Gas stations are often hazardous due to potential risks such as fire hazards, theft, violence, or even as simple as slipping and falling. So, as a gas station owner, you must pay attention to all these concerns, which makes it your responsibility to maintain or improve the place’s safety. The good thing about gas station safety is that you don’t have to go out of your way to work on the safety of your workplace. Here are different ways you can improve safety.

Clean Regularly with Caution Signs

Fuel stations are no strangers to oil spills which can be slippery and dangerous for your customers or even employees. Additionally, if you live in a cold area prone to snowfall or freezing temperatures, ice is also a concern. There are a few things that you can do to prevent such issues; for starters, you should have a caution sign ready to go whenever you see an oil spill so people can avoid the area until it’s cleaned. Other than that, you can also spread a mixture of fine gravel and industrial salt on your service station so it can absorb the oil.

Safety Training and Manuals

Every business should have mock fire drills so everyone knows exactly what they have to do in the case of an emergency. You should prioritize doing practice drills every other month, so your staff knows the procedure. Plus, gas stations usually have a lot of part-time workers with constant changes, so everyone new should also be up to date with them.

You can train your employees all you want, but if your customers aren’t being considerate, safety can be compromised. For starters, put up do’s and don’ts signs all over your station, which should be visible to the customers. This will act as a reminder for more customers to be more cautious about the facility.

Security Cameras

One of the best ways to improve safety is installing cameras or alarms. As mentioned earlier, gas stations are prone to robberies because there is a constant flow of cash due to constant customers.

Furthermore, gas stations are usually open late at night, so you’d get a fair share of shady or drunk customers. If you install a modern security system with cameras and a burglar alarm, you can significantly decrease your chances of being robbed. Even if you do get robbed, you’ll have enough evidence to help catch the thief with help from the police. Furthermore, invest in better lighting to make the area visible.

If you’re looking for lighting or any other essential gas station accessories, then take a look at the products we’re offering. We have pipes with double-sided entry fitting that improve its accessibility and enable better usage. You can also get other branded station equipment from us, including gas pumps, dispensers, and fuel management systems. So, contact us and place your order right away.

The US oil industry is one of the biggest industries in the country as it provides employment opportunities to more than 120,000 people in the country. This is also due to the fact that fuel is a daily necessity for consumers which is leading to people investing in new gas stations.

If you’re looking to enter the industry, one of the first things you need to decide is whether you’re going to use branded or unbranded fuel. Both the different types of fuels have advantages or disadvantages. We’re going to help you decide which one you should have by discussing both of them in detail.

Branded Fuel

Every industry in the world has recognizable brands and the fuel industry is no different. Just take a road trip and you’ll see many different brands of fuel, such as Chevron, Shell, or Exxon-Mobil. All the different brands have different proprietary mixes that make them distinguishable from each other which impact the performance of vehicles.  

Some branded fuels have additives such as detergents or antioxidants while others may be enriched with nitrogen that protects the vehicles fuel injectors and intake valves. The federal government has set minimum requirements for the fuels criteria, so most fuels are good enough to be pumped into your vehicles.

Pros and Cons

If you decide to use branded fuel for your service station you can benefit from brand support like digital signage or even pump maintenance. Plus, people trust brands more, so you might get more customers.

On the other hand, with branded fuels, you will have to follow strict quality and brand requirements. Furthermore, you will also have little room to adjust price which could affect your profit margins as well.

Unbranded Fuel

This may be surprising to hear but most of the gas sold in the US is sold by independent retailers such as convenience stores. It may also seem like unbranded fuel may be different from branded fuel but as mentioned earlier there are certain fuel standards that all fuel retailers must follow.

This means that there are certain common additives that are common in both types of fuels. On the other hand, some vehicles need certain octane levels that might not be present in unbranded fuel.

Pros and Cons

A couple of benefits of using unbranded fuel include low cost of purchase so you can have a better profit margin. There’s also more flexibility on which ones you can use so can contact different suppliers at the same time.

The disadvantages on the other hand include no brand support or something serious like lack of priority when there’s a fuel shortage. Another thing that you need to consider when going into the service station business is the equipment and supplies for your station. You can check out all the equipment we offer as we are a petroleum equipment supplier that has some of the best equipment in the market. You can visit our website or contact us to find out more about the essential gas station accessories we have.

In today’s business ecosystem, if you’re not thinking of moving forward or following industry trends, you may easily fall behind your competitors. This is even more necessary in the oil and gas industry because of fuel being an essential part of people’s lives.

Statistics show that there are almost 270 million registered cars in the US which results in very high fuel demand. So, service station owners need to keep up with that demand by keeping up with innovation and technology-driven ideas. Some of these trends include:

Convenience Store Incorporation

Service stations are not only about stopping for fuel anymore, especially if you’re located on a highway. So, a lot of service stations are convenience stores as well so people can stop by and shop for supplies, food, or even groceries.

Many service station owners are shifting towards the c-store trend because it’s a great alternative source of income as the profits are dwindling on fuel. Furthermore, more service station owners are collaborating with delivery services as a location for parcel pick-ups. This is a unique way for someone to visit their store and make impulsive purchases.

Improved Sustainability

There has been huge progress in making business processes sustainable and eco-friendly. There greater emphasis on sustainable operations in the oil and gas industry as there are more strict regulations on the supply chain of the industry.

Furthermore, the concerns regarding carbon emission are also high which has put the industry under a spotlight. A growing trend among fuel station owners is to use alternative fuel options at their stations such as EV, CNG, or even LPG. Meanwhile, they’re trying to improve their sustainability by focusing on other business activities like switching to a paperless business.

Self-Checkout POS

Another growing trend in the gas station industry is the addition of a self-checkout Point of Sale (POS) system. An automated POS system is fixed at individual gas pumps and when a customer fills up their tank, they can pay them there and carry on with their journey.

One of the many benefits of a POS system is that you can cater to more customers at the same time and attract new customers. Quick checkout services prevent long queues. Another advantage of the POS also includes the accessibility of using different types of payment options.

You can get these advanced POS systems from us. We are a gas station equipment supplier that aims to help the gas station retail industry. We’ve worked with some of the best equipment manufacturers in the industry for more than 90 years to try and provide you with the most premium quality equipment.

That’s also why we take pride in being known as the best petroleum equipment supplier in the country. All you have to do is contact us and we’re here to help.

Here’s how gas stations can expand their customer base.

Here’s how the right POS system will improve your convenience store: