaner!

Knowing the quality of your fuel is the first step. This is done by taking samples off of the bottom of your bulk storage, as well as a representative sample from your fuel dispenser. Lab tests of those samples will tell you if you have water, biological growth, or dirt issues with your storage. The contaminants in the tank being sampled are almost always visible, which is to say that they look horribly ugly. If your fuel quality assurance has been on autopilot, do not be surprised if you find this. After gathering knowledge about your fuel, the next step is to get your fuel quality clean.

Filtration and tank bottom sampling is the start. Beyond that, the only way to improve your fuel quality performance is to filter your fuel, ensure water is not getting into the tank through condensation, and additize it with a Premium Diesel additive to upgrade the performance of the fuel. Many fleets today are seeing injector wear and continual problems with particulate trap maintenance. This is a combination of water in fuel and microscopic particles not captured by a 10 or 30 micron filter used at most diesel dispensers. You have to filter more aggressively than this.

Clean, Dry, and Premium Diese

Where To Start?

The first step is sampling your bulk diesel tank. We check your bulk tank for water and dirt to make sure and meet the specifications your engine is built for. Star Oilco can help by providing a complementary diesel test for those fleets interested in taking control of their fuel quality assurance. Usually when testing fuel, we take a sample off of the tank bottom as well as a representative sample out of the fuel dispensing nozzle.

What we usually find is ASTM specification diesel fuel (it meets ASTM spec) that is higher than you’d want (still in spec) for water with far more dirt than the OEM’s would want to see in your engine. This dirt fails to be within the “ISO Cleanliness” specifications recommended by engine manufacturers. Usually, we also see water on the bottom of the fuel tank, which is a likely source for future or current biological growth in your fuel tank.

Star Oilco can help you fix this! The first step is to sample your fuel tank.

NOTE: If you have a current biological growth problem in your bulk fuel tank or fleet, your first step is to treat that effected fuel with a diesel microbiocide to kill the bugs growing in your tank. For more on this, see our Valvtect Plus 6 Diesel Microbiocide page.

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What Is Portland’s Renewable Fuel Standard? 1024 768 Star Oilco

What Is Portland’s Renewable Fuel Standard?

Diesel Fuel Is Changing In Portland With The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

Portland Old Town sign representing the city’s commitment to renewable fuel standards

Figuring out what this means for you or your business can be challenging. We have shared many questions that we have been asked already, to help provide more clarity on what this Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) means for Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers​. If your question isn’t listed below, please reach out to Star Oilco so we can make sure your questions are answered!

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What is the Portland's Renewable Fuel Standard?

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is Portland City Council’s response to the City’s 2022-2025 Climate Emergency Workplan,  which lists the City’s priority actions over the next three years.​

On Dec. 7, 2022, City Council unanimously adopted amendments to the Renewable Fuel Standard, Portland City Code Chapter 16.60, which reduces dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels, by increasing the required percentage of renewable fuels blended with petroleum diesel sold in the city of Portland.​

This policy increases low-carbon biofuel blends, moving Portland’s diesel fuel mix to 99% renewable by 2030. This policy includes a carbon intensity standard to shift to fuels that are lower carbon across their entire lifecycle.

What Does The Renewable Fuel Standard Mean For Me?

Portlands Renewable Fuel Standard Requirements

 July 1, 2024, Portland required that all diesel fuel sold contain a minimum 15% blend of biodiesel or renewable diesel. This percentage will increase steadily over the next few years, reaching a minimum 99% renewable fuel requirement by July 1, 2030.

There are no reporting requirements for retailers to comply with this mandate. Instead, the city enforces compliance through random on-site inspections and by requiring retailers to maintain records of the biofuel content of the diesel they sell.

Who Does The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Apply To?

  • The policy speaks to “Covered Entities”​
  • Diesel Fuel Transaction within the City of Portland Oregon​
  • Fuel distributors, resellers, retailers, nonretail dealers, terminals, importers and wholesale purchaser-consumers are directly regulated by PCC Chapter 16.60 and referred to as “covered entities.”
  • Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers​: also know as WPCs are directly regulated by PCC Chapter 16.60 and referred to as “covered entities.”​

What Are Considered Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers ?

Wholesale purchaser-consumer (WPC) is a category of entities that own or utilize diesel vehicle fleets and purchase fuel in bulk for delivery into a storage tank at their facility or directly into a vehicles fuel tank. WPCs are required to register with the RFS program.​

A fuel distributor or common carrier delivers on road diesel to your facilities on-site tank such as: ​

  • Bulk Tank​
  • Aboveground Storage Tank (AST)​
  • Underground Storage Tank (UST)​

A fuel distributor delivers on road diesel directly into your vehicles also known as:​

  • On-Site Fleet Fueling​
  • Wet Hose Fueling​

Does The RFS Only Apply To Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers of Diesel Fuel?

Yes, these rules apply to fuel for on-road motor vehicles. Fuels used for the following purposes are not covered by these rules: ​

  1. Railroad locomotives, watercraft, aircraft, and emergency equipment​
  2. Dyed diesel for off-road vehicles​
  3. Dyed diesel for furnaces, boilers, generators​
  4. Propane and liquefied natural gas for vehicles​

What Are The Requirements To Meet The RFS?

Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers are required to meet three primary components of the RFS:​

  1. Biofuel Minimum Content Requirements,​
  2. Carbon Intensity standard,​
  3. Selecting a compliance option, and​
  4. Record keeping.​

What is the biofuel minimum content requirements for Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers ?

