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Biodiesel Feedstocks – Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil 1024 721 Star Oilco

Biodiesel Feedstocks – Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil

We’re continuing our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This posts two feedstocks are Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil.  Here is a link to the main page of feedstocks we have examined so far.

Lesquerella fendleri Oil

Lesquerella fendleri, also known as Physaria fendleri, is part of the mustard family. (Lesquerella) Physaria Fendleri part of the mustard familyThe common names of this plant are popweed and Fendler’s bladderpod. This silvery-gray perennial has four-petaled yellow flowers that grow on a plant that is about 1 to 16 inches tall. Found in plains and mesas in the southwestern United States, it requires low water usage and is one of the first of the flowering wildflowers in the spring (Source).

Lesquerella produces hairless capsules called siliques which contain 6 to 25 seeds. These seeds contain 20-28% oil with around 62% lesquerolic acid. Lesquerella oil is a source of hydroxyl unsaturated fatty acids, and is useful as a replacement for castor oil in some applications.

While there are benefits from using this seed oil, the dark reddish-brown color of the oil is a potential limiting factor. Potential selective breeding and domestication of the plant may solve this issue, but there haven’t been much momentum at this time. That being said, there have been some studies about growing this plant for its oil and the natural gum in its seed coat for commercial use.

 

Lesquerella Oil and Lesquerella Biodiesel

Lesquerella BioDiesel Certificate of Analysis

 

 

Linseed Oil

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) is also known as flax in North America. The plant is an annual and can grow in large range of climates. Linseed Oil and SeedsFor example, it grows in Argentina, India, and Canada. Linseed oil has been traditionally used as a drying oil. According to REG report, these seeds contains 37-42% oil. The crude oil contains 0.25% phosphatides, a small amount of crystalline wax, and a water-soluble resinous matter with antioxidant properties.

As one the earliest cultivated field crops in the US, it has found many uses for its oils. Linseed oil can be used as a varnish, pigment binder or to manufacture linoleum. These applications have seen reductions in use due to synthetic options that resist yellowing. Other uses for this plant are as nutritional supplements and foods, although raw linseed oil can become rancid unless refrigerated.  After the oil has been pressed out of the seeds, the leftover residue makes great animal food.

As some of the traditional uses of the plant are replaced with other options, use of this crop for a feedstock in biodiesel is an option.

Linseed Oil and Linseed biodiesel

 

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil.

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BioDiesel Feedstocks – Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil 1024 721 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil

Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil

We are continuing our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. If you would like to see what feedstocks we have talked about, this is the main page and it links to the ones we have examined.

As a reminder, B20 biodiesel (B20 stands for 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) is the drop-in solution for reduced emissions in today’s modern diesel engines. To understand some of the alternate feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel, we are examining a report that Renewable Energy Group (REG) produced in 2009. All certificates of analysis and results are for B100.

This post is a bit different as we have only one successful biodiesel created and two failures. The oils are jatropha oil, jojoba oil and karanja oil.

Jatropha Oil

Jatropha oil comes from the shrub Jatropha curcas, also known as physic nut, Barbados nut, poison nut, bubble bush or purging nut. This plant is a succulent that loses its leaves during the dry season. It is best adapted for arid and semi-arid conditions. The resistance to high degrees of aridity allows it to grow in deserts. This shrub can thrive on only 10 inches of rain for a whole year. It is native to Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay. Jatropha curcas is considered a shrub or small tree and can reach a height of 20 ft. or more.Top of a Jatropha plant as part of a hedge

 “Shrubs begin to produce when only 4 – 5 months old, and reach full productivity at about 3 years Under good rainfall conditions, nursery plants bear fruit after the first rainy season, while directly seeded plants bear for the first time after the 2nd rainy season. With vegetative propagation, the first seed yield is higher. At least 2 – 3 tonnes of seeds per hectare can be achieved in semi-arid areas.” (Source)

The seeds contain 27% to 40% oil (Source) and develop in 90 days from the flower to the seed. Trees can have a productive life of 40 to 50 years without tending.

Uses of the plant include medical, edible and as a source of oil for biofuels. The young shoots and even young leaves can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The nuts can be eaten but they are purgative and, if eaten in large quantities, can be poisonous.

Medicinal uses include uses the juice from the bark as a treatment for malarial fevers and or using it to treat external burns, scabies and ringworm (Source).

