The Internet has revolutionized the way business is conducted, and continues to change our lives with each passing day. Social media has also transformed our culture, perhaps equally or more profoundly than the invention of print, radio, and television. A recent Pew Research Center study found that two-thirds (67%) of Americans report getting at least some of their news on social media — and two in 10 reporting they do so often. Today, social channels have grown to serve a variety of personal and professional purposes. These platforms provide an avenue to build a brand image, communicate with and cultivate loyal customers or, better yet, serve as brand advocates. However, a business without a clear social media policy in place 1) risks damage to its brand, 2)…

(January 9, 2018) — The compliance deadline for installing electronic logging devices (ELDs) was Dec. 18, 2017, and although the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) has received questions about a rumored delay to the compliance deadline, no guidance has been published by the Trump administration or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to that effect. NPGA cautions against false claims the administration or FMCSA intend to publish guidance to local law enforcement recommending that while citations could be issued for failure to install and utilize ELDs by Dec. 18, fines associated with citations will be postponed until April 2018. ELDs connect with a commercial motor vehicle engine to automatically record driving time to ensure adherence to hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. ELDs do not change or…

(January 2, 2018) — Last Thursday, December 28, 2017, Western Gas issued a voluntary safety recall for potentially under-odorized propane distributed from two facilities in Highlight and Newcastle, Wyoming to locations in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Western Gas is cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to conduct this voluntary recall for propane distributed between April 2015 through October 2017. Western Gas has notified its potentially affected customers, which are typically wholesale distributors (i.e., suppliers such as Kiva Energy, Colorado Propane Marketing, Plains, NGL, etc.) that re-sell the propane to other distributors or retailers and consumers. Western Gas is working with its customers, and their customers, to help ensure that their propane contains a sufficient level of odorant. Local suppliers are…

(December 29, 2017) — Where are the bodies?” “Where is the fire?” These questions are a not-uncommon response to some proposals or docket requests I make at various committee meetings where I participate. Maybe I’m suggesting that an isolated incident should cause us to rethink a code requirement, or it could be that I see a trend developing and it needs to be dealt with before unacceptable consequences are experienced. I attend these committee meetings representing enforcement activities in my state. Sometimes I’m unofficially representing a larger enforcement community. There is an informal communication web among enforcers from around the country, with someone from nearly half of the states on the email list. We raise subjects of concern within this group to see how other…

By now, you’ve probably heard about Mariner East 2 (ME2). Since the pipeline is in our backyard, it’s one of those things we feel we should understand, even if we’re a little confused. So let’s walk this through. To begin, it was just announced that operation of the pipeline has been delayed until Spring 2018, from an original start date of November. This isn’t a surprise to anyone, least of all anyone involved in shipping NGLs to Marcus Hook, Pa. for the export market. The capacity of the second Mariner pipeline is approximately 11.5 million gallons per day of propane, butane, and ethane. Much of the propane supply that was scheduled to be shipped on ME2 and then exported from the East Coast now needs…

(January 1, 2018) — The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) recently announced that the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration has issued a regional hours of service waiver for the Eastern, Midwestern, and Southern Service Centers effective immediately through the duration of the emergency or January 14, 2018 (whichever occurs first). Click here to download the Emergency Declaration . The states covered in this Declaration are: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, DC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Please note this Declaration is not an exemption from the controlled…

(January 1, 2018) — More than 300 organizations representing users, retailers, customers, fleet managers, utilities, and producers of alternative fuels, including propane and natural gas, are circulating a letter on Capitol Hill urging Congress to reinstate the 50-cent-per-gallon alternative fuel tax credit (AFTC). The letter asked Congress to extend AFTC for two years and highlighted the business-planning benefits of such a move. It also observed that a full five-year extension would provide business certainty combined with a significant contribution to America’s economic growth. The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) urges industry members to join a grassroots campaign to save propane tax credits by adding your name to the letter. Now that tax reform has passed with no energy tax credits, the NPGA needs every industry…

(December 22, 2017) — Website operator Lou Haverty is passionate about his business credit cards — so much so that he has figured out how to use them to save thousands on business expenses. “I really enjoy traveling,” says Haverty, who runs The First Class Travel Guide website. “I just don’t like paying for first-class travel. So, I try to use the business credit cards to take the most expensive trips possible while spending as little each month as I can.” In fact, he is able to fund one or two such trips a year with credit card points from business cards he’s opened. With the right cards and the right spending, you can save thousands each year on travel, business expenses, and more. We’ll walk you…

(December 21, 2017) — Independent Technologies Inc. (Blair, Neb.) has acquired EnerTrac Tank Monitoring from Senet (Portsmouth, N.H.). Details of the transaction were not released. The move is said by both companies to be positive and complementary, and one that will deliver technology to a growing market. “We are very excited about bringing the best of our two companies together,” said Hank Smith, CEO of Independent Technologies. The acquisition will allow the WESROC division of Independent Technologies to expand its product line while also enhancing its communication solutions capabilities. “ This is an exciting move that lets us significantly expand our hardware solutions, and on the communications side, we are able to offer a monitoring solution for any need or budget,” Smith said. For Senet,…