By Bill Stomp … The propane industry is a commodity delivery business. Sure, some propane companies deliver additional commodities such as oil, diesel, or lubes. However, we are primarily a commodity delivery industry. Did you know that Uber is in the commodity delivery industry too? It is, and it has some secrets that we in the propane delivery industry can exploit to improve profitability fast. But first, is Uber getting into the propane delivery industry? Not yet. So, let’s take a look at the Uber business and what commodity industries it is disrupting. Maybe this will give us a glimpse into when or if it will be entering our sphere and what we can do to prepare for the changes ahead. Now that Uber is...

(December 16, 2019) — Bulk Transporter reports that the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is reminding all motor carriers and drivers subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) final rule states starting Dec. 17, 2019, they must use an Electronic Loggig Device (ELD) . The deadline also pertains to grandfathered automatic onboard recording devices, which will no longer be allowed under the FMCSA regulations to provide records of duty status as a substitute for a required electronic logging device. Motor carriers using automatic onboard recording devices must have fully operational ELDs installed by Dec. 17. According to FMCSA, there will be no extensions or exemptions made to the ELD rule deadline. In addition, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance said inspectors...

(December 13, 2019) — The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports that House Ways and Means Committee Democrats have introduced the Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now (GREEN) Act. The legislation addresses climate change by using tax code incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill includes an extension of the lapsed 50 cent per gallon alternative fuels tax credit, which includes propane, retroactively for two years to cover 2018 and 2019 and forward for two years, 2020 and 2021, while providing a three-year “phasedown” for 2022 through 2024. The proposal would prospectively cut the credit to 38 cents per gallon, then 25 cents, and finally 17 cents. In addition, U.S. Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) have introduced a standalone bill that...

(December 10, 2019) — As recently reported by Bloomberg, oil companies face a growing number of climate nuisance claims from local governments, and those proceedings could continue unendingly in state courts unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in. Specifically, the nation’s high court is scheduled to decide soon whether to approve state-court proceedings for several cases regarding lower-court and local government officials seeking to hold energy companies accountable for their purported role in contributing to climate change. Industry counsel have filed three emergency requests urging Supreme Court justices to block cases filed in Rhode Island, Baltimore, and Colorado municipalities, part of a pack of state and local governments using public nuisance law against the deep pockets of large energy companies. Noted is that the Supreme...

By Robert Battye… The benefits of using tank monitors with forecasting, ticketing, routing, and truck computers to drive distribution efficiency and improve customer engagement are well understood. However, achieving reduced costs and customer terminations requires management awareness of inefficiencies, staff engagement in a change program, courage to operationalize savings by retiring bobtails, and, the focus of this article, intimate integration across systems and applications. Typically, only the last reported level is imported into the back-office tank record to prompt manual ticket generation by operations staff. In many cases, monitor maintenance issues are not displayed on dispatch screens to at least make dispatchers aware that the monitor is no longer operational. The means of integration, the data structure and mechanisms for matching accounts and tanks between...

Lincoln, Nebraska (December 6, 2019) — Viking Cylinders , a Hexagon Ragasco brand, today announced it is joining the Arbor Day Foundation for the launch of its Time for Trees initiative , a commitment to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities worldwide by 2022, alongside its partners. The initiative will leverage trees as a simple, powerful way to reverse the damage done by climate change and address the urgency of preserving the necessities of life – like clean air and water, healthy food and a livable climate – which are becoming increasingly compromised. “The Time for Trees initiative is an important step in protecting the necessities of life, but we can’t do it alone. We’re thrilled that partners like Viking Cylinders are committed...

(December 6, 2019) — With nearly 50 city governments across California threatening to adopt regulations that would curtail or prohibit the use of propane and natural gas, the Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA) is fighting back with a new public outreach effort, reports the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). A new website, ProtectMyPropane.com , educates consumers on the importance of energy choices and propane’s benefits. The website also encourages consumers to sign a petition demanding elected officials and policymakers protect energy choice in future regulation. The most recent challenge came in November when the Santa Rosa City Council voted to move ahead with a proposal to require the use of electric appliances in most residential construction. The panel voted unanimously to require the exclusive use...