The low maintenance and high oil content makes this plant attractive as a biofuel feedstock. In addition to its use for biodiesel, the oil has been made into jet fuels. In 2008, Air New Zealand flew a plane on 50/50 mix of jatropha oil fuel and jet A1 fuel (Source).

Currently biodiesel is being produced from this plant in the Philippines, Pakistan and Brazil.

 

Jatropha Oil and the biodiesel it produces

Jatropha biodiesel certificate of analysis

Jojoba Oil

Golden jojoba oil was produced from the plant called jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), an evergreen perennial shrub grown in Arizona, Mexico, and neighboring areas. Some of the common names of this are goat nut, deer nut, pignut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry and the gray box bush (Source). The dehulled seeds of jojoba contain 44% of liquid wax ester, which is not a triglyceride.

Seeds on a Female Jojoba BushThis shrub grows to 3 to 6 feet tall and some can get as tall as nearly 10 feet. The fruit is acorn-shaped and .4 inches to .8 inches long.  The seed is dark brown.

Uses of the plant include forage for wild animals such as deer, bighorn sheep and some livestock. In large quantities, the seed meal is toxic to many animals. The oil is different than many of the feedstocks we have discussed.

“Jojoba is unique in that the lipid content of the seeds, which is between 45 and 55 wt.%, is in the form of long-chain esters of fatty acids (FA) and alcohols (wax esters) as opposed to triacylglycerols (TAG) encountered in other vegetable oils and animal fats” (Source).

Because of this, the Jojoba oil wasn’t made into a biodiesel for this study. According to the REG Report:

“The purpose of this project was to transesterify all the feedstocks using the same procedure and if jojoba was done differently, comparisons could not be made with jojoba methyl esters. Jojoba can be transesterified and used as a fuel using a different process.”

Jojoba Oil as a biodiesel feedstock

Karanja Oil

Pure, cold pressed karanja oil was purchased from The Ahimsa Alternative, Inc.Karanja Tree source for Biodiesel Karanja (Pongamia pinnata) is a medium sized evergreen tree, and usually about 25 ft. tall but can grow as large as 80 ft tall (Source). The tree has dark green leaves and the very fragrant flowers of lavender, pink and white.  The tree grows in the humid tropic and can be found in India, China, and Japan. The seed contains 27-39% oil.

Karanja is used for oil production and has some successes in India as a feedstock. In regards to this study, they weren’t able to create a biodiesel fuel using the same procedure as the rest of the feedstocks and therefore there isn’t a sample created to test.

REG’s notes about this oil are as follows:

“Esterification was only able to reduce the FFA (Free Fatty Acid) of the oil to 0.7 wt %. Since 0.5 wt % was the maximum amount of FFA allowed in the feedstock, karanja was not made into biodiesel using the standard procedure. A small scale experiment was performed to see what would happen to the karanja when it was transesterified. A 20 gram sample of karanja oil was used, along with the standard ratios of chemicals as in the other feedstocks for the project. After the water wash step, the karanja formed an emulsion with the water and the phases would not separate. No further refining experiments were done to make karanja suitable for transesterification.”

Karanja Oil

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Hemp Oil & High IV and Low IV Hepar

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Diesel Fuel in Portland, Oregon 1024 683 Star Oilco

Diesel Fuel in Portland, Oregon

What is the difference between diesel fuel in Portland, Oregon and the rest of the Pacific Northwest?

Oregon Diesel Fuel

Star Oilco delivers and sells diesel fuel in Portland, Oregon.

We are ready for your diesel needs be they off-road, on-road, biodiesel, renewable diesel, or anything else you want.

Star Oilco has simple fuel solutions to keep your business moving.

On the West Coast, expect biodiesel blends to be in all diesel fuel. B5 biodiesel being the most commonly found fuel. Be aware though, in Oregon,  B20 biodiesel (a 20% blend of biodiesel mixed with petroleum diesel) is extremely common at retail throughout the state. B5 through B20 blends of biodiesel are becoming more common as Oregon’s legal framework regulates CO2 emissions requiring diesel sellers to blend biodiesel or charge substantially more for every gallon they sell.

On top of that, Oregon has a 5% biofuel blend mandate that can include a number of fuels, most commonly biodiesel and renewable diesel. Washington state also has a mandate for 5% biodiesel though it isn’t as specific as the Oregon mandate.

