Oh yes, you can.  Whether the price was $4.71 a gallon or $2.09 or $3.92 a gallon, there was a profit margin that your fuel vendor made from your company.  The fuel vendors margin changes all of the time.  Would you like to have some control of a large spend like your fleet fueling?  What is a fair and reasonable margin that you should be charged?

That would depend on a lot of factors.  These would include how well do you understand diesel fuel prices? Who are your contacts in the fuel industry?  How large is your fleet of vehicles and how much diesel fuel are you buying?

If I told you that most vendors can make more margin from you when diesel fuel prices were low than when they are high would you believe me? The fact is if you are not watching the market, reviewing indexes, auditing fuel invoices your company wouldn’t know if it is pay a penny to much a gallon or 50 cents to much a gallon.  Really, would you know if the invoice is correct or if you believed you had a pricing deal that was over rack.  What is rack?  Is it the same rack every day?  Do you get that rack price?  So how do you know?  We do know and we know what information is important so you get the best deal, pay a consistent low margin and we manage it for you every step of the way.  From fuel audits, to price negotiations, overcharge credits and you don’t have to do a thing.  Why?

At Sokolis Group we become part of your fuel department.  Most companies can’t afford their own fuel department, heck most companies don’t have the time or expertise! We do and our clients love us for it because we save them thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per month in diesel fuel costs.  They get reports, that are very easy to read and summarized.  We even create new reports just for them because at the end of the day our clients, are our business. 

Have you ever dealt with a fuel card company or large oil company that sold you on bells and whistles.  Those bells and whistles are great if you can understand the reports they send you or they call you back in a timely fashion when you have an issue.  After all, every company is going to have some sort of issue, it’s how you handle it that separates the great companies that you want as your vendor from the mediocre ones.

Call now…we are waiting to help you 267-482-6155 or send an email to sales@sokolisgroup.com.

No more feeling helpless, buried under tasks and maxed out on time. No more wondering IF your company’s current fleet fuel management programs are working, or WHY they aren’t. Yes, you are considered the fuel expert for your company, so make an executive decision and steer your company down the road to increased profits and decreased expenses. Reach out to industry fleet fueling experts that have the insight you need to optimize your programs. No more same old, same old. Fleet fuel experts have access to essential industry data and proven performance records that can put you back on track so you don’t have to hold your breath each week. Let the fuel prices do what they will do knowing that you have the power to put your company on solid ground.

A fleet fueling expert can perform a comprehensive analysis of your current fleet management programs and determine what fleet management approach is best for your fleet company’s vehicles. Detailed analysis can determine the best use of your fleet cards or fuel cards, whether truck stops, mobile fueling or onsite refueling is best for your fleet mobile fueling, and if your company would benefit from a fuel saving plan. They can even establish fuel auditing for all your fueling transactions that will raise red flags and stop losses due to theft or simply incorrect fuel charges.

You’re thinking, why would I consider the added expense of hiring a fuel expert when I’m looking to save money? Shouldn’t I, or one of my employees be able to come up with the cost-saving and income-generating policies already? Well, the fact is, at the end of the day, fuel experts can save a company three times as much as the cost of hiring one. And, fleet fueling experts micro-manage the situation for you so that you can focus on the big picture.

Fuel experts are dedicated to monitoring multiple industry variables for you. They build fleet management programs that are specific to your company. Stop wondering how you can do things differently, more profitably. Consult with a fleet fueling expert and start implementing a fuel management program that you can count on. It’s a win-win situation. You save your time and your company’s money. You look like a hero.

It’s usually difficult for fleet companies operations to have two different fuel cards for the fear of fueling theft but with our fuel management system we are able to do this.  They were receiving bulk fueling from a long time vendor and relationships are great but fuel savings is better. 

We were able to achieve both with the fuel companies concessions on diesel fuel prices.  Our client has been happy with our fuel management program but like most things in life, if you can’t see or feel it daily you wonder if you are really getting what you are paying for. 

