As a Texas business owner or company decision maker, it’s your job to seek out partnerships with vendors that give you a competitive advantage. After all, if you are pledging to use a product or buy supplies from a vendor, you expect to get value beyond just a fair price in return. The bottom line is making sure your operations, and more importantly, your profit and loss statement stay healthy by finding partners you can count on to provide necessary supplies when and where you need it.
But simply scoping out the best price isn’t the only consideration. After all, how effective is it for your company to spend hours calling multiple fuel suppliers for pricing every morning only to save a couple of pennies? Only then to realize all deliveries available for that day are taken. It isn’t going to help your company’s bottom line if you choose a partner based solely on price and their service is unreliable, their route isn’t in your area when you need fuel, or their product turns out to be low quality. This is especially true in the Texas fuel and lubricant business, where missed deliveries and shoddy products can end up costing you thousands (or more) in not only equipment failure, but also in downtime.
In the end, such a deal would backfire and very likely could end up costing much more to fix than what you may have saved. When we talk about getting a competitive advantage, we are talking about more than price. Your competitive advantage comes from working with a reliable and trustworthy partner that helps you spend less time worrying about fuel, and more time focusing on your business. But how do you find such a partner? Whether you are new to business and seeking a fuel and lubricant vendor in Texas or if you’ve been in business for a long time but think it’s time for a change, there are certain tested ways to find the best partner for you.
The first thing that comes to mind when a company seeks a fuel and lubricant vendor in Texas is word of mouth. A reliable and honest supplier has no issues with customer retention. And customers who are loyal to a supplier are not shy about letting other people know. Check a company’s star rating if you don’t know anybody to ask. Satisfied customers are one sure way to tell when a fuel and lubricant supplier in Texas is making good on its promises.
Whether you are new to operating your own company or have a longstanding, established business, when looking at fuels and lubricants in Texas you should look to work with those that have more to offer than just simply fuel or only lubricants. Finding a supplier than can provide all the fuels, lubricants, and diesel exhaust fluid that your fleet requires is a necessity. Not only does this eliminate the need for managing multiple relationships with vendors providing different things, but it also saves time since invoices and purchase orders can be combined. One of the many ways the right fuel and lubricant suppler can help you more efficiently tackle your day-to-day activities. You should also ask lubricant suppliers about what brands of lubricants they carry. Often time suppliers only offer a single brand such as Chevron or Shell. Finding a supplier with multiple brands to choose from is important as they have different options when it comes to pricing, availability, and preference.
Working with an established and long-term fuels and lubricants supplier in Texas is in many cases the best way to go. And the reason why is obvious. Businesses who accumulate years of experience do so by being honest, transparent and reliable - with products that are fairly priced and service that is dependable. Unless you have inside knowledge about a newcomer to the distributed fuels and lubricants business, you might want to give them time to grow a record of good business practices. Many business people have lived to regret taking a lowball offer from a new business, only to find the doors closed when problems or issues arise.
If you aren’t sure about the fuel and lubricant suppliers in your area of Texas, you can always “kick the tires” by placing a smaller order. You’ll be able to assess some of the characteristics of the supplier, especially if you call and talk to someone on the phone. This is a good step to take when you are ready to pick a supplier as a long-term partner. You can place a small order with several top picks and look for how these companies handle common issues, such as:
Giving a company a chance to show you their operational methods goes a long way to helping you pick a fuels and lubricants partner that allows you to worry less about fuel, giving you more time to focus on growing and running your business.
We’ve covered some of the aspects you may want to explore before picking a long-term partner for your business, but just as important is understanding exactly what services and products you need. Even if you don’t need one or more of what a supplier offers now, who knows what the future holds? It’s a good idea to pick a partner who can do it all and is flexible enough to fit your needs as your business grows.
If your business involves diesel equipment, you need a reliable fuels and lubricants supplier. We already know that diesel equipment needs a special touch in order to keep running. So what are some of the supplies you may need to keep your diesel fleet working for you? Here’s a short list:
Your lubricant and fuel supplier should also offer the services you need to automate your fuel management so you can operate efficiently and productively. Those fuel services should include dedicated dispatching and tank monitoring, technology to track your fleet’s fuel usage, online account access, and on-site equipment and tank fueling.
At Bear Oil Company, we’ve been around for many years. We’ve earned the respect of many hardworking businesses in Texas and are proud to be their “partner on the road.” Get in touch with us today to find out why so many companies trust us to be their fuel and lubricants supplier in Texas and how we help them get more done. Check us out online, give us a call at 210-494-3479 or stop by our location.
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