Stay calm & order oil at a quarter full!

Originally published December, 2016

Bank and Tank Part II

I wrote a blog recently comparing an oil tank to a bank account and gave some reasons why it is a good idea to order your oil when you’re at one-quarter full. The message that I have today relates to the delivery side of that equation - The needs of the company delivering the oil.
 
Every business, whether they are giant retail stores or small home heating oil companies, is trying to run more efficiently to keep costs down and to be more competitive. We are all trying to get the most production from our employees and equipment.
 
Most heating oil companies do this by setting up delivery routes that maximize the amount of oil delivered in the shortest amount of time with the shortest route possible. You can imagine how this plan gets blown out when a customer who has run out of oil requires that a truck change from the planned route in order to respond to their need as soon as possible. A truck will go many miles out of their assigned route, creating a less efficient and less profitable day.
 
Another way that heating oil companies try to become more efficient is by setting minimum delivery amounts. Maximizing the amount of oil delivered at each stop on a route is the ideal way to be more efficient and profitable. We understand that this would not be ideal for customers, who would have a larger amount to pay for the maximum delivery. So oil companies set minimum deliveries, which are a compromise between the maximum delivery and the minimum. For Crowley Fuel the minimum amount is 150 gallons. This amount provides enough oil to heat most homes for a few weeks in the winter and keeps the amount to be paid down to a manageable number.
 
This is the part that relates to Tank and Bank Part I:
 
Customers must wait until their gauge reads a quarter-full before ordering!
 
Too many customers call when they are at or above half-full when they order, resulting in a delivery amount that is sometimes lower than 100 gallons. This actually makes that delivery unprofitable for the delivering company. Many companies will assess a fee for making a delivery that is lower than the minimum amount. Crowley Fuel has not resorted to that method of enforcing a minimum delivery amount.
 
We appeal to our customers to order when they are at or near a quarter-full. As explained in previous blogs, this leaves plenty of oil to heat most homes for a week or two before being in any danger of running out or of pulling deposits from the bottom of your tank.
 
For those who have trouble keeping track of how much oil is in their tank, we offer automatic delivery. It doesn't cost any more for Crowley Fuel to calculate when you will need your next delivery! Call or visit our website for details.

Bob

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