Late last year when we were doing our normal fuel auditing of invoices that had already been paid by our client, we discover an issue within their diesel fuel prices for their bulk delivery.  After more research and review, we were able to get our client a very large 4 digit refund.  The fuel companies billing staff had made a mistake; if our fueling audits didn’t catch it, our client’s fuel budget and fuel saving would have been lost.  Are you losing money and don’t even know it. Call 267-482-6160

Go on Google news, put in diesel fuel prices, diesel fuel thefts, gas stolen, fueling stolen and you will see in the last few weeks there has been an increase that only fueling theft could like.  Who is stealing this fleet fuel out of your fuel management budget? Well, you don’t have to look far.  In most cases it’s your own fleet companies employee who decided at $3.50 a gallon it was worth the risk in losing their job.  How does someone who works for you steal diesel fuel from you?  The list is almost endless.  Their own fleet management controls that you can have in place to prevent or at least tip you off that our fuel saving are going out the lack of fuel management window.

Simple steps for controlling your fleet fueling and risk of fueling theft are:

• Fuel card, fleet card, fleet credit cards
• Knowing how to use these fueling cards to provide fleet management solutions
• There are fueling limits, checks and balances fuel cards and fleet cards have
• Your fleet manager, fuel manager or maybe an Outsourced fuel management company needs to review, line by line fueling transactions to ensure fuel analysis and no fueling theft

With diesel fuel prices high the fueling theft could come from your fueling company.  The fuel companies might not be delivery what they are saying they delivered if you have bulk fueling or mobile fueling.  This is why it is critical that mobile fueling has checks and balances and fuel audits in place.  With bulk fueling you need fuel inventory management to make sure your fleet management program is working.  As diesel fuel prices go higher so does diesel fuel additives and that to can be stolen right out from under your fleet companies operations.  Diesel fuel additives need an inventory system or your fuel savings can be lost on them as well.

$3.482 on Oct. 20, 2008.  Of course this is the national average for diesel fuel prices if you live in anywhere west of the Mississippi or you are buying your fleet fuel at a local gas station your fueling prices are way beyond this weeks numbers.  Gasoline also rose, increasing 1.5 cents to $3.104 a gallon, also its seventh straight increase. It is at its highest level since it was $3.152 on Oct. 13, 2008.  Do we see a trend on these fueling prices going up?  I think we do.  I would not expect diesel fuel prices to make as big as gains next week because crude oil has been hanging around $91 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.  There is always a lag between what crude oil prices do and what gas prices and diesel fuel prices do at the retail fueling level.

This is a questions that I have been getting a lot lately where is the fueling prices going to go.  I think its pretty straight forward and its higher.  The DOE and the projections of $3.40 for the year could happen for diesel fuel prices but I wouldn’t bet on it.  The question I ask back to our non clients is what are you doing for your fuel management?  Do you have a strategy or are you going to blow your fleet management budget in the first couple of months of the year.

What we do for our outsource fuel management clients is we keep them in the game.  We have strategies for the fuel management system as part of the fleet management. Most of you reading this article are probably a VP, Director, Fleet Manager or Fuel Manager.  You have been around fleet companies for more than 10 years and you’re between 45-55 years old. An outsourced fuel management solution might not be something that you have done before. It’s understandable why you might have concerns that your not going to get the fuel savings that you hope for or may need. Restasured that you won’t be the first private, public or fleet companies that uses us. 

We are moving into times that are very different when all of our careers were younger. Technology, global economy, China will all play a part in fleet management program. Your fuel savings will be best achieved by having a fuel management system put together to ensure your fuel card, fleet card, mobile fueling is giving your company what it should be providing, fuel savings. Like most companies fleet management or just thoughts in general is your doing it well when it comes to fueling. You might be. You might not be. Isn’t worth a discussion about fuel management now at $3.40 before it’s $3.80 for diesel fuel. We have had clients come on in October when it was $3.00 for fleet fueling. There fleet fueling cost has increase over the last 3 months but not by 40 cents per gallon. We made sure they were given fleet management solutions to lower costs. Fueling audits so they were being overcharge, just be charged a fair fueling rate with their fuel cards, fleet card or mobile fueling.

Or provided they with better locations to for fueling that didn’t take their trucks out of route. Mobile fueling so they could lower drivers cost if they couldn’t totally control diesel fuel prices. Integration of fuel management data so no fraud, theft could take place and as important fuel budgeting could take place more easily because after all, if fleet fueling prices keep going up, revised budgets to management will be a bigger priority. Until next time, give me a call 267 482 6160, your fuel management system budget will love you for it.