That’s Oregon Diesel. What about Portland?

The city of Portland has a stand-along city fuel tax due to its policy goals (which cause it to codify rules for low CO2 fuels and the sources of diesel in particular), as well as its own budget needs.

Portland, Oregon Diesel Fuel Mandates

A little known fact is that Portland, Oregon has its own biofuels mandate and fuel tax structure on diesel. This mandate affects all diesel equipment both on and off-road use. It does not affect boilers or HVAC systems though most people selling heating oil and boiler fuel are still handling a 5% biodiesel product to ensure they don’t cross fuel in violation of the law.

Functionally, the city of Portland’s mandate and Oregon’s specific mandate do not make a huge difference. Your biggest noticeable difference is the higher price due to the diesel fuel tax, given that Portland’s biofuel mandate now overlaps with Oregon state’s fuel mandates.

For more on the actual code for biofuel mandates in Portland, see the Portland City Code.

Until 2019, Portland had a 5% biodiesel “methylester” mandate. This meant that Portland mandated that all diesel fuel sold inside the city must contain 5% of biodiesel or sellers of fuel inside city limits would face a fine. For years, Portland actually checked every seller of diesel for a 5% biodiesel blend in person annually. This mandate also included feedstocks and did not allow for palm oil sourced biodiesel, as palm oil is responsible for a large amount of deforestation in Indonesia and other places. The Portland mandate required that half of all biodiesel blended to meet the 5% mandate must be derived from canola and waste vegetable oil sources, as Oregon can produce them.

In 2019, the city of Portland suddenly lined up their mandate to match the state of Oregon’s, which allows for renewable diesel to be used as a feedstock. Anything derived from palm is still a barred feedstock for the fuel to meet Portland mandate requirements (which is distinctly different than Oregon’s biofuel mandate).

Onsite Diesel wethose service Portland
Portland, Oregon Diesel Fuel Taxes

(NOTE: Read this article by Star Oilco for more on Oregon Fuel Taxes Explained.

In 2016, the city of Portland, Oregon created its own diesel tax of $.10 a gallon. This tax is on both gasoline and diesel fuels sold at retail or commercially.  If you are operating vehicles over 26,000 GVW that are exempt from Oregon road tax, Portland also has a weight mile for those tax exempt vehicles.

If you are fueling inside the Portland city limits, that diesel tax will be charged at the pump when you fill up unless you are a P.U.C. tax exempted vehicle in Oregon.

Find a list of every diesel and gasoline tax by city and municipalities in Oregon see the Oregon Fuel Tax Group.

If you have any questions about Portland, Oregon diesel fuel standards please feel free to call or message Star Oilco for more information.

Star Oilco is here to be your Bulk Fuel Supplier in Portland, Oregon.

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For more on the subject of Diesel fuel please read these other posts by Star Oilco on the subject:

Every Question Star Oilco has been asked about Biodiesel

Every Question Star Oilco has been asked about Off Road Diesel

About Diesel Fuel – Star Oilco’s Diesel Fuel FAQ

Oregon Biodiesel Tax Breaks for Retail Stations

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Upgrade your Fleet Card’s Security Features 1024 653 Star Oilco

Upgrade your Fleet Card’s Security Features

Human Resource strategies to stop employees from stealing  gas and diesel in your business with these best practices.

Upgrade the security features on your Pacific Pride fuel cards with Star Oilco.

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

Are you looking to use a corporate fleet card to simplify your fuel buying while also knocking out your exposure to employee gas theft?

Star Oilco can make that easy for you.

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.

Whether you use a Pacific Pride, Voyager, WEX, Comdata, Fuelman, or CFN corporate fleet card, you can take inventory of what you are currently doing and upgrade that process with these best practices.

Fleet Card Best Practice #1: Your current vendor should be able to assist you with securing your fleet card.  Call your current card provider and ask for a list of every active card, the last time it was used, the PINs associated with these cards, and security features associated. Check these against your next bill to see what cards aren’t actually being used.  Turn off an card not being used.

Fleet Card Best Practice #2: Annually take inventory of what cards you have and who is using them. Line up this list of active cards with your employees and make sure there isn’t a lost card out there.  Often a card policy implemented by Human Resources or your Dispatcher is a good way to track what employees 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.