Biofuel Minimum Content Requirements for Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers​

  • WPCs in the City of Portland are required to meet the minimum biofuel content requirements for all fuel they purchase for their vehicle fleet. Beginning July 1, 2024, all diesel purchased must include 15% biofuel content, from either renewable diesel or biodiesel. This requirement increases to 50% on July 1, 2026, and 99% on July 1, 2030.​
  • The biofuel content requirements will be enforced through random inspections of fleet facilities to see that they (1) have a contract in place with fuel suppliers that specifies that fuel meets the minimum blend requirements, or (2) verification of actual products purchased through testing or review of product transfer documents.

What is the Carbon Intensity (CI) Standard for Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers ?

  • All WPCs also need to be aware of the Carbon Intensity Standard in PCC Chapter 16.60.​
  • All biodiesel and renewable diesel sold in the City of Portland must have a carbon intensity equal to or less than 40g CO2e/MJ as certified by DEQ’s Clean Fuels Program, Approved Carbon Intensity Values.​
  • Carbon intensity requirements apply to biofuel blendstock, not the final blended products, which may contain a portion of petroleum-based diesel fuel at a higher carbon intensity.​

Selecting a compliance option for Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers​

  • WPCs will need to select a compliance option by the start of the compliance period, July 1, 2024.​
  • Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS) will provide notification about selecting compliance options by May 31, 2024.​
  • To receive notification, covered entities must be registered with the RFS Program. ​

*Compliance option selection may be changed at any time during the compliance period after consulting with BPS. If a covered entity decides to change the compliance option during the compliance period, they are responsible for compliance under the new option for the full compliance period.

Record Keeping Requirements for Wholesale Purchaser-Consumers​

Portland City Code (PCC) Chapter 16.60 and administrative rules requires that an invoice, bill of lading, shipping paper, or other documentation, referred to as “Product Transfer Documents” (PTD) must accompany each fuel delivery in the city of Portland. The administrative rules specify that:​

  1. PTDs must include the type of renewable fuel, including biodiesel, renewable diesel, ethanol, or any blends of these fuels, and declare the volume percent of such renewable fuel.​
  2. PTDs must comply with OAR 603-027-0430 (1) (a) which includes identifying the quantity, the name of the product, the name and address of the seller and buyer, and the date and time of the sale.​
  3. WPCs using the Product Transfer Document compliance pathway must also ensure that fuel pathway codes issued by Oregon Clean Fuels Program are also included on a PTD associated with each delivery received by the WPC or have a contract with a fuel supplier specifying the carbon intensity requirements of PCC Chapter 16.60.​

Contact Us Today To Learn More About The RFS For Your Operations

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Rules for Getting a Pacific Pride or CFN Card in Oregon 512 440 Star Oilco

Rules for Getting a Pacific Pride or CFN Card in Oregon

What are the rules for getting a Pacific Pride and CFN Cardlock Card in Oregon?

Star Oilco is a proud independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride fueling is a wholesale cost plus way to buy fuel.  With the crazy market conditions getting 24 hour access to fuel has a renewed appeal to both individuals as well as businesses.  Today the price difference between retail gas stations and wholesale prices at CFN and Pacific Pride sites in part of the state of Oregon provides a huge price value for small businesses.  Add to that the convenience of getting out of gas lines and being able to fuel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year is a big value add for commercial cardlock over retail gas stations.

Pacific Pride and CFN cardlock both use a cost plus from the commercial wholesale rack prices to determine what you pay for fuel.

Avoid the volatility of retail credit card mark up with a cost plus agreement and a Star Oilco cardlock card.

Call Star Oilco and ask for a representative quote to see what CFN and Pacific Pride Cardlock costs compared to other fleet cards used at retail gas stations charging a credit card mark up.  Also look at what a small business can benefit from with the security features of cardlock over giving your drivers unsecured credit cards.

Many small businesses wonder what it takes to use a stand-alone cardlock location. As wages rise, the cost of full serve retail gas stations rise too. In contrast, stand-alone commercial fueling stations have little wait and 24 hour access, which save business owners time and money. Star Oilco makes it easy to set up with Pacific Pride in Oregon.

Self-serve diesel fueling is legal in Oregon

Self-serve gasoline is restricted in Oregon

Here are the rules for self-serve gasoline in Oregon:

Oregon has legalized the option for any consumer to fuel their own car at a gas station. But a 24-7 stand alone self serve gasoline option like cardlock is not legal in Oregon without a business license or purpose.  So though you can pump your own gasoline at a retail gas station, you cannot use commercial cardlock without being a business.

Diesel is legal for self serve throughout the state of Oregon. Gasoline is restricted in the more populated counties of Oregon except in certain cases. Commercial fleet fueling is one of the exemptions allowed, enabling a business to get its drivers out of gas lines and cut the labor wasting wait at retail gas stations.

Self-serve diesel has always been legal in Oregon and often cheaper at a commercial cardlock throughout the state. Anyone in Oregon who only uses diesel can get a Pacific Pride or CFN card for personal use.

Gasoline, on the other hand, has some rules that are regularly enforced. Self-serve gasoline is allowed in several rural counties in Oregon outside of the I-5 corridor. Self-serve gasoline in the more populated parts of Oregon is available at a retail gas station only if they offer full serve during business hours.

If you operate a company vehicle, commercial cardlock is the best way to upgrade your fleet security from fuel theft and seize control of corporate and small business fleet fueling. We can serve your business all around the United States. In Oregon though, gasoline is not legally dispensed without a few required safety precautions.