Last day of twenty ten is here and diesel fuel prices have raised over the past few months, as a fleet manager, if you want to try and control your fleet management, have a solid fuel management program in place to control your fleet fueling prices.  2011 will not be an easy year for most fleet companies looking for fleet management solutions.  All signs for an increase in diesel fuel prices are there and when fleet fueling costs increase so will diesel fuel additives.  With fuel savings being possibly difficult to achieve, fleet fuel management, fleet credit card, fuel cards, fleet credit card services, mobile fueling all might be your best friend when it comes to fueling.

What can you do today to help your fleet management solutions for 2011, nothing?  Relax it’s a holiday weekend and your fueling and fleet management issues will be there on Monday, January 3^rd so spend sometime with the family and celebrate you made it through another year.  Now Monday when you walk into the office it’s start to work hard over the next couple of weeks on your fuel management system and what fleet management services are going to be a priority for your fleet companies operations.  If you’re a fleet manager, we think this is a good way to attack your fleet management programs. 

• Review you’re your current fleet cards, fuel credit card, fleet card, fleet fuel card, fleet credit card services, fuel cards almost every fleet companies operations use one of these fleet management programs as part of its fuel savings plan.
• Review your fuel companies, mobile fueling, fleet fueling, and mobile fueling service these are fleet management services that are brought to your fleet companies and without your knowledge can increase your diesel fuel prices if you are not performing fuel audits.

After taking these fleet management actions, you should have a fair to good understanding where your fuel management system is at for 2011.  If you, your fleet manager or fuel manager is not sure what are the next best fleet management services you should be taken, call Sokolis Group at 267-482-6155 we will be happy to help with fuel savings.  If through your fuel analysis on your fleet fuel management program you found you need help with fuel cards, mobile fueling, diesel fuel additives, fleet cards, fuel card program you need to take action now.  If the Sokolis Group isn’t going to be your fuel management direction, then you need to call your fuel companies fleet manager up and find out what diesel or gas margin they are charging your fleet companies operation.  See if you can provide a fuel audit or have a fuel audit done for your company before approaching your mobile fueling, fleet fueling and fuel companies fleet fuel manager, you as a fleet manager will know if you have fuel savings or if your diesel fuel prices are higher than they should be.  As you talk to your mobile fueling or fleet fueling supplier and they explain to you why your fuel savings aren’t as what you expect and explain to you that you are paying the correct diesel fuel prices, you as the fleet fuel manager for your fleet companies operation would know if your fuel companies be honest with you.  If the mobile fueling company is being honest with you, its time to bring in a new fleet fueling company for better fuel management.

This same holds true for your diesel fuel cards, fleet cards, fleet credit card as part of your fleet management program.  With proper fuel auditing, fuel analysis, fleet management consulting your company will know if the fuel card or fleet card company is giving you the best deal for your fleet management solutions.  If you have bulk fueling, you are going to want to make sure your fuel inventory management is in solid shape for 2011.  If your fleet fuel management does not have a good fuel inventory management program this is an area where fueling theft can take place cutting into your fuel savings.  

The worse thing you can do for 2011 for your fuel management system to control diesel fuel prices is to do nothing.  Sokolis Group has done fuel audits on hundreds of fleet companies from small companies to large Fortune 500 companies.  We have yet to see fleet fueling by any of these companies to be flawless.  They all could use fuel consulting help.  If they all got a little fuel consulting, fleet management consulting help their fueling program and fuel savings would be well ahead of their competitors.  With Twenty Eleven and diesel fuel prices looking to be stronger than in recent times, take consideration into the fact that your probably not a fuel management expert and if as a fleet manager you are, you probably don’t have enough time in your day to properly put solid fleet management in place and do all of the other fueling solution above.  Happy New Year.

U.S. diesel fuel prices continue to climb steadily higher this holiday season– driven up largely by perception rather than reality, according to experts. The average price for diesel fuel in the U.S. reached $3.248 per gallon this week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That’s  up nearly two cents from $3.231 per gallon during the week of Dec. 13 and up five cents from $3.197 two weeks ago.

However, Denton Cinquegrana, editor—West Coast Spots for the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS), told Fleet Owner that 90% of the current surge in diesel fuel prices is caused by  the mere perception global demand for diesel fuel is exceeding projected supplies.“The period between the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays really is the ‘silly season’ when it comes to fuel and oil prices, because perceptions play a huge role in market dynamics right now; thus a lot of weird things happen,” Cinquegrana said.

