New Safety Resource Launched for Propane Companies

Press Release Article

Press Release

New Safety Resource Launched for Propane Companies: PropaneSafetyPro.com

PropaneSafetyPro.com is proud to announce the launch of their new safety resource for propane companies. This innovative platform allows propane companies to have their Safety Plans reviewed, updated, and revised, including their critical Policies and Procedures, Security Plans, and Operations-Maintenance manuals.

Safety is a top priority for propane companies, and PropaneSafetyPro.com provides a convenient and comprehensive solution for ensuring that all necessary safety measures are in place. The platform’s team of experts has extensive knowledge and experience in the propane industry, making them well-equipped to provide valuable insights and recommendations for improving safety protocols.

“We are excited to offer this new resource to propane companies,” said Eric Leskinen, National Safety Expert at PropaneSafetyPro.com. “Our team is dedicated to helping propane companies maintain the highest level of safety possible. With our platform, companies can have peace of mind knowing that their safety plans are up-to-date and in compliance with all industry standards.”

In addition to reviewing and revising safety plans, PropaneSafetyPro.com also offers a range of safety-related services, including remote monthly compliance and technical support, onsite training and emergency response planning.

Propane companies need to keep all aspects of their operations up to date on the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 58 regulations for several reasons.

First, according to NFPA 1, the storage, use, and handling of liquefied petroleum gases (LP-Gas) must comply with the requirements of NFPA 58. Therefore, it is very important for propane companies to stay up to date on the regulations outlined in this code to ensure that their products and services are in compliance.

Additionally, NFPA 58 is constantly undergoing development, with new editions being released periodically. The latest edition of NFPA 58 is the 2023 edition, which has undergone revisions and is currently in the public comment period. Staying up to date on the latest edition of the code can ensure that propane companies are aware of any changes and can take the necessary steps to comply with them.

Furthermore, the latest edition of the code has changes which may impact the procedures and maintenance checklist for propane companies. It is important to review these changes to ensure that the procedures and checklists are revised accordingly.

In conclusion, propane companies should stay up to date on the latest NFPA 58 regulations to ensure compliance with the code and to be aware of any changes that may impact their procedures and maintenance checklists. Keeping every manual, process and operation up with the latest edition of the code can help ensure the safety and compliance of the company’s products and services, and ultimately lead to business growth and success.

For more information about PropaneSafetyPro.com and the services they offer, visit their website at propanesafetypro.com.


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The Importance of Policies & Procedures

A Guiding Document for Training Employees Online and In-Person

When it comes to establishing a solid safety training program, Policies & Procedures are the first place to start. Policies & Procedures are critical because they help companies meet compliance requirements and reduce liability, but their valuable role in training employees cannot be overlooked. Policies & Procedures are essential to promote a culture of safety in the workplace and offer a standard for all employees to follow. As blended learning between online and in-person training becomes more common in our industry, it is more important than ever to have a Policies & Procedures Manual that serves as a guiding document for all employee training needs.

The propane industry is guided by codes and regulations that can be federal, state, or local. Several key industry stakeholders recommend Policies & Procedures to help propane marketers maintain proper employee training and stay compliant with these codes and regulations include:

  • Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)
    PERC creates training materials used by propane marketers across the country and have just expanded their offerings to include The Learning Center which provides online training opportunities. Since January 1, 2021, more than 5,000 propane professionals and partners have logged into The Learning Center to complete any of the 400-plus available courses online. With more and more propane professionals training online, like taking CETP courses, it is critical that propane marketers have a clearly defined set of Policies & Procedures to support online and blending learning materials. Source: PERC Update, The Propane Education & Research Council, April 2021
    For example, CETP 1.0 states in Module 2: “Know your company Policies & Procedures for documenting safety-related contacts with the customer. Be sure to document the question or concern that has been raised along with your response.”
  • DOT and OSHA Regulations
    Policies & Procedures help companies maintain compliance and ensure employees are properly trained to meet DOT and OSHA roles and requirements.
  • Insurance Underwriters
    Many insurance underwriters affirm that propane marketers should have a Policies & Procedures Manual in place for many tasks, including handling gas leak calls as well as interruption of service calls.