For commercial uses, Pacific Pride, CFN, Comdata, Voyager and other Commercial Cardlock networks are allowed for businesses in Oregon. If you are fleet operator or an individual outside of Oregon, these requirements do not apply in your home state. If you substantially operate in Oregon, the state Fire Marshall will expect these rules to apply to you.

What are the rules for using commercial cardlock in Oregon?

  • Business purpose required for gasoline cardlock use in Oregon (not any other state).
  • If you are only using diesel, commercial cardlock is available to everyone (individuals and businesses).
  • If you are planning on fueling gasoline vehicles, you must be a business (or use it for commercial use).
  • To access gasoline at cardlock in Oregon, you must be able to prove that you use over 900 gallons of fuel a year.
  • To access gasoline at cardlock in Oregon, someone in your business must take a Oregon Fire Marshall Safety Test.
    • Message Star Oilco below for a copy of the Oregon Fire Marshall Safety Test

If you have questions about Pacific Pride, CFN, or other cardlock systems, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. Star Oilco has a long tradition of making cardlock easy for businesses large and small. In particular, we specialize in helping you secure fuel usage to eliminate fuel theft and reduce any chance or opportunity for thieves.

To get access to Pacific Pride and CFN locations in Oregon, the first step is to open an account with Star Oilco.

Message Star Oilco below to get started with opening an account to save time and money while fueling.

For more information about how to use commercial cardlock to secure your business from theft, please also check out Star Oilco’s white paper on knocking out fuel theft by implementing a No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy in your business at www.NoMoreFuelTheft.com.

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Fleet Fueling in Portland, Oregon and Fuel Security 1024 576 Star Oilco

Fleet Fueling in Portland, Oregon and Fuel Security

How do you eliminate the management hassles of fueling your fleet in Portland, Oregon?

Use Star Oilco’s Total Solution fueling service.

Stop burning labor costs and dealing with management headaches trying to track fuel in vehicles. Let us simplify this for your administration. We can make that really simple with our Total Fleet Solution.  Bulk, Wet-hose Fleet Fueling, and Pacific Pride cardlock when and where you need it.

Seize Control of your Fuel Costs.  Save Money.  Stop Slippage!

Star Oilco’s best practices when thinking about bulk fuel security at your facility.

 

Wet Hose Fueling Service in Vancouver, Washington

Star Oilco is your Fleet Fueling Services Company with solutions to knock out fuel theft.

Mobile Fueling Service, Pacific Pride Cards, and connecting fuel to your HR Policy can save you thousands of dollars a year in the long run.

“Fuel Slippage” is an industry term for the fuel that you can’t account for in the actual course of business. A stolen tank of gasoline on a company fleet card or diesel saddle tank that came up empty without explanation. We are here to help stop slippage in your business.

We have strategies on how to protect yourself from internal theft, how to use prepaid and preset fuel card controls with employees, as well as securing yourself from external theft. This article is about protecting your fleet from physical fuel theft.

Fuel theft is on the rise in the Portland, Oregon area.

In Portland, Oregon with the rise of homeless campers all over our industrial areas, we have seen a increasing fuel theft. Star Oilco can help you knock out fuel theft. For as hard as fleets work to make a dollar, seeing it shrink from the bottom line due to criminal theft is an avoidable scenario. Think ahead, remove opportunity for thieves to steal, and create systems that keep honest people honest.

The biggest preventive measure Star Oilco can provide is total control of what goes into and out of your fleet. If you have a bulk tank, a tank monitor and key control cardlock system is very affordable these days, guaranteeing inventory is kept to the gallon. If you have fleets on the road without a tank please consider using Pacific Pride secured cardlock fueling in combination with Mobile Onsite Refueling of your fleet in your yard.

Stop Fuel Theft: Best Practices for Portland, Oregon

Prevent fuel theft in Portland, Oregon

To train your fleet consider the following best practices below:

1 – Educate your people on the dangers and evidence of fuel theft

Fuel thieves usually come back again and again. Make sure your whole team is aware of the mess fuel thieves usually leave behind. Transferring from a saddle tank to their vehicle or container leaves a mess. Also make sure they are aware of unsafe places. Unsecured yards, especially with homeless campers in diesel RV’s, are a prime environment to expose yourself to theft. If you are a refrigerated trailer fleet, make sure your drivers tell your clients that unattended reefer trailers are the favorite hunting ground for fuel thieves and a locking gas cap is not necessarily a deterrent.

2 – Install fences, lighting, security cameras, and work with the local police.

Vehicle yards are a popular target for fuel thieves, so make it as difficult as possible for them to get in unnoticed. Secure fencing and bright lighting make your yard far more visible from the road and less attractive to thieves. Security cameras can act as both a deterrent and an effective way to catch criminals if theft ever occurs. Also, make sure you report theft to the local police to ensure they are tracking activity. It can be discouraging given the scale of the problems in Portland right now, but the data matters.  You never know when a fuel thief will get caught for some other crime and the evidence of pumping equipment and containers will tip off the police of the culprit.

3 – Fit bulk tanks with level monitors and inventory control systems.

Inventory control systems are extremely affordable now. Not only is it a convenient tool to track tank levels for your ordering purposes and provide proof that the tank is not leaking for local environmental regulators, it will also tip you off if an odd time of day is seeing fuel drawn. Inventory control systems have also become far more affordable than they were ten years ago. Key control for turning on power to your fuel dispensing system, which will track drivers, and the equipment they are fueling (license plate, equipment number, on-road, off-road, or tax exempt status) will keep you informed.

4 – Defensive parking, landscaping and crash protection.

If it is not easy for someone to get immediately next to the fuel tanks of your vehicles or bulk tank, it is that much harder to steal. Park vehicles in a way that protects and blocks access to someone trying to operate a pump to easily reach your fuel tanks. If you are using on-site refueling, your vendor can suggest some ideas that still enable them access to your saddle tanks without problem.

5 – Communicate with neighbors, vendors, and employees that theft is suspected or definitely occurring.

Many fleets have multiple vendors access their yard at night or over weekends. Make sure those vendors are on your team and on the look out. Tire and fleet fueling services should let you know if a loiterer appears to be in your area in the middle of the night. If a gate has been tampered with or a mess is obvious inside the yard, make sure they are letting you know earlier rather than later. Also, be aware during business hours. Fuel thieves will often scope a yard during the day to target later that night. Take note of anyone acting suspiciously around your yard, perhaps engaging them to find out what they’re doing. Don’t hesitate to ask them what they are doing either. Face to face contact can encourage them to find another place to be a criminal.

If you have any questions or want our perspective we encourage you to reach out.  

 

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Advice is always free and helping is why Star Oilco is here.

For more reading on using securing your business from theft:

Star Oilco Fleet Cards to secure yourself from employee fuel theft at gas stations and cardlocks.

Seven ways to stop fuel theft before it happens.

Use Star Oilco Pacific Pride cards as a management tool. 

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Easy Construction Jobsite Fueling 1024 768 Star Oilco

Easy Construction Jobsite Fueling

Diesel Fueling for Construction Projects in Oregon

Construction Site Fuel in Portland

Get a Star Oilco account and make your jobsite fueling easy.

Star Oilco is on the road fueling construction, jobsites and generators.

Contact Us Today

Star Oilco is here to serve your diesel fueling needs.

Fueling in the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington service areas.

We are now Serving Salem, OR and Surrounding areas.

Regardless if your project is for one day or a few years, we are here to keep that equipment topped off and running. Star Oilco does wet hose fueling construction jobsites in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon.  We have also expanded in the Salem, Oregon and the surrounding areas with fleet fueling and On-site fueling.   Our dyed diesel, clear diesel, or gas construction refuelers are on the road ready for your order.

We fill your equipment with diesel and we can deliver DEF as well.

Whether it’s backhoes and loaders or lightsets, generators, refrigerated trailers, and pumping equipment.  Star Oilco is there with regular on-time, off-road diesel fuel in the Portland and Vancouver markets. If you have a need for gasoline in small volumes on your site, we can help with that as well. If you need fuel and want it there on time, we are here to keep you up and running.  We keep your equipment full so you can focus on the project.

We loan diesel and gasoline tanks to simplify your project fueling needs.

Loaner tanks are also immediately available for your project to keep fuel costs down. Avoid the recurring rental costs and go with a vendor who truly cares about your up time and schedule needs. Whether it is high service hands on wet hosing fueling or bulk drops, Star Oilco makes fueling your construction project easy.

Save money, time and labor with a better construction fueling partner.

Sending your scarce and expensive human resources to gas stations to pay retail prices for diesel eats up far more money than you think. Make fueling your project an afterthought and keep the equipment making you money moving. Star Oilco is here to make your project management easier. Keep your equipment moving and on the job and kick those fuel cans.

Let us know if we can be of help. We keep it full!

On-Site Fueling and Fleet Cards: Combine your construction fueling with Pacific Pride fuel cards to improve your operational efficiency as well as save on your cost of fuel.  Get away from those credit card fees while increasing your security from fuel theft with Star Oilco. 

How to use secure gas cards to protect your business from fuel theft:  Star Oilco can also pair your construction fueling account with a Pacific Pride card.  We approach Commercial Cardlock and Fleet Cards differently. With an easy to implement system to ensure you are not seeing fuel theft.

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Lock Down Your Gas Card To Prevent Theft, In Oregon 683 1024 Star Oilco

Lock Down Your Gas Card To Prevent Theft, In Oregon

                                    Pacific Pride Cardlock in Portland, Or.

                   Lock Down Your Gas Card To Prevent Theft, In Oregon

If you are in Oregon, the widespread available Pacific Pride and CFN commercial fueling sites allows you to lock down your gas card security.  Eliminate fuel theft and save money with commercial fueling.

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Fueling Network Provider

If you have employees buying gasoline for your business fleet, the most expensive risk to your business is fuel theft. Use Star Oilco to secure yourself from that fuel theft while also saving on your cost of fuel over retail. As Oregon’s minimum wage and regulations increase so does the cost at retail gas stations. We can save you money and significantly reduce your risk of fuel theft while also getting your drivers out of retail gas station lines.

Stand alone commercial only Pacific Pride and CFN sites in Oregon are a real resource for small business. They speed up the labor associated with fueling and significantly lock down the chance fraud or theft will occur to you related with a fuel card. Given Oregon has a legal history of outlawing self-serve of gasoline, these commercial only sites are near industrial and commercial areas.

What do you need to access a Commercial Cardlock in Oregon?

All you need to access Pacific Pride sites in Oregon is a business license and proof that you use over 900 gallons of total fuel a year. CFN commercial cardlock sites have the same requirements. If you are a business using a commercial quantity of fuel, you qualify to self serve gasoline and you can stop paying your employees to shop at the most expensive retail gas stations with the best mini-mart selection. Instead, get them back on the road 24-7 and usually without a line to wait in.

Regardless of what system you choose, there are some organizational best practices that when implemented, will be self-reinforcing in your organization. Simple little changes to how you approach fuel cards will greatly reduce any opportunity for theft. These commercial sites also often can take other commercial gas cards as well. Typically anything with a Fuelman logo, Voyager, WEX, Comdata, and several others allow you to access Pacific Pride sites in Oregon.

With Pacific Pride and CFN stand alone commercial cardlock sites, there are other benefits beyond just the convenience. The biggest difference is that these commercial cardlock sites are built with security for your gas cards in mind. Retail stations are engineered to sell as many products as possible to those pulling up for gasoline. Commercial cardlock sites are designed for commercial users who seek the fastest fueling experience. That is a big difference between the two.

Commercial Cardlock also provides superior security if you use it strategically.

Top 5 Strategies to lock down your gas card from theft.

Pacific Pride Fleet Card

Gas Card Strategy #1

TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR GAS CARDS – Annually take inventory of what cards you have and who is using them. Star Oilco will gladly do this for you in conjunction with our annual Oregon Fire Marshall audit. We will line up a list of active cards with your employees and make sure there isn’t a lost or unused card out there. You can also do this more regularly in-house. Often a card policy implemented by Human Resources or your Dispatcher is a good way to track what employees (or vehicles) have what cards. On a regular basis, pass a clip board around asking each employee with a fleet card to confirm they still have that card and initial a confirmation that the card is still in their possession. You would be surprised how individual cards can float between employees as it is easier than asking for a new card.

Gas Card Strategy #2

HAVE AP AUDIT YOUR TRANSACTIONS – Audit your transactions regularly for the one thing that most likely is theft. Just look for multiple transactions per day on a single vehicle or card. Also check for switching fuel types and refuels when your business isn’t open. Having your Accounts Payable looking for transactions that occur outside of normal business hours and days or more than once a day is usually the best way to spot theft. Look for locations outside of your service area as well. Also look for cards with more than one transaction in a day or large volumes. The most common times of day for employee fuel theft are early morning on the way to work (before you open) or after the bars close after midnight.

Gas Card Strategy #3

 ATTACH GAS CARDS TO VEHICLE KEYS – Put your Fleet Cards on the key ring dispatched with the vehicle, not with the driver. To limit a risk of a stolen card, restrict card ownership to management and maintenance. Everyone else should have cards directly connected with a vehicles license plate, so if that card goes missing it is obvious. You  can also connect this strategy to an e-receipt program so you are seeing fuel buying in real time as well.

Gas Card Strategy #4

SET THE GAS CARDS UP WITH LIMITS –  Program your cards for the vehicles they are attached to.  You know historically the max amount of gasoline a vehicle can use.  Limit it to that. You can also restrict a card to ensure no one accidetnaly buys expensive premium or worse puts the wrong fuel in the vehicle. By programming the gas card to only allow a specific fuel and amount for that vehicle (regular, premium or diesel) you lock the card down from thieves.  This reduces the opportunity for theft to exceed a small minimum and also makes theft obvious when the limits are hit. You an also add limits on zip codes, states, and times of days.  If someone does steal a card they would be limited of the time, how much, and where they could buy fuel making sure your own theft exposure is a few dozen gallons instead of thousands of dollars.

Gas Card Strategy #5

USE E-RECEIPTS TO MANAGE FUEL IN REAL TIME – It’s the 21st Century so manage in real time. If your gas card is emailing your Dispatch or fleet management in real time as the fuel cards are being used, you can address anything the day of. Better yet, if theft is occurring you will see it immediately and be able to react. Not only will this lock down your gas card’s security, it will also allow you to address mistakes relating to efficiency. Instant feedback and communication is critical to change bad behavior of drivers who mean to do well but may just have made a simple mistake.


Lock down your gas card from fuel theft.  Call Star Oilco, we can make it simple.

Star Oilco can help you field all of these best practices. Our motto is “Keep it Simple” and we are here to make this easy. Feel free to reach out and see what Star Oilco can do for your fleet to upgrade its fleet fueling security.

To download a white paper on these Pacific Pride fuel card security feature best practices, go to our Stop Fuel Theft page.

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

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On-Site Refueling in Oregon

       Wet Hose Fueling and Mobile On-Site Diesel Delivery in the Pacific Northwest.

If some days you have more work than drivers…

Wet Hose Fueling Service in Portland

Mobile On-site refueling or “Wet Hosing” is a solution that will push more money to your bottom line and reduce stress on your drivers.  Star Oilco can also merge our mobile onsite refueling service with our national Fleet Card system.

 One bill, labor saving in town and secured fleet fueling over the road.

 

  Top Five Reasons to Use Wet Hosing for your Fleet Diesel Fueling

On-site refueling or “Wet Hosing” is a preferred method for fueling these days. Fleets of all sizes prefer getting their fleet fueling delivered after hours in their yard. The reasons are numerous but at the top of the list, labor is the driving force behind it.

Shaving off even fifteen minutes of labor–which is one of the two highest costs for most fleets, right after diesel–can have a huge payback to the bottom line.

If your fleet is consistently on overtime or short that one extra hour of legal driver time, picking up fifteen to thirty minutes per truck a few times a month can be a huge opportunity. On top of that fleet fueling, your diesel can also save considerably just by controlling where you pay your fuel taxes (Oregon PUC is tax exempt on the fuel bill, while Washington cardlock and truck stops are paying nearly $.50 a gallon in Washington diesel road tax).  Though you are paying IFTA, why pay the tax earlier than you need to.

Call Star Oilco if you have questions and want to examine the payback value of Mobile On-site Refueling compared against your current vendor for diesel. You might be surprised how much it will save you in time, money and management effort.

                         Five Reasons your fleet should use Mobile On-site Refueling:

  1. Driver Time – The most valuable resource your fleet owns.
    • Truck drivers are a limited resource, and they cost more than you can usually measure in money alone. Without calculating the lost productivity of your truck, you are paying over $10 each time you allow your drivers to stop for fuel. Just the out of route, stopping, and getting back on the road time will put refueling your own trucks at a half hour of lost time. As the average fill up we see is under 50 gallons fueling your own trucks will cost you $.20 to $1 a gallon in labor costs alone.
  2. One More Stop – Picking up productivity in your fleet.
    • Getting drivers on the road and without a reason to be out of route pays back dividends. If you pay productivity bonuses, your most productive drivers will thank you as well. Even in fleets where pay is by stop, not based on hourly wages, the ability those few times a year when drivers are so busy they are bumping up against DOT work rules, they will thank you for the convenience of being ready to go the start of each shift and not having to worry about that one more stop on the way back to base. A few extra stops a year is often worth thousands of dollars to your bottom line–more than a cost of a tank of diesel.
  3. Save on the Cost of Diesel
    • Today the price of diesel at gas stations, truck stops, and other retail options is high compared to wholesale rack averages.  It is not uncommon for our customers to get an extreme labor savings with Mobile Onsite Fueling while also saving on the cost of diesel at the end of the month.  If you are using a credit card to buy fuel, the added Credit Card pricing of diesel is usually $.10 or more cents a gallon. Cut out the retail mark up on fuel and get a cost-plus deal with a true wholesale diesel seller delivering into your yard after hours.
  4. Easily Integrates with cardlock and other fleet cards onto one bill easily.
    • If you have a major hub with a critical mass of trucks in town, wet-hosing yPride Advantage Sample Cardour fleet can pay back rapidly. Even if the majority of your fleet is over the road and out of town, on-site refueling can be a money saving proposition. You can also integrate it seamlessly with a Pacific Pride, CFN, Fuelman, Voyager or another fleet card program as well. Star Oil can provide a Pacific Pride or Fuelman card that will work over the road consolidating all your fuel into one bill. Star can also accept Fuelman, Comdata, WEX or Voyager and bill those fleet cards directly with onsite refueling. Call if your fleet uses one of these national fleet cards and you want to move to wet hosing billed directly to the card and license plate of each one of your trucks. (For further reading on corporate fleet card security features please read our article on Upgrade your Fleet Card’s Security Features)
  5. Cost Plus Diesel – Budget to know every day you are getting a good wholesale rate for your fleet.
    • Star Oilco can connect your fleet to an agreed and easily verifiable cost plus supply agreements. Be it OPIS Average or Low Rack Plus agreements we can guarantee you have a good wholesale price of fuel. On-site refueling will provide a simplified fleet management experience for both your drivers and your Accounts Payable department. Call us if you want to talk about what this can do for your business. ( For further reading on the benefits of premium diesel and a wholesale partner for diesel, read our article on What is the benefit of Premium Diesel versus untreated diesel?)

We are here to serve you and keep the process simple. Contact us to learn more at, 503-283-1256.

 

Need On-Site Aviation Fuel Delivery?

In addition to ground fleet wet-hosing, Star Oilco supplies bulk and mobile delivery for Jet A Fuel and low-carbon Sustainable Aviation Fuel throughout the Pacific Northwest.

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Top 4 Reasons Hotels Should Use Pacific Pride 1024 688 Star Oilco

Top 4 Reasons Hotels Should Use Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Fuel Cards for Airport, Hotel, or Travel Shuttle Companies

Fuel for shuttle vans through Pacific Pride

ending with fuel card management, emailed receipts, transparency, and accountability for your hotel or travel shuttle bus drivers.

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride Fuel cards for Shuttle Drivers

Running a shuttle service for a hotel for any reason can have a lot of moving parts:

  • Hiring
  • Training Drivers
  • Scheduling Shifts
  • Keeping the Vehicles Full of Fuel
  • Ensuring a Consistent Time Table

Let Star Oilco track and control the fueling for you. We can save you money and significantly reduce your risk of fuel theft while getting your drivers out of lines at a retail gas station. In addition, our locations are open even on holidays or late at night.

Shuttles going to and from the airports can be on tight schedules and  don’t have a lot of time to fuel. Meeting your guests’ needs means you can’t have your drivers in lines for a long time. Stand-alone commercial-only Pacific Pride and CFN sites in the northwest are a real resource for your business. Many stations are located near airports. They speed up the labor associated with fueling and significantly lock down the chance for fraud or theft when using your fuel card. Stand-alone sites limit access to convenience store items so employees won’t be tempted to spend time browsing and make purchases on the company credit card.

With Pacific Pride and CFN stand-alone commercial cardlock sites, there are other benefits beyond just the convenience. The biggest difference is that these commercial cardlock sites are built with security in mind. Retail stations are engineered to sell as many products as possible to those pulling up for gasoline. Commercial cardlock sites are designed for commercial users who seek the fastest fueling experience. That is a major contrast between the two.

Top 4 Reason Hotels Should Use Fuel Cards

Top 4 Reason Hotels should use Pacific Pride Fuel Cards

Reason #1 – Better Tracking and Management

With a myriad of responsibilities required of those who run hotels or shuttles, simple methods to control when, where, and what is purchased any time during the day can save time and money. Controls keep fuel purchases in line and by only those with authorization.

WHEN: If the drivers only need access to fuel during specific shifts you can set the cards to work only during these times.

WHERE: Drivers can be limited to specific locations such as only Pacific Prides, or if more flexibility is needed, they can be authorized to use any of the 57,000 extended network locations. Pacific Pride locations are also open 24/7 and open even on the holidays.

WHAT: Drivers can be limited to specific types of fuel. If the van takes diesel you can set the card to only have access to diesel. These simple strategies can eliminate many of the issues that can arise when fueling.

Talk to a Card Lock expert at Star Oilco to find out more. 

 

Reason #2 – No More Paper Receipts 

Tracking and reviewing receipts takes up a lot of time. Pacific Pride fuel cards can be set up to automatically email every time a fueling occurs. Using a fuel card eliminates the need to continuously organize and track expense receipts from drivers. No more going through each and every receipt to see what and how much was purchased. Fuel can be set up to see which vehicle was fueled, who fueled it and when it was fueled. These transactions are easily organized with entered mileage and fuel costs in the bills that are issued twice a month. This alone can save hours of labor for accountants and controllers as they audit the bills.

Reason #3 – Stop Fuel Theft

By using a fuel card, a hotel insures the security of their shuttles and prevents theft by its drivers. This instills peace of mind, as managers know their drivers cannot use a fuel card for personal usage. Fuel cards can be assigned to vehicles and each driver has their own individual PIN#. With a quick email or phone call, card access can easily be granted or blocked as drivers leave or new ones are added.

Reason #4 – Transparency and Accountability

Star Oilco has created a template agreement for drivers to sign as they are assigned identification numbers for the cards. This form helps the driver understand that they are responsible for any unauthorized purchases with their DIN (Driver Identification Number). Setting up emails that are sent in real time can be done so that any unauthorized use can immediately be investigated.

Need to lock down your gas card from fuel theft?

Call Star Oilco, we make it simple.

Our motto is “Keep it Simple” and we make this easy. Feel free to reach out and see what Star Oilco can do for your fleet to upgrade its fleet fueling security.

What do you need to get a fuel card in Oregon?

All you need in order to access Pacific Pride sites in Oregon is a business license and proof that you use over 900 gallons of total fuel a year. CFN commercial cardlock sites have the same requirements. If you are a business using a commercial quantity of fuel, you qualify to self-serve gasoline and you can stop paying your employees to shop at the most expensive retail gas stations with the best mini-mart selection. Instead, get them back on the road 24-7 and usually without a line to wait in.

What do you need for fueling cards in Washington or any other state?

If you drive into Oregon and want to use gasoline, you still need the same requirements as stated above. If you don’t need access to Oregon gas stations, it is much easier to get a fuel card.

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

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How to Access Pacific Pride 24/7 Fuel Stations 1024 556 Star Oilco

How to Access Pacific Pride 24/7 Fuel Stations

Requirements for a business to get access to Pacific Pride Cardlock sites in Oregon.

Star Oilco is a proud Independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride.

Get out of the gas line

Pacific Pride Commercial Fueling

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year without retail waiting in line.

Commercial fuel access for the around-the-clock business.

If you want to start using Pacific Pride cardlock cards in your business, please message or call Star Oilco and we will get you set up with cards. Pacific Pride has many advantages beyond the 24 hour self serve convenience. Pacific Pride is designed to secure fuel cards from internal fraud or theft in both small and large business.

Pacific Pride Fuel Network Graphic

Many small businesses wonder what it takes to use a stand-alone cardlock location as they sit in traffic, seeing the easy in-and-out commercial fueling locations without the lines of retail gas stations. Conveniently located for commercial truck traffic with high flow diesel pumps near industrial areas, ports, and major freeways, commercial cardlock locations have real advantages for many fleets.

As wages rise, the cost of full serve retail gas stations is rising with it and stand-alone commercial fueling can save time as well as money. When businesses see these commercial fueling stations with little wait and 24 hour access, they have questions. Star Oilco can make getting set up with Pacific Pride in Oregon easy.

Self-serve diesel is already legal in Oregon and often cheaper at a commercial cardlock throughout Oregon.
Self-serve gasoline is allowed in several rural counties in Oregon outside of the I-5 corridor. Self-serve gasoline in the more populated parts of Oregon requires a business use described below. If you have a business use for gasoline, you can get access to self serve locations and start saving money over retail immediately.

Pacific Pride Fueling Network Provider

How to get a Pacific Pride Cardlock Card in Oregon

Oregon law currently DOES NOT allow self-serve gasoline along the I-5 corridor. Diesel is legally allowed for self serve, but gasoline as a flammable liquid is not. Therefore, the Oregon Fire Marshall has rules restricting the use of commercial cardlock gasoline for individual uses. For commercial uses Pacific Pride, CFN and other Commercial Cardlock networks are allowed for businesses in Oregon. If you operate a fleet, or reside outside of Oregon, these requirements do not apply in your home state, but if you substantially operate in Oregon the state Fire Marshall will have an expectation of these rules applying to you.

 Rules for using self-serve Commercial Cardlock in Oregon

  • Business purpose required for gasoline cardlock use in Oregon (not any other state).
  • If you are using solely diesel, commercial cardlock is available to everyone (individuals and businesses).
  • If you are planning on fueling gasoline vehicles, you must be a business (or use it for commercial use).
  • To access gasoline at cardlock in Oregon you must be able to prove that you use over 900 gallons of fuel a year.
  • To access gasoline at cardlock in Oregon someone in your business must also take a Oregon Fire Marshall Safety Test.
    • Message Star Oilco below for a copy of the Oregon Fire Marshall Safety Test

 

If you have questions about Pacific Pride or other cardlock systems please don’t hesitate to contact Star Oilco with any questions you may have. Star Oilco has a long tradition of making cardlock easy for businesses large and small. In particular, we specialize in helping you secure fuel usage to eliminate fuel theft and reduce any chance or opportunity for thieves.

