As one of the largest propane wholesalers in North America, CHS (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) is providing a new resource for propane marketers to adopt propane as an alternative fuel with its CHS Propane-Powered Rebate Program. The program is a first-of-its-kind initiative offering marketers rebates for adopting propane-powered technologies, participating in training, and making investments in autogas infrastructure. “We heard our customers say it’s hard to justify the cost of a dispenser or pay for other infrastructure if they don’t have any autogas customers,” said Andy Ernst, propane marketing manager at CHS, the country’s largest farmer-owned cooperative. “To help solve the problem and work to keep more American-made gallons here in the United States, CHS decided to invest in getting more marketers involved in autogas.”...

Service and appliance sales are often considered to be a loss leader or a cost of doing business by propane marketers who are primarily focused on delivering propane. But that doesn’t have to be the case, says Saul Cohen, product specialist at Cargas (Lancaster, Pa.). If the marketer focuses on efficiency and expansion, the service operation can be a profit center. Cohen will present a seminar on this topic at the upcoming National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Expo. At Cargas, as a product specialist, he is a subject matter expert for the propane industry and software. In 2005, Cohen created and presented to Cargas the business plan to start Cargas Energy software solutions for fuel delivery and service companies. Today, he tells BPN, software solutions...

April 10, 2019 (Cleveland, MS) — LT Corporation (LT Corp.) of Cleveland, MS, the parent company of Quality Steel Corporation (Quality Steel or QSC), a manufacturer and industry leader in value-added services to its customers, announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of LP Cylinder Service, Inc. (LP Cylinder).  LP Cylinder, founded in 1984 and operating with two facilities in Shohola, PA, is recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in the propane tank refurbishing industry. The acquisition gives LT Corp. the opportunity to continue its expansion of product lines and service capabilities to the industry.  Chairman of the Board of LT Corp., Jim Tims, said, “Our companies have grown by setting the industry standards for quality and customer service. We are excited...

A trio of bills have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at providing truckers relief from the nation’s electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, reports Land Line magazine, a periodical of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, or OOIDA. The ELD mandate requires commercial drivers who prepare hours-of-service records to connect an electronic logging device to their vehicle’s engine to record driving hours. Rep. Collin Peterson (R-Minn.) has introduced HR 1697, which would exempt small-business truckers from the ELD requirement, and HR 1698, which would exempt certain agricultural haulers. Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) has introduced HR 1673, which would clarify the definition of “agricultural commodity” as it relates to the ELD mandate and hours-of-service regulations, thereby amending the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of...

After a slowdown in late 2018, some initial data for 2019 show U.S. housing demand remains solid, buttressed by low unemployment and improving demographics, writes Robert Dietz, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Housing affordability concerns—caused, in part, by rising construction costs—remain the primary hurdle for housing market expansion. Yet despite affordability headwinds and slow sales volume, homeownership metrics improved during the final quarter of 2018. The homeownership rate rose to 64.8% and the total count of homeowners has now recorded 10 straight quarters of solid gains. However, macro concerns persist. GDP growth in the fourth quarter came in at a rate of 2.6% (2.9% for the year). NAHB is forecasting a weak first-quarter growth rate below 2%. This reading is...

We need your help! Tell Congress to support the DRIVE-Safe Act and help end America's truck driver shortage! Earlier this year, in an effort to ease the significant commercial driver shortage across America, the DRIVE-Safe Act (H.R. 1374 and S. 569) was introduced. The DRIVE-Safe Act would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to create an apprenticeship program for commercial drivers and allow those between the age of 18-21 with a commercial driving license to drive a commercial vehicle across state lines, during and upon completion of a two-step apprenticeship program. The propane industry relies on good drivers to deliver propane to homes, schools, businesses, and farms across the country, so Congress needs to know how important a program like this is. Click here to...