For example, diesel price prices increases are occurring even though in its most recent short-term energy outlook,  EIA projected global oil consumption growth would slow to 1.4 million bb/d (barrels per day) in 2011– that after increasing some 2 million bbl/d this year.Among the countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) , only the U.S. is expected to show any significant growth in oil consumption volume in 2011, EIA said, and that will be by a paltry 200,000 bbl/d.

“That’s why it’s all about perception right now and why it seems the bullish prognosticators outweigh the forecasts of the bearish ones,” Cinquegrana said.California registered the highest diesel fuel pump prices in the U.S. this week, according to EIA, at $3.407 per gallon, followed by the Central Atlantic and New England regions ($3.381 and $3.375 per gallon, respectively).The Gulf Coast region currently has the lowest diesel prices in the nation at $3.183, the Lower Atlantic region is lose behind at $3.193.

One major concern with the recent uptick in diesel fuel prices is how it will impact municipal budgets in the U.S. over the first six months 2011, Cinquegrana noted. That’s because municipalities rely on a variety of vehicles to perform services, such as garbage trucks, buses and snow plows.“It will be interesting to see what kind of havoc higher [fuel] prices will wreak, as their [municipal] budgets are already strained,” he said.

I think Denton is correct to a point about perception with diesel fuel prices.  However what really makes stocks or gold raise and fall, it perceptions that people have a long with market data.  Fleet fueling is complex today it was announced that fueling inventory was down 5 million barrels compared to predictions.  This will make fleet companies or owners of fueling companies wonder is diesel fuel prices really heading to $4.00. 

The best thing a company can do when it comes to a commondity like diesel fuel prices and their business is to predict for the worst and hope for the best.  Have your fueling budget set at $3.75 a gallon.  Your fleet companies drivers will go out and use your fuel cards – fleet cards or get mobile fueling but at least you set you fueling budget at a fairly high number.  If diesel fuel prices don’t go up or your fuel management along with your fleet management are able to keep a control a little on what you are paying for fleet fueling then maybe your really ahead of the game.  If not, you won’t be that far behind the fueling budget becasue the record right around $5.00 a gallon. 

We have many fleet companies that are clients of Sokolis Group’s.  We tell them when to create a fueling budget.  Understand how much fleet fueling they are buying by gallons for each location they have.  Understand what mode of fueling they are buying that fleet fuel.  Is it mobile fueling, fleet card services, fuel cards or bulk fuel.  Review, do fuel audits.  The best way to save money on diesel fuel prices is to understand how much fueling you are doing and how the fueling is being provided.

On top of that, the use of fuel cards, fleet cards or fleet fuel cards can ensure that fleet companies drivers do not have to carry around cash or worry about receipts.  With diesel fuel prices getting higher it becomes even better to have a fuel card then cash. That alone makes it easy to see why so many business owners are now turning to fleet cards, fleet management, fleet credit card services to manage their expenses and resources. In order to really prove the value and convenience offered by mobile fueling, fleet fuel cards, fleet credit card, let’s take an even closer look at the benefits they can bring to any fleet manager or fuel manager.

Improved cash flow is one of the first benefits to note for anyone looking into choosing a specific form of payment for fleet fueling. The best fuel card, fleet card packages will allow a fleet manager to make constant and regular payments on diesel fuel prices which gives far more certainty to the process and makes it much easier for fleet management budget and a fuel management plan. More of your capital will be on hand and usable. Fuels card, fleet card, fuel credit card are normally going to save fleet companies a little bit of money on diesel fuel prices.  Mobile fueling will help these same fleet companies save on labor cost as well as other fleet management services that go along with labor.

Fuel card, fleet fuel cards and fleet cards allow a fleet manager to really take control of the business and monitor all fueling transactions and process which is not as good as a fuel management system but it helps with fuel savings. The fleet credit cards allow you to easily look at and take note of how much diesel fuel prices were and was used, when and where, and allows you to avoid chasing after receipts, keeping track of cash.  It also makes your fuel auditing process easier to tie in with that is the fact that these fuel cards eliminate the need for cash overall. This provides more safety for the fleet fueling, fleet companies drivers and alleviates any concern in regard to lost, stolen, misplaced, or misused cash.  You still need to be very concerned about fuel theft, lost fuel cards, fleet cards as part of these fleet management solutions.

The amount of control that a fleet credit card, fuel card, fuel credit card can give you is something that you will note from the moment you begin to use them.  The same is very true about mobile fueling.  The convenience your fuel management system and staff have by a mobile fueling company showing up to do fleet fueling is heaven even if diesel fuel prices are high. This is due to the fact that unlike other payment forms, fuel cards allow you to set and specify what type of purchases can be made, where they can be made, and how often. Thus, it really gives the fleet manager control over how much money is spent on fueling and hopefully fuel savings.

Six keys areas should be examined.

•  Spend analysis – determine market by market, site by site
•  Benchmarking – baseline and compare to published market metrics and establish industry best practices
•  Supply strategy – a proper balance of supply security with cost, margin and service contracting- coordinate operations, accounting, legal and safety teams to maximize opportunity.
•  Execution – having a playbook is one thing but making sure the plays actually get made is another. 
•  Audit – all bills, invoices and transactions need to be completely reviewed.  Companies make mistakes sometimes.  Also, industry statistics say 81% of all fuel stolen is from within your own company. 

Now that you have the basics go ahead and save your company money.  Need more help?  Don’t understand or have the time to dig into this kind of project? 

Let Sokolis Group’s fuel management and fuel consulting team help.  We have saved companies tens of thousands of dollars a year to over a million dollars a year.  We are professional in fuel management, negotiations, auditing, fuel card maintenance and determining what type of fleet fueling program will save your company the most money.  Is it better bulk fuel buying? Fuel cards, truck stop or card lock rates or mobile fueling?

Visit us on the web at www.SokolisGroup.com or call (267) 482-6160

The reports suggested there remained underlying weakness in the economy, but oil’s declines were muted following the closely-watched data.”Certainly you want to see employment trends increasing because that should contribute to gasoline use rising…and the demand for petroleum ought to increase,” said Andy Lebow, an oil analyst with MF Global. “But the market is actually performing pretty well here, given that number.”

Despite Friday’s report, economic data in the U.S. has been improving, and demand in China, the world’s second-largest crude consumer, isn’t expected to fall despite the government’s efforts to slow the economy.   China is the 1,000 pound grillia in the room.  They will determine where diesel fuel prices go as they continue to grow.  They are fueling the demand that will give fleet companies fits as diesel fuel prices go higher during 2011. 

Meanwhile, supply and demand fundamentals in the oil market have improved. U.S. inventories peaked at 27-year highs in September, and have mostly fallen over the past two months.  With falling inventories and increased demand, diesel fuel prices will continue to go up.  You need to get your fuel management filled with controls as part of your fleet management solutions.  That means fuel cards, fleet credit card services, fleet cards and you can’t expect your fleet manager to be able to handle all of these extra fleet management duties by himself.  He might be able to try but your fuel management program for controlling diesel fuel prices, diesel fuel additives, mobile fueling, fleet fueling, fuel cards it is too much for one person to handle properly if you want a good fuel management solution.

“We’ve spent two years where the market has ignored current fundamentals and focused on future fundamentals. But what we’ve seen is that the inventory levels, in the U.S. and globally, are starting to destock,” said Dominick Chirichella, an oil analyst at the Energy Management Institute. “We still have plenty of supplies, but it is certainly moving towards a more normal direction.”

Brent crude, a benchmark widely used in Europe and Asia, has risen to two-year highs. Brent futures have switched to a backwardated price structure–where near-term futures contracts are more expensive than contracts further into the future–which is a sign that fundamentals are improving.Nymex crude has also rallied near two-year highs on the back of a weakening dollar.

The euro has risen more than 3 cents against the dollar this week after worries subsided about Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. The European Central Bank on Thursday said it abandoned its plan to wind down emergency support for banks and government debt markets.  As we know, everything effects diesel fuel prices, so when you see anything expect that diesel fuel prices will have a reaction to it.  Do your company a favor, invest a small amount of time and call us, our fuel mangement staff will help make sure that your fleet companies operation is getting the right price from fuel companies.  The will review and do fuel audits as part of our fleet managment services and ensure your fuel cards are getting you the fuel savings that you want to achieve.  With diesel fuel prices going higher, achieving fuel saving will only get more difficult so you want your fleet companies decision with fuel managment, fleet management, fleet fueling professionals.  www.SokolisGroup.com saves fleet companies more fuel savings than anywhere else.