The first step required to getting a Fleet Fuel card for using commercial cardlock is to open up an account with Star Oilco.

For more information about how to use commercial cardlock to secure your business from theft, please also check out Star Oilco’s white paper on knocking out fuel theft by implementing a No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy in your business at www.NoMoreFuelTheft.com.

Pacific Pride & Star Oilco cardlock card can give you control over when and where fuel is bought.

 

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Star Oilco is a proud independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Pacific Pride logo: bold black letters with white outline on a red-to-yellow rainbow stripe background in a rounded rectangle.

 

 

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Why should my fleet use Pacific Pride fuel cards? 1024 683 Star Oilco

Why should my fleet use Pacific Pride fuel cards?
Star Oilco Pacific Pride corporate fuel card

Pacific Pride Fleet Fuel card by Star Oilco

 

                      A prospective customer asked recently:

          “Why should I use a Pacific Pride fleet card over a gas station credit card?”

Here’s our answer:

There are many reasons to use a commercial cardlock solution for your fleet. The biggest reason why you should use Star Oilco for your cardlock needs is that we are a locally owned and operated business that will take the time to tailor a card program to your specific fleet’s needs by asking questions like:

  • What is the greatest risk of theft that we can secure against?
  • Where is the greatest opportunity for savings in how you fuel?

Fleet card sellers and the larger cardlock companies are often focused on making your needs fit their product. Star Oilco focuses on YOU.  That’s a big difference.

          With Star Oilco, you don’t have to choose between price or convenience

PRICE: Cardlock locations do not use a credit card satellite to run transactions. This means you’re saving 2% to 4% right off the bat by using Pacific Pride or CFN, because cardlock operators taking are not charging you to run your bill through a Visa or other network. Plus, by pulling into a gas station to buy fuel, you’re often forced to pay $.10 a gallon more to use a Comdata, WEX, Voyager, Mastercard or Visa backed fleet card.

With Pacific Pride, you won’t face this charge because it’s on Fleetcor’s network. And by working with a local Pacific Pride franchisee who owns the location, you’ll benefit from their ability to offer additional savings at their location that are not available to anyone else. They own the fuel and therefore have ultimate control on saving you money.

CONVENIENCE: With convenience, comes risk. With Star Oilco’s modern cardlock offering, we can secure your risk and still enable several levels of convenience and access, dependent on your customized fleet need.

                                                     We keep things simple

                                             

24-7 Convenience with Easy to Access Fueling Facilities

Clean, well-lit and large truck friendly cardlock facilities. Cardlock is made for business and if you are operating doubles and triples, we can work with your staff to map out the easy in-and-out high-flow diesel fueling options for your drivers.

Industry-Leading Card Security

We offer a wide range of solutions that allow you, as a fleet manager, to lock down and protect your fleet from theft. If you only operate in specific areas, we can turn off whatever cards you want to not operate outside of where you want your trucks. If you don’t operate after a certain time of day we can turn non-management cards off to guard against after-hours sales fuel theft.

Email Notification for Total Control

See fuel transactions in real time. When your drivers make a fuel purchase at Pacific Pride or other affiliate fueling locations, an email will notify you or your dispatch. If your drivers are following your processes and procedures for fuel procurement, it will be easy for you to immediately reinforce the rules instead of waiting for a bill. Better yet, if something is wrong with the fuel purchase (out of area/time/product), you will know immediately a problem has occurred and can respond accordingly.

Flexibility or Structured Control.  We offer both!

Whether you want your drivers to be able to get fuel and get on the road as fast as possible or stay locked into a specific zip code of only the lowest-cost commercial cardlock locations, we can make that happen. And not only do we make it easy, we can shift gears quickly to stay ahead of your evolving business needs.

Total Accountability for Fuel Usage

Total accountability means added convenience for your controller, CPA and HR manager. Beyond designing simple security features, we can:

  • Align fuel usage with your vehicle license plates by providing a private PIN to your employees.
  • Track miles per gallon in the vehicles to confirm if the fuel actually went into that vehicle or not.
  • Customize billing to link employee names to card usage.

Bottom line: You will know which vehicle took what fuel and who the person was who fueled it. And when an unlikely fueling occurs, you will have evidence of the person who did it and that the vehicle’s mileage is off, providing proof if needed. Combine Pacific Pride’s total control with a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy” for additional authority to fire fuel thieves under any state’s employment laws.

Simple and Accurate Fuel Management and Reporting

Star Oilco’s system enables easy reports anytime you want them. If you require a CSV file or other report for your operation, tax reports, budgeting or other business needs we are there for you to make this easy.

Commercial Diesel Pricing with Volume Discounts

Pacific Pride commercial cardlocks are priced from the wholesale market rate. Our price is straightforward and based a daily OPIS Wholesale Rack report from your local market.  Instead of retail posted price signs where the corner gas station is trying to get as much as they can, our diesel fuel is priced on a cost plus basis. This is far more transparent and will save you money compared to retail on diesel fuel. When prices are high, our prices are far more fair. When prices fall, we fall with the wholesale market from the OPIS Average the day the market starts moving down. Pacific Pride locations are also designed with high speed diesel pumps that save large trucks time.

Try Pacific Pride to see for yourself!

To sign up for Star Oilco’s Pacific Pride fleet card or ask questions:

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Star Oilco is an independent franchisee of Pacific Pride