Pros & Cons of On-Site Fuel Delivery

Does it feel like you’re always wasting time off your construction site, at the fuel station? There’s no avoiding that major construction equipment is diesel-hungry. Yet, all that refueling and driving to and from fuel centers can waste a lot of valuable hours.

Job site fuel delivery is a great solution to this dilemma. You can get dyed diesel and other bulk fuels delivered to on-site tanks or pumped into your vehicles by professionals. Take a look at these pros and cons of on-site fuel delivery to decide whether it’s what your construction firm needs.

Pro: Save Money With Bulk Fuels

Today’s spiking fuel costs are the stuff of nightmares for construction companies everywhere. Would you believe saving big on every gallon is as easy as refueling on-site?

When you pay for a gallon of diesel fuel from a station, part of what you pay isn’t for the fuel itself. Most of the price of gas comes from the cost of crude oil, but you also pay for refinery marketing schemes. For that reason, buying unbranded bulk fuels instead of filling your vehicles and equipment at the pump can cut over 15% of the price.

Pro: Fuel Delivery With or Without On-Site Tanks

Never fear if you want to try fuel delivery but worry because you don’t have the experience, time, or space for a fueling station on your worksite. “Wet hosing” is a kind of fuel delivery service that doesn’t require on-site tanks.

Also called “on-site refueling” and “mobile fueling,” this service brings whichever fuel options you need to your site in a portable fueling station. A fuel company employee will help fill all your fuel tanks and return on a schedule. This option helps keep close track of how often you refuel and how efficient your machines are.

Pro: Optional Professional Oversight

If you choose the wet hosing option for fuel delivery, you get extra professional oversight as your fleet refuels. This is handy if you’re concerned your workers may slack on fueling procedures or if you want to ensure they don’t spill fuel on the site.

Having a fuel delivery company employee pump fuel for your truck fleet or construction equipment gives you an expert who will remain accountable. You don’t have to mistrust your fleet or obsessively surveil their fuel-pumping practices with that kind of supervision.

Pro: Don’t Worry About Closures

When you’re in the middle of a job, it doesn’t matter whether your go-to fuel station closes at midnight, closes for an emergency, or closes forever. Those down hours can take valuable time away from your project.

Using on-site tanks is one-way companies overcome these issues. If you can’t have an on-site tank, hiring a service to deliver fuel is the way to go. On-site wet hosing is a great way to get by in a pinch when the local fuel center closes or to avoid it for good.

Pro: Stay off the Road

Taking vehicles on short treks to fuel stations puts unneeded wear on their tires and mechanical parts. Fueling on-site keeps trucks and other equipment in good condition for longer.

Another reason to fuel on-site is that if your fleet contains heavy construction equipment, taking it on the road may not be legal. Even when it is, it’s not the safest idea. Slow-moving equipment and operators without experience taking it on the roadway don’t mix well with traffic.

Most of the time, you’ll be fine, but it only takes one normal commuter not noticing your vehicle to turn a fuel outing into a hassle…or a tragedy. You’re best off keeping construction equipment off the road altogether and fuel delivery makes it possible.

Pro: Keep Generators Fueled With No Hassle

Another benefit of fuel that doesn’t take a road trip to get is that you can keep generators fueled without trouble.

The first thing you do after a lengthy power outage should be ensuring your business is operational, not driving to the gas station to fill and lug jerrycans for your generator. Instead, call a fuel delivery service to come and refill your generator’s diesel tank while you attend to pressing business issues.

Or, maybe you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer and store diesel in on-site tanks, from which you refill your truck fleet, other equipment, and fuel cans. If that’s your situation, you’ll still spend less time on jerrycan duty than you would if you bring generator fuel home from the station.

Pro: Closer Truck Fleet Management

No matter how awesome your workers are, managing a truck fleet isn’t a job for the non-confrontational or faint of heart. You have to think about your expensive machinery and bottom line first, as much as you may want to assume the best of everyone.