Keeping Policies & Procedures Up to Date

Think about it, you aren’t training new employees to follow outdated training guidelines. Make sure your Policies & Procedures Manual is current so that it can do what it does best, keep daily operations running smoothly and reduce risk. It’s critical that your Policies & Procedures Manual is a living document and that it is updated as your company and code requirements change, and should be reviewed on an annual basis to include these changes. This will allow your team to discover and remediate shortcomings. If you have Policies & Procedures, when was the last time you reviewed them? Do you provide training to all employees regularly and to new employees as a part of the onboarding process? If you already have Policies & Procedures, or once you complete your first manual, it is important to recognize that this isn’t a “one and done” deal. For example, recent changes to the OSHA Crane Rule have deeply impacted the way many propane marketers conduct business. Your Policies & Procedures should reflect this new rule and employees should be trained according to your Policies & Procedures so that they are aware of the new crane rule and how it applies to their tasks.

If your company does not yet have a Policies & Procedures Manual, you should have one. Plain and simple. It is crucial in order to train employees, uphold a successful safety program, meet regulatory codes and requirements, and avoid dangerous scenarios or expensive fines. And if you already have Policies & Procedures in place, make sure you review your manual at least once a year and make updates as code requirements change. Working with a safety professional can make reviewing and updating your Policies & Procedures Manual simpler and more convenient, and will ensure that your manual is up to date with industry code changes.

Eric H. Leskinen, executive vice president of Propane Safety Pro, has over 30 years of experience with career progression from field operations to corporate direction. He has designed, managed, and executed safety training and compliance programs for multi-state companies with up to 1100 employees.

Contact us now


UP-AND-COMING APPS

By Kenneth Robeson
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More petroleum marketers and c-store operators are benefiting from cutting-edge technology in the form of innovative apps that handle everything from geo-location, on-site promotions, safety inspections, Sales improvements, marketing automation to instant proposals and invoices.

Hardly a week goes by without some new app rolling into the marketplace to help make business more profitable and efficient than ever before.

“Newest and Most Interesting”
Propane Quarterback a fuel delivery Consulting firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, called the TankSpotter app (tankspotter.com) “the newest and most interesting app in our industry.” It is actually a combination of four apps, which they described as follows:

1.TankFinder. “A very popular and super easy-to-use app for documenting all your safety/maintenance issues in the field, with a plus that it allows you to document all your competitor’s tank locations and addresses. It is a nice way to make a targeted marketing list.”

2.Estimator. “A shortcut way for salespeople and non salespeople to do easy estimates, proposals and invoices, with your custom parts list already in it. The sales reps and managers I spoke with love it, as it helps them close more deals.”

3.TankDocs. “A cool app that has all the industry forms and documents needed for installing fuel tanks — trenching release, tank inspection, DOT tank pickup, etc. I’m told they are customizable.”

4.Safety Check. “Safety is paramount in the fuel industry, and this app has the safety inspections important to the industry, like their version of the

gas check, leak check, spill reporting, bulk tank [and] inspections.” Customizable forms are available.

The 5-Star Rating app, which Propane Quarterback called “so cool,” is also included inside the TankSpotter app and ​“allows you to capture real customer feedback and get their 5-star rating. It then sends it to management so they can instantly post it to the company website, Facebook page or Twitter,” he said. “This is the marketing tool for getting known on the internet with great ratings. This four-in-one app is connected to a cloud application ‘command center,’ so all the data is filed instantly, and the management can see issues instantly. This seems to be one of the most useful apps in the industry, and it is a four-in-one combo deal.”

With competition heating up, innovative apps are becoming less an option than a requirement. Not using technology may cost more than using it, Propane Quarterback warned. “Investing in safety is a good investment, but investing in safety that leverages technology, like the safety app in TankSpotter. This new app, is a very smart way to improve safety at a much lower cost with higher benefits than the old way of doing business,”.


It’s no wonder that propane companies throughout Canada and the United States invest so much time training employees on gas safety checks, leak checks, safety concerning the delivery and dispensing of propane and propane installation safety, among many others – technical and nontechnical – involving this industry.

Now is the time for technology to meet the safety needs of companies, clients and workers alike. For example: Automation and documentation not only protect companies from accidents and lawsuits, this same technology makes it easier for technicians and drivers to do their respective jobs with greater speed and convenience. For that technology ensures consistency of quality, and offers the necessary reliability regarding propane installation, service calls and quick record keeping on behalf of customers large and small.

That also means we have a duty to innovate, so we can free these people from the sea of paper – the tickets and receipts, the work orders and memoranda, the invoices and order slips – that threatens to prevent them from doing the very things they need to achieve and their clients expect to receive. Without technology that solves this problem, and absent the time to manually spot check every assignment and confirm the safety of every project, there is no way to ensure standards do not weaken or procedures do not worsen.

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The risks are too great – and the liabilities are too substantial – for companies to leave customers so vulnerable to danger. Now is the time, therefore, to maximize the power of technology through the principal sources of technology: The mobile devices we use every day, in which a single application – call it the Ultimate Safety App – eliminates the drudgery of paperwork, identifies potential safety and maintenance challenges, enables a technician or driver to do a gas check or find a leak, and notifies a professional when a test is wrong or a client’s safety system fails.

This app should also alert management about specific safety matters, filing – and storing – all relevant paperwork as a digital record. That means there is no chance documents will go missing, or legal materials will suddenly vanish.

Picture, too, an interactive dashboard that highlights areas of trouble or instances of failure – and creates a schedule about those things requiring repair now, tomorrow, next week or next month. This digital safety manager would track everything, from doing and confirming spot checks during the course of other work a driver or technician may oversee to checking individual propane tanks, so everyone – such as owners of propane delivery companies, drivers, managers, operators and clients – can enjoy an unprecedented degree of safety.


There would even be records of each location, complemented by images of signed documents and ancillary materials.


This technology exists – we use this technology across Canada and the States – because it is the result of research by and from experts within the propane industry. Put another way, I feel – my colleagues feel – the collective pain of an environment that is too prone to error, too subject to threats, too open to danger, too risky overall.

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Now is the time to put safety first.

Now is the time to advance the strength of the propane industry.

Now is the time to do an audit of this business, for the good of all, because the technology is available – the technology is affordable – for owners, drivers and technicians, in addition to clients both residential and commercial, who deserve the best.

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The translation of that summons to safety is an opportunity for communication to thrive and collaboration to flourish, thanks to the power of technology that is easy to use, reliable to access and protective of the files people need.
This emphasis on safety through technology is at the forefront of how the propane industry can make mobile devices an indispensable part of safety. Indeed, the future of one depends on the proliferation of the other. That is, the more often we use these devices – and we use them a lot already – the more seamless the

transition will be, within our business, toward improved safety and efficiency.

​We must seize this moment, since the dividends are too many to ignore and the immediate rewards are too substantial to deny.

The future is now.


You don’t have to know anything about the propane industry to recognize that Tank Spotter could be an incredibly useful app for anyone in that line of business. It can help a sales staff find and manage new customers and help installation techs meet the stringent government safety requirements.
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The app was developed by Bill Stomp, a war veteran who said he drew on his experience in military intelligence.

“The idea for this app comes from that world,” Stomp told me. “We would gather intel from our field guys – marines, seals, airplanes, satellites, etc. – and then ‘spot’ the enemy. In the fuel delivery industry we have field guys called drivers, techs, managers and sales people. They can ‘spot’ sales leads such as a competitor’s fuel tanks with the app.”

Tank Spotter’s home page presents a series of options for dealing with a company’s existing accounts and with potential new clients.

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Let’s say an employee or manager is driving around their home area and they see a property with one or more propane tanks. Is it one of theirs? Does it belong to a competitor? Maybe it’s an opportunity to make a new sale.

To “spot” the tank, they open their mobile phone or tablet and click to the Tank Finder page. This page is the heart of the app. It lists the actions you can take when you have eyes on a tank. Users can log it as a sales lead, a safety or maintenance issue, or record it as one of your tanks and update the details associated with that installation.


A delivery driver or maintenance tech can use similar features for logging safety issue or a maintenance issues. The data is either sent immediately to the company’s central database or stored until the phone is within cell phone range, a useful feature in remote areas where many propane customers are located.

A section called View Tanks Spotted presents a map showing all the collected tanks, with color-coded pins to match the different types of reports. A competitor’s tank get one color, other colors are assigned to safety issues or sales prospects. The map can help the company plan and schedule sales calls or safety inspections to focus on a specific area.

Another useful feature is the Tank Docs section that lets users create digital versions of the various forms that a propane dealer has to fill out, file and store. An Estimator section includes tools for estimating pricing for a new account or create an invoice for a new or existing client. Users can also record meter readings leak checks and safety inspections.

Tank Spotter is a well-designed app that anyone with basic data-entry skills will be comfortable using. And, it’s an excellent example of how mobile technology can be put to work helping even the smallest business.

Tank Spotter is available to download in the Google Play Store For a closer look at how the app works, visit the Tank Spotter website and watch my video review below.

Online Source:GizmoEditor


A point of qualification about technology and the economy: We have a mobile workforce, not a mobilized one.That distinction is critical because, despite the tens of millions of smartphones and tablets that Americans own or operate, despite our appetite for gossip concerning the latest iteration of a particular device, despite our addiction to consumer electronics in general, despite all this – and more, including our collective change in posture, where we lower our heads and thumb our way through news stories, emails, and sundry likes and followers – we have yet to liberate ourselves from an actual office.

We may not be in a physical office, but that does not mean we are free of the office and its trail of paper, since we carry a collection of tickets, records, contracts, invoices, checks and receipts.

Nor are we more aware of information involving our respective assignments. We have our phones, yes, but that is not necessarily a more efficient way for our bosses or coworkers to reach us.

A barrage of calls and text messages is not a safe or effective solution, when a company has drivers making deliveries, or navigating the busy streets or congested highways of New York or Southern California.

What these employees need, and what their individual employers deserve, is an application that provides real-time intelligence without an iota of manual entry.

Picture, for example, a smartphone as a transponder. Think of it as a tool for relaying data, where all those ones and zeroes reconstitute themselves into a detailed map; where that color-coded series of routes and deliveries, in addition to the whereabouts of each driver and updates about their movement (or lack thereof, because of traffic or some other issue), gives managers a better perspective about how to improve service; where clients can sign every contract, and consummate every transaction, without a pen or a piece of paper.

That scenario is more a matter of scientific fact than science fiction. Or: Search long enough, and read enough search results, and an answer will reveal itself.

According to Bill Stomp, a mobile field management tool for the liquid fuel, propane and fuel delivery industries:
“Real-time intelligence is the difference between a business owner thinking he has a productive enterprise and knowing he has one.

“It is a total system – an interactive resource, too – that removes speculation about how successful a company is, in terms of its ability to make deliveries without delays or disruptions. That is the power of a mobilized workforce, thanks to the power of mobile devices.”

I agree with that assessment not because I am an employee of Vertrax, Digital Dispatcher, Base Engineering, Fleet Navigator or one of the other 30 in cab device companies, which I am not.
Rather, I second that sentiment because real-time intelligence can transform our smartphones and tablets into indispensable tools.


No longer toys for playing games, or a medium for the transmission of memes or movie clips, mobile devices can strengthen how companies do business.
That fact is cause for celebration.


Online Source:
The Huffington Post


It is a rare occasion that we are so pleasantly surprised by an app that works on both Apple and Android devices as all the best apps do. A newer app was recently recommended to us and we are excited to share it with you because it does some very important things. To say that it is a safety app designed to automate safety, risk management and all forms of inspections or safety paperwork is part true, but then it is also designed to spot-check the safety inspection itself while the inspection is going on, alerting the user and office staff of a safety issue. That’s great because it is destined to save lives especially since it is used in the flammable fuel industry, but then to the elation of users it automates the filing and clerical paperwork formerly associated with these tasks.

While the fact that this app will help save lives is in itself enough, the app also automates the sales process. So company sales reps can enjoy many of the same benefits that company safety and service techs get. These include less paperwork, an app that knows what forms and documents they have to fill out everyday, and then help to fill it out completely, file it, send it, and track it so they can do more sales every day and every week.Though the fuel delivery industry is a specialized industry, it is easy to see that every fuel delivery company owner, manager and sales rep will be enthralled with how this new app will streamline their work, eliminate safety risks, increase sales, and instantly file their paperwork for them as they ride home early every day.

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier not more complicated. This new app that is connected to their office all the time is what technology is supposed to be; easy to use, reliable, and truly helpful. If you are in the fuel delivery industry and are not yet using Tank Spotter then get it now, don’t be the only one left behind with inefficient and costly practices.

TankSpotter is already being used in several countries, is recommended by several fuel related insurance companies, is getting recognition by individual states in the US and in countries for their inspectors.

Available from TankSpotter.com, Apple App Store and Google Play.
Online Source BREAKAWAY DAILY


The propane and heating oil industry depends on many things, chief among them safety. That includes regulatory compliance involving gas and leak checks, legal documentation of the same, maintenance of the tanks themselves, and intelligence about the location, size and fuel provider for each tank within a given town, city, county or state.

Mobilizing that information – making that data available from the convenience (and safety) of a smartphone or tablet – can save a business tens of thousands of dollars.

More importantly, these tank spotting features alert professionals to potential problems before an event happens or a crisis occurs.

These real-time updates enable workers to ensure fuel tanks function without risk to the environment or danger to a surrounding community.

This technology represents a new breed of sales, maintenance, compliance and safety management for companies that need an all-inclusive solution for these challenges.

It informs as much as it inspires, because the latter motivates business owners and fuel providers to act.
It gives them, at a minimum, a financial incentive to streamline operations, reduce the flow of paper, and upload files containing seals of inspection, orders and authorizations, and other relevant or essential materials concerning the use of fuel tanks.

The freedom factor alone is considerable, because it does not require the manual entry of data or a late night call to an attorney, who must then write – and charge his client for – some otherwise standard piece of legal notification.
These benefits are significant, but the emphasis on accuracy is more powerful still.

For reliable information begets reliable leads, which lowers marketing costs, eliminates questionable guesses and ends wasteful spending in general.

When you can focus on a fuel provider like a laser beam, when you have a full dossier about a prospect, when you know a particular territory as well as the best cartographer or better than the most lively tour guide, you then know how to communicate with that person.

You know how to avoid the superfluous – and largely superficial – content that governs most conventional marketing campaigns.

You can do these things (and more), thanks to an appeal to practicality.

You can speak to the immediate needs of a fuel provider, which have everything to do with efficiency and economy; which have everything to do with safety and success; which have everything to do with legal requirements and state regulations; which have everything to do with efficacy and ease of use.

These advantages appeal to fuel providers, since these strengths represent a return on investment (ROI) far greater than existing alternatives.

The emphasis on maintenance and protection also attracts the interest of the community at large, since it is imperative to safeguard every fuel tank in every area. Period.

We have the ability to make this goal a reality right now.

We have a duty to offer this technology to those who need it most, starting now.


As any business owner in the fuel industry knows, the biggest expenses are payroll and trucks, and these costs continue to rise. Therefore, business owners must find other ways to cut costs and remain competitive. According to Bill Stomp, partner at Propane Quarterback and Tank Spotter, technology is the way.

Stomp, a presenter at this year’s M-PACT Show who has worked with 80 fuel delivery companies in more than 10 states and consulted more than 100 other fuel companies, said there are two solutions that will cut costs and save the fuel industry. The first solution is tank monitors, which can result in fewer runouts, fewer trips, fewer accidents and reduced maintenance. The second solution is sales and safety automation, which means a smartphone with a safety/sales app in every employee’s hand.

“The two together are the two primary ways that are going to help our industry move into the future,” Stomp said. “If companies don’t have these, they are crazy, absolutely crazy, and their competition will crush them.”

The First Monitors

Tank monitoring, especially for large underground storage tanks, is nothing new. Many underground tanks are hard-wired to a building and have been attached for decades to show fuel levels and prevent leaking tanks from becoming environmental hazards.

“It’s an older but improving technology, been around for a long time, very connected,” Stomp said. “It’s almost every few seconds you’re getting a reading off this, and you really know what’s going on with the tank.”

The tank monitors for large gasoline, diesel, oil and kerosene tanks are much different than those used for propane tanks, but some companies have a fuel delivery and a propane delivery business, so they need monitoring systems for each, Stomp noted. And there are many options available.

“There are some tank monitors out there, believe it or not, that their specialty is being the tank monitor that works in the worst and most remote places in the world, and that’s where they’re the best,” Stomp said, mentioning places like offshore oil rigs, fracking sites and gold mines in Africa. These remote locations often require satellite-based communications, which are very expensive. Stomp compared other tank monitoring systems to vanilla ice cream, saying they are “good at everything but not great at anything.”

With such a range of tank monitors available, Stomp suggested fuel tank owners answer these three questions to find the best fit for their company:

  • What kind of fuel do you have?
  • What kind of tanks do you have?
  • Where are you located?

“It’s not really a one-size-fits-all scenario,” he said.

Wi-Fi and Cellular Connections
Unlike expensive satellite-based systems, Wi-Fi is an easy, low-cost option for tank monitoring systems, most readily available in urban settings but with limited range. “You have to be within the range of this Wi-Fi repeater,” Stomp explained. Wi-Fi connections can also cause headaches when changes occur with passwords, internet routers or internet providers.

Cellular, while being a more expensive option, is more reliable and available in most residential and rural areas. “Cellular is awesome as long as there is cellphone signal. Cellular doesn’t reach to every area that propane tanks might be, or oil tanks or diesel tanks might be,” Stomp said. “I think, however, it’s the most reliable thing out there.”

Although currently reliable, an older cellular-based system may become obsolete. “Some monitors actively used in our industry right now work on 2G [second-generation technology]. Well, 2G is being phased out, and 5G is, hopefully, going to be phased in sometime,” Stomp explained. “So, if you have cellphone-based tank monitors that you’ve had for a few years, you may have thought, ‘Wow, this is great. I paid them off, and finally, I’m going to start making money on them.’ Then, you find out you’ve got to throw them away because 2G isn’t working anymore. … The only people making money on that is the tank monitoring guy who sold you that for lots of money.

“You’re going to want to get a solution that’s the newest thing out there, that’s going to last the longest and won’t become obsolete anytime soon,” Stomp added.
Another new wireless option, which Stomp described as extended-range Wi-Fi, requires attaching a mini cellphone tower to a church steeple, a barn roof or another tall structure. That creates a local area network for receivers within a few miles of the tower.

“There’s a lot of pain and a lot of potential risk with this whole [tank monitoring] thing. … With all that risk, one might wonder why would we even want to do this. It’s because the potential for benefit and savings is so high. People want to get the savings and the efficiencies that come with a monitoring system.”

​– Bill Stomp, Partner at
PropaneQuarterback.com and
TankSpotter.com

“It’s really kind of cool if you live in a flat area,” Stomp said, noting the technology doesn’t work in mountainous locales. “It’s a low-level signal, so you can capture it without a big battery. Batteries last longer.” If local area networks don’t work for all of a company’s tanks, the owner might consider a hybrid option, using the local area network in addition to cellular or satellite.

ACCORDING TO BILL STOMP, PARTNER AT PROPANE QUARTERBACK AND TANK SPOTTER, TECHNOLOGY IS THE WAY.

Having so many options available can create more problems, leaving many wondering if investing in tank monitoring systems is worth the trouble. Stomp insisted it is. “There’s a lot of pain and a lot of potential risk with this whole thing. There’s risk if you get the wrong system. There’s risk they could cancel the 2G system now, and you’ve got to get new monitors.

There’s risk if you put new Wi-Fi systems out there and people change their routers, and you have to go back out there to fix a monitor. And it’s $50 to $75 every time you send a guy out. With all that risk, one might wonder why would we even want to do this,” he said. “It’s because the potential for benefit and savings is so high. People want to get the savings and the efficiencies that come with a monitoring system.”

For those ready to find a tank monitor to fit their company’s needs, Stomp’s advice is, “Shop around. Contact my office. We have already done a lot of the summarizing of all the information. Find somebody that’s already tested them. There are some very interesting new solutions on the market like the Owl from Technology Assurance Labs. And make sure the monitoring system works with your company’s software, Stomp added.


New-Age Sales and Safety

Some new software comes in the palm of your hand, like the TankSpotter.com smartphone app, and can significantly improve safety, sales and even marketing for propane and other fuel businesses. Stomp referred to safety and sales automation as “Uber for the fuel industry,” allowing for faster paperless documentation of safety and sales at a fraction of the cost for the paper method (pennies per employee).

With tank monitoring, some companies are better than others, but with safety and sales automation, no company is doing what Tank Spotter is doing, according to Stomp. The company has been successful because it combines optimizing sales, safety documents and marketing all on one Apple or Android app; uses off-the-shelf technology (smartphones and tablets); and was created by fuel industry veterans. But sales and safety automation isn’t unique to the fuel industry. According to Stomp, safety consulting companies have been doing this for years on desktop software, but the advent of smartphones makes it easier to do once and cut out the clerical work and double entry.

“In our industry, that would mean more sales, less safety issues, lower office admin costs,” he said. “If we can then cut the number of deliveries by 20 percent through tank monitoring, you have found a way to run your business more profitably and safer than you ever imagined possible. That is the new reality, the new possibility.”
To learn more about Tank Spotter’s Safety and Sales Automation App visit TankSpotter.com


More petroleum marketers and c-store operators are benefiting from cutting-edge technology in the form of innovative apps that handle everything from geo-location, on-site promotions, safety inspections, Sales improvements, marketing automation to instant proposals and invoices.

What does this mean?
If you too are struggling to clearly prove new customer gains from physical signage on billboards, bus stations, benches, banners, etc., you are not alone.

While it is well-known across industries that the impact and effectiveness of old world advertising has been in steady decline for almost two decades, it has been unclear to many exactly how they should then advertise, market, and grow their business.

Have you ever wondered what the largest companies are doing? Many propane marketers scratch their heads at the prices some propane companies charge. So, even with those higher prices, how are these companies attracting and gaining new customers? It is achieved in large part via some very savvy marketing. Rather than trying to blaze the path yourself, you might want to look at what the largest companies are doing.

The Shift to Digital Marketing
Many large and small companies have turned to advertising online. One of the biggest benefits they have found is that, unlike old world marketing, where you don’t really know if you got any new customers from that expensive billboard, you can know exactly how many customers you get from a digital marketing campaign. This allows you to know exactly which ads work, which do not, and how to direct your money for better ROI. Another benefit is that the ROI is higher than the old world methods, as it costs less to advertise and market online. Soyou can really invest $x and get $2x return from online marketing, while the old world marketing has often not delivered a clear and profitable return on investment. One company that specializes in digital marketing for propane companies is Propanequarterback.com  Check them out for propane specific digital marketing that will get you a great ROI.
Why Do It?
Surprisingly, there is a wide disparity between even the small family-owned propane companies. Some pride themselves on not spending any money on marketing, and some pride themselves on knowing that their marketing dollars deliver 2x to 10x return, and they are determined to grow their market share to the detriment of those who are not marketing and advertising. There are definite haves and have nots when it comes to understanding how to ramp up customer growth rates in this new era of growth, and those who do not change with the times and use the new tools available might take a lesson from the taxi and hotel industries who did not and have lost huge market share or profit streams to the likes of Uber and AirBnb. Take away… use today’s tools ASAP. If you don’t, your competition is sure to do so, and they WILL eat your lunch.

What does this mean?
The most cost effective and impactful method of riding the new digital marketing wave is to market via the digital platforms where more of your clients are living… platforms such as Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, and Facebook. These are the top places where the most traffic is.
Would you put a billboard on a lonely, less-traveled road? NO, of course not! You’d put it on a busy road, and these digital platforms are, in essence, the busy roads of 2017 and beyond.

What almost all propane companies do not know is that Google is changing their algorithm so their search engine will give you NEW preference if you have lots of great ratings and reviews… think “5 Star reviews”! So, it used to be that Google Maps would mainly show the closest businesses; that will soon change, and they will give preference to the companies with better reviews. The same goes with the Google Organic Search. They are going to suggest companies like yours BUT give preference to companies that have lot of great reviews.

This can be a calamity if someone has actually given you some poor reviews, and you cannot seem to attract great reviews. However, this can also be the greatest opportunity of the lifetime. It’s a huge opportunity, because almost every propane company has either poor or average reviews or no reviews at all.

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Or, if they have a good overall rating, they probably have very few reviews. That means if there were a way that you could continually attract great reviews, you could rule your market area online. Plus, this online “billboard” is often free, and that is a big savings over the cost of a real billboard or other old world marketing.

Getting online reviews is critical for today and tomorrow, on Google and Facebook and Yelp, but mostