For the past few months, we’ve all been watching the price of crude oil decline rapidly. Even when you start to think it’s going to stabilize and can’t go much lower, it goes down even further. As I write this article, a barrel of crude is now trading in the high $40’s which is less than half of where it peaked during 2014.
The old expression, “What goes up must come down” is happening again with crude oil. Over the past several months, we have seen a barrel of crude oil go from $107 back in June 2014 to under $65 earlier this week. And, it doesn’t look like the price of crude oil will be rebounding much higher anytime soon. Fuel purchasers should all be benefiting since the price of crude oil has a direct impact on gas and diesel fuel prices.
Winter is coming; a reference to Game of Thrones for any of you fans out there. You know the Starks would be preparing, and you should too. Think about last year and how hard it was on your trucks. I’d usually point to places in the North known for the frigid temperatures as a focal point for this topic, but last year it seemed to affect every state. Here are some things to consider while preparing, if you haven’t already:
Many companies have determined that locating a bulk fuel tank in their own yard provides the most cost-effective method for their fleet fueling requirements. Bulk tanks certainly come with insurance and environmental challenges, but they can be overcome with careful planning. It’s also costly to purchase and install a bulk tank, but significant net savings may be achieved compared to alternative fleet fueling options assuming your tank doesn’t “leak.”
What is more economical for your fleet, a purchasing card (P-card) or a fuel card? It depends on the situation and the makeup of your fleet. Are you purchasing gas or diesel, or perhaps both? Are you a local fleet or traveling over-the-road? Class 8 tractors or pickup trucks? Do you need to report information to IFTA or track transactions for other reasons?
Yep, you’ve heard them all. “Don’t take your eye off the ball”, “Success isn’t given, it’s earned” or “A goal without a plan is just a wish”. Every one of those were spoken by successful people.
Why should stability be a precursor to instability? A recent article in the Washington Post referred to the economist, Hyman Minsky, who explained, “Financial stability is destabilizing. The longer markets are calm, the more people plan on them staying that way. People take bigger risks and take on bigger debt because it doesn’t seem like anything can go wrong — until it does, and all this leverage turns small losses into big ones due to forced selling from margin calls.”
Lately, I’ve seen a lot of headlines that highlight companies that are adding or replacing vehicles in their fleets with natural gas units. Various suppliers are also investing millions of dollars to expand their distribution networks so that CNG and LNG can be obtained more conveniently.
Do you ever get the feeling that you’re constantly running? Putting out one fire after the other? You come in to work with a list of things to do, and you’re happy if you get to cross off one of them by the end of the day. I’ve visited offices and seen white boards listing top initiatives to be implemented, then visited again a year or two later and saw the same items still on the board.
Its 6:45PM and dinner’s on the table back home and your family is waiting, but you’re still at the office working on four different projects. Two of those projects need to be finished by Noon tomorrow. Sound familiar? That’s the business environment we live in today. Do more with less. 60+ hour work weeks. Lean initiatives. And let’s not forget the proverbial if it’s not broke don’t fix it. How do you make improvements in your business if you simply
132-A Veterans Lane #472
Doylestown, PA 18901
267.482.6155
Privacy Policy
Copyright ©2021 sokolisgroup.com
Website Design by IQnection – A Digital Marketing Agency