It’s stressful to suspect your employees or contractors don’t treat your machines well. When you’re not sure whether your drivers spend the company fuel money on diesel or lottery tickets, it leads to distrust. They may buy pricier fuel options on your dime due to personal preferences.

Fuel delivery makes those issues things of the past. Having fuel delivered to your worksite lets you call all the shots.

You can supervise refueling, have a fuel company employee do it for you, or stick with the trust system. At the very least, know there aren’t lottery tickets for unattended workers to buy at your on-site fuel station!

Pro: Easy Overnight Refueling

Overnight refueling is a must for construction work that starts early in the morning. Having a fuel delivery service fill your fleet’s tanks has them ready to go when work hours begin. So does filling them yourself from fuel storage tanks on-site.

With either kind of on-site fuel delivery, your crew wastes no time at the pump.

Pro: Specialty Fuels Aren’t Trouble

Construction equipment and farming vehicles use dyed diesel, which is for off-road use only. Sometimes, it has a higher sulfur content than road diesel and burns hotter to power big, heavy machinery. Other times, it’s the same ultra-low-sulfur diesel mixed with red dye.

The government requires red-colored dyed diesel because it isn’t taxed like low-sulfur diesel. The dye helps police and tax authorities find out when people use non-taxable fuel but should be paying taxes on diesel.

Because dyed diesel isn’t something most drivers buy, you don’t find it at many fuel stations. In areas not dominated by agriculture or heavy industry, you may be hard-pressed to find it anywhere. That’s a challenge for temporary construction operations building something in such an area.

Fuel delivery to on-site tanks and directly to vehicles by wet hosing trucks make using specialty fuel like that a breeze. You don’t have to plan drives across town to the one station selling dyed diesel when the fuel comes to you.

Pro: Forget About Fuel Station Lines

Nobody wants to wait in line for fuel but unlike most customers, you literally can’t afford to pay your employees to spend their time waiting for the pump when you need to meet deadlines to keep clients. Getting diesel fuel delivered to on-site tanks or pumped directly to your equipment by the pros could mean you never see a fuel line again.

Con: Responsibilities and Costs of Keeping Fuel in On-Site Tanks

If you want fuel delivered to on-site tanks for your construction company, one catch is that you will need some permits or registration in many jurisdictions. You’ll also need to pay some additional costs, no matter where you are.

Some area permits and registrations are for having a tank at all while others are for particular aspects, such as keeping a dyed diesel tank in Texas.

Common costs apart from such legal fees include site preparation and maintenance for permanent on-site tanks. Environmental testing, responsible disposal, and clean-up after any spills apply whether you install a permanent tank or rent one.

Investing in a little extra training time for yourself and your crew is also wise before you can save in the long run on trips to the fuel store.

All that said, these are pretty minor cons when weighed against the amount of time and money you’ll save dodging fuel lines, opting out of branded fuel, avoiding station closures, and staying away from other hassles.

Con: Keeping an Eye Out for Fraud

In-house fraud can be a con of on-site fuel options…but only if you don’t take a few basic precautions.

Fuel fraud within construction sites mostly happens when private sites use rudimentary manual accounting or a “trust system” to dispense and pay for fuel from on-site tanks. With such a policy, you could end up paying for fuel stolen for personal use.

Yet, you can correct this issue in a snap with easy fixes such as security cameras, using an on-site fuel card system, and supervising fueling.

Try an on-site refueling service if you want a 100% guarantee of avoiding fraud but want to benefit from diesel fuel delivery. Having a fuel company employee pump diesel into your truck fleet gives you the best of both worlds.

Power Your Livelihood With Our Convenient Fuel Services

Choosing on-site fuel delivery makes keeping your truck fleet or construction equipment going a cinch. Whether using on-site tanks or wet hosing, Ricochet Fuel Distributors has the services you need to power your livelihood.

We operate throughout Texas, the surrounding states, and a growing list of others. Browse our site to learn more about what we offer and get in touch with us to find a solution for you and get a quote.