Fuel delivery for landscaping crews

Know what each machine burns

Most landscaping fleets run on two or three products. Mowers, trimmers, and blowers often take gasoline. Crew trucks may take gasoline or diesel. Larger mowers, loaders, and skid steers often take diesel.

Write down each product with a rough weekly burn before you ask for a quote. A distributor needs to know the gallons for each one, not just the number of trucks and trailers the company runs.

Tank at the shop or wet hose

A tank at the shop lets crews fill trucks and cans before they roll out. Gasoline storage has its own fire code limits on tank type, size, and placement, so check with your local fire marshal first.

If a tank is not an option, some distributors fill trucks and equipment straight from their truck, often early or after hours. Look for the wet hose badge on a profile and say how many units need fuel.

Clear diesel, dyed diesel and gasoline

Trucks that drive on public roads take clear diesel. Dyed diesel is for off-road use only, and only in uses that qualify. If you think some equipment qualifies, check with the IRS and your state tax agency first.

Some crews prefer ethanol-free gasoline for small engines. Check the equipment manuals, and if you want it, ask whether the distributor carries it. It is not stocked everywhere, and not every company delivers it.

Plan around the season

Fuel use swings with the season. Spring and summer mowing burns far more than winter work. Tell the distributor your busy months so the drop schedule and the tank size fit the peak, not just the average.

A tank sized for July may sit half full in January. Gasoline does not keep as well as diesel in storage, so match the order to what you burn and avoid letting fuel sit for months in a tank or a can.

Questions