Fleet Card Best Practice #3: Audit your transactions regularly. This is a great project for your Account’s Payable to look through. Check against the card list of active cards looking for transactions that occur outside of normal business hours and days. 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 as often that’s theft.

Fleet Card Best Practice #4: 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.

Fleet Card Best Practice #5: Program your cards for the vehicles they are attached to. You do this by connecting the card to the vehicle with a key ring. Then program the Fleet Card to only allow a specific fuel for that vehicle (regular, premium or diesel), limit the fill volume needed for that vehicle’s tank, and also limit the times of day that vehicle can get fuel. This reduces the opportunity for theft to exceed a small minimum and also makes theft obvious when the limits are hit.

Fleet Card Best Practice #6: it’s the 21st Century so manage in real time.  Make sure your Fleet Card provider can send an email to your Dispatch or fleet management in real time as the fuel cards are being used. Mistakes relating to efficiency or theft will be far more obvious and trainable if the transaction is observed the day of rather than a week. Instant feedback and communication is critical to change bad behavior of driver’s who mean to do well but may just have mad ea simple mistake.

Fleet Card Best Practice #7: Buy fuel by your vehicle not by an individual.  Move your Fleet Card program to a “Floating PIN” system. All modern Fleet Cards should offer this option. It enables you to attach the Fleet Card to the vehicle (all costs are tracked by the vehicle number and/or license plate on your invoices) and provide a unique and secret PIN to each of your driving employees.

If they use the card, their name appears on the bill next to their transaction. If PINs are kept secret and this is enforced, any theft or inappropriate fuel usage will be extremely obvious and accountable.

Fleet Card Best Practice #8: Adopt a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy” as part of your hiring process, as well as every time you replace or issue new Fleet Cards. This is a policy managed by your Human Resources or Driver Compliance department. It is a form disclosing that any fuel cards or PINs related with cards are confidential and assigned to a person or vehicle.

Any use of a PIN will be the responsibility of the person who that PIN is associated with. A personal private PIN is their responsibility. If it is used, they are responsible and any observed fuel theft will be a first time fire/termination offense. PINs are to be kept secret and if the PIN is known by someone else, it is their responsibility to let management know and get that personal PIN changed.

Fleet Card Best Practice #9: Negotiate a Cost Plus basis for your fleet fueling costs. You should be able to have a frank conversation with your commercial fueling provider about where prices come from and how much margin they charge you. In many markets, fuel providers can even get a wholesale cost plus basis for fuel that beats the retail street mark ups. Pacific Pride and CFN stand alone commercial cardlocks are focused on this type of need. Often the savings for diesel customers is very substantial due to this model of pricing.

Fleet Card Best Practice #10: Negotiate the terms you need for the way you buy fuel. If you have a frank conversation about the terms and costs related with buying fuel, you’ll have more options that are available, but not advertised. Industry standard for fuel sellers is either ten day terms with twice monthly or monthly billing. If you have the ability to pay faster, often deeper discounts are provided.

For extremely large customers daily billing could net thousands of dollars in savings a month. For operations relying on 45 day fuel charge reimbursements, talking to a fuel vendor about matching your fuel bill with a fleet’s Accounts Receivable can prevent huge cash-flow crunches.

Need to secure your fleet from fuel theft?

Call Star Oilco, we can make it easy.

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

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

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

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BioDiesel Feedstocks – Hemp Oil & High IV and Low IV Hepar 1024 683 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Hemp Oil & High IV and Low IV Hepar

In this post we are going to continue our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. The feedstocks we are looking into are Hemp Oil & High IV and Low IV Hepar. Here is a link to the main page of feedstocks we have examined so far.

As a reminder B20 Biodiesel (B20 stands for 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel)  is the drop in solution for reduced emissions in today’s modern diesel engines.   To understand some of the alternate feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel, we are examining a report that Renewable Energy Group (REG) produced in 2009. All certificates of analysis and results are for B100.

Hemp Oil

Hemp seed oil comes from the plant Cannabis sativa and contains significant amounts of linolenic acid. The hemp oil in this study was sourced out of Canada and these seeds have an oil content of 33 percent. Cannabis sativa male picture of flowers

Based on Industrial Hemp Regulations in Canada:

“Industrial hemp includes Cannabis plants and plant parts, of any variety, that contains 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or less in the leaves and flowering heads.

Industrial hemp also includes the derivatives of industrial hemp plants and plant parts. These do not include the flowering parts or the leaves.

Examples of derivatives that are considered industrial hemp include: hemp seed oil (oil derived from seed or grain) and hemp flour.”

THC is the chemical that has psychoactive properties and is what makes the cannabis Marijuana vs Hemp.

This biodiesel sample was created with seed oil that contained less than .03% THC.

Cannabis sativa is an annual flowering plant that originates in Central Asia and is now spread world-wide. The uses of the plant include seed oil, food, recreation, medicine and industrial fiber. (Source)

The centuries of early human cultivation of these plants has created a large variety of strains that look, grow and act different.  Pictured is an example of what a Hemp or Marijuana plant looks like in bloom.

 

Hemp Oil and hemp Biodiesel

Hemp Oil Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

 

 

Hepar, High Iodine Value and Low Iodine Value (IV)

In this situation, Hepar is a byproduct of the heparin manufacturing process. Pharmaceutical grade heparin is derived from the mucosal tissues and of animals, such as pig intestines or cow lungs. (Mucosal tissues are part of the immune system it is the barrier between potential pathogens and the body.) Heparin is a medicine that is used as an anticoagulant.  Since the creation of Heparin is a industry secret, it is difficult to find much information about the byproduct Hepar.

High IV Hepar and Biodiesel

High IV Hepar Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis Low IV Hepar BioDiesel Certificate of Analysis

 

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Evening Primrose Oil & Fish Oil

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How does my business get access to Pacific Pride fueling sites? 1024 683 Star Oilco

How does my business get access to Pacific Pride fueling sites?

What is required 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 do you 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.

What are the 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 Cardlock Fuel Security

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Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide (5th Edition 2016) 1024 683 Star Oilco

Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide (5th Edition 2016)

Where to start when fueling your fleet with  biodiesel.

 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide (Fifth Edition)

If you are a fleet seeking to reduce your CO2 footprint and biodiesel is your drop in solution, this book is your guide.  The Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide is the definitive user’s manual for fleets seeking to field biodiesel and blends as a substitute for petroleum diesel (available from the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center).

Biodiesel is diesel-rated fuel manufactured from animal fats and vegetable oils by way of a chemical reaction. It is not diesel fuel but it has extremely similar properties, allowing it to be blended with petroleum diesel.

As a drop in fuel, it substantially reduces tailpipe emissions and cuts CO2 emission by more than half when used as a substitute for petroleum diesel. Many states and the federal government have financial incentives to encourage its use. Several states also have mandates for the use of biodiesel as a blend component with diesel fuel.

In the last twenty years biodiesel has come a long way and it is now a mainstream fuel around the United States. In just the last ten years, a great deal has changed with the complexity of diesel engines, the sources of crude oil refined into ultra-low sulfur on road diesel, and the complexity diesel fleets will encounter in operating day-to-day. This book is a scientific and easy-to-read manual to help you navigate success with modern diesel.

The Biodiesel Handling and Use Guide covers the technical aspects of biodiesel and how it differs from petroleum diesel. It also provides advice on higher blends and storing fuel onsite. This guide goes in-depth about equipment compatibility for your refueling infrastructure as well as maintenance concerns you want to get ahead of. There are also checklists included for fleets seeking to move from petroleum diesel to higher blends of biodiesel.

If you have questions or want help in using higher blends of biodiesel in your fleet, don’t hesitate to contact Star Oilco. Even if you are not in our service area, we will be here to help. Star Oilco has been helping fleets succeed with biodiesel blends since 2003.

B20 Biodiesel A PROVEN FUEL

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For further reading on Biodiesel please see the following Star Oilco pages:

Every Question Star Oilco has been asked about Biodiesel

B20 Biodiesel; a Proven Fuel

Oregon Biodiesel Tax Breaks for Retail Stations

In-Depth look at Biodiesel as a Heating Fuel

 

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B20 Biodiesel, a Proven Fuel 1024 408 Star Oilco

B20 Biodiesel, a Proven Fuel

Using Biodiesel in the Pacific Northwest.


(NOTE: B20 refers to 20% biodiesel blended with an 80% petroleum diesel percentage. B5 refers to 5% biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel which is the legally required blend percentage in Oregon state. For more on biodiesel basics, visit the US DOE.)

Biodiesel is the “Drop In Solution” used in the Pacific Northwest to reduce CO2 emissions in diesel equipment.

If you are looking to use Biodiesel in a fleet or a personal vehicle it is as easy as just asking for it.  In Oregon the fuel is everywhere.  From an Oregon and Washington state requirement for a minimum 5% of biodiesel blended with every gallon to large financial incentives this low carbon diesel fuel is ready for you if you want it.

It’s not just the Pacific Northwest.  For years B20 has been a defacto blend at some of the biggest names in fuel. When you pull up to the pump on the west coast you are likely getting B5 or B20 as a blend. In Oregon, B5 biodiesel is the required fuel by law. Oregon also has a B20 incentive for a waiver of state on road taxes.  Washington as well has requirements that biodiesel finds its way into retail and commercial diesel throughout the state.   Additionally, Oregon and California have “Clean Fuel Standard” programs which heavily incentivize low CO2 fuels like biodiesel.  Washington state is expected to pass their own Clean Fuel Standard as well this year.  Biodiesel has been a fact of life in fuel for over a decade in the United States and Pacific NW and it is not going away.

Due to a mix of federal and state incentives to use biodiesel, there can also be financial advantages for a fleet dedicated to making B20 biodiesel its fuel of choice. You can see evidence of this at truck stops and other retailers making B20 available in Oregon and Washington, as well as in the trucking lanes of the United States. America’s largest fleets are choosing B20 biodiesel in order to reduce their cost per mile. So can you.

In an effort to deliver the best value to truckers, many U.S. truck stops are blending biodiesel up to 20% when the market enables them to pass along a lower cost yet high quality ASTM specified diesel fuel to their customers. Most prominent is Pilot/Flying J, who lists where and when their sites are serving up B20 or lower blends. Pilot/Flying J buys biodiesel directly and blends on site in order to give their customers the best value possible. Loves Travel Centers also sell biodiesel blends around the U.S.

In Oregon, due to a diesel road tax waiver on B20 sales, gas station retailers Safeway, Leathers Fuel, Spaceage, and others are offering B20 biodiesel as their retail diesel offering. Oregon’s system requires the biodiesel be sourced from used vegetable oil refined biodiesel products. Biodiesel has been in Oregon’s fuel supply since 2006 when the city of Portland mandated B5 biodiesel blends within its city limits. The state of Oregon followed Portland with its own statewide mandate not long after.

(NOTE: If you operate a retail gas station and are curious about Oregon’s fuel tax breaks for biodiesel blends here is a more in depth article Oregon Biodiesel Tax Breaks for Retail Fuel Stations that explains these rules for retailers of fuel).

Biodiesel has been in our fuel system since 2006 and the technology that goes into making it has vastly improved. It is proven in diesel engine performance while also creating a diversified supply for energy and significantly reducing emissions from the working fleets of the world. Biodiesel substantially reduces emission coming out of your stack without a major impact on price because it helps to offset high diesel prices.

B20 Biodiesel A PROVEN FUEL

If you want to look at using B20 blends in your fleet, we are here to help. Star Oilco carries B20 blends for mobile onsite refueling every day of the week. We also have dyed/off-road/heating oil blends of B20. If you are an over the road fleet we can provide B20 at our cardlocks as well as help you procure it with a fleetcard over the road. Let us know if we can be of help.

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Upgrade your Commercial Fueling Efficiency 1024 576 Star Oilco

Upgrade your Commercial Fueling Efficiency

Use a Pacific Pride Cardlock card to save money.

Commercial Fuel Best Practices for Fleet Managers.

Use commercial-only Pacific Pride Cardlock locations, along with our wet-hose fueling service, as a winning combo for your fleet.

Save on labor and fuel costs.

Are you looking to use a commercial fuel card to simplify your fuel buying?

Star Oilco can make that easy for you.

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 your commercial fuel service will greatly reduce any opportunity for theft.

Whether you use a Pacific Pride, Voyager, WEX, Comdata, Fuelman, or CFN corporate fleet card, you can take inventory of what you are currently doing and upgrade that process with these best practices. You can connect these best practices to a policy driven approach to knock out fuel theft and guarantee more efficiency in keeping your commercial fuel needs met.

Fleet Card Best Practice #1: Call your current card provider and ask for a list of every active card, the last time it was used, the PINs associated with these cards, and security features associated. Check these against your next bill to see what cards aren’t actually being used. Turn off an card not being used.

Fleet Card Best Practice #2: Annually take inventory of what cards you have and who is using them. Line up this list of active cards with your employees and make sure there isn’t a lost card out there. Often a card policy implemented by HR or your dispatcher is a good way to track what employees 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.

Fleet Card Best Practice #3: Audit your transactions regularly. This is a great project for your accounts payable to look through. Check against the card list of active cards looking for transactions that occur outside of normal business hours and days. 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, as often that’s theft.

Fleet Card Best Practice #4: 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 it’s obvious if that card goes missing.

Fleet Card Best Practice #5: Program your cards for the vehicles they are attached to. You do this by connecting the card to the vehicle with a key ring. Then program the fleet card to only allow a specific fuel for that vehicle (regular, premium or diesel), limit the fill volume needed for that vehicle’s tank, and also limit the times of day that vehicle can get fuel. This reduces the opportunity for theft to exceed a small minimum and also makes theft obvious when the limits are hit.

Fleet Card Best Practice #6: It’s the 21st century so manage in real time. Make sure your commercial fuel provider can send an email to your dispatch or fleet management in real time as the fuel cards are being used. These “E-Receipts” are an easy way to manage good behavior and knock out bad actors in real time. Mistakes relating to efficiency or theft will be far more obvious and trainable if the transaction is observed the day-of rather than a week later. 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.

Fleet Card Best Practice #7: Buy fuel by your vehicle not by an individual. Connect large volume commercial fleets to mobile onsite fuel and one invoice makes it easy to see what vehicle was fueled by by who. You can do this by moving your commercial fuel card program to a “floating PIN” system. All modern fuel cards should offer this option. It enables you to attach the fleet card to the vehicle (all costs are tracked by the vehicle number and/or license plate on your invoices) and provide a unique and secret PIN to each of your driving employees. If they use the card, their name appears on the bill next to their transaction. If PINs are kept secret and this is enforced, any theft or inappropriate fuel usage will be extremely obvious and accountable.

Fleet Card Best Practice #8: Adopt a “No Tolerance Fuel Theft Policy” as part of your hiring process, as well as every time you replace or issue new fleet cards. This is a policy managed by your Human Resources or driver compliance department. It is a form disclosing that any fuel cards or PINs related with cards are confidential and assigned to a person or vehicle. Any use of a PIN will be the responsibility of the person who that PIN is associated with. A personal private PIN is their responsibility. If it is used, they are responsible and any observed fuel theft will be a first time fire/termination offense. PINs are to be kept secret and if the PIN is known by someone else, it is their responsibility to let management know and get that personal PIN changed.

Fleet Card Best Practice #9: Commercial fuel buyers, especially in the Pacific Northwest, have buying power!  Negotiate a Cost Plus basis for your fleet fueling costs. You should be able to have a frank conversation with your commercial fueling provider about where prices come from and how much margin they charge you. In many markets, fuel providers can even get a wholesale cost plus basis for fuel that beats the retail street mark ups. Pacific Pride and CFN stand alone commercial cardlocks are focused on this type of need. Often the savings for diesel customers is very substantial due to this model of pricing.

Fleet Card Best Practice #10: Negotiate the terms you need for the way you buy fuel. If you have a frank conversation about the terms and costs related with buying fuel, you’ll have more options that are available, but not advertised. Industry standard for fuel sellers is either ten day terms with twice monthly or monthly billing. If you have the ability to pay faster, often deeper discounts are provided. For extremely large customers daily billing could net thousands of dollars in savings a month. For operations relying on 45 day fuel charge reimbursements, talking to a fuel vendor about matching your fuel bill with a fleet’s Accounts Receivable can prevent huge cash-flow crunches.

Need to secure your commercial fuel program from fuel theft?

Do you want to reduce driver labor hours with wet-hose refueling at the same time?

Call Star Oilco, we make it easy.

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

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

 

Star Oilco is an independent Franchisee of Pacific Pride

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Lock down your gas card from theft in Oregon 683 1024 Star Oilco

Lock down your gas card from theft in Oregon

Pacific Pride Cardlock in Portland, 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 theives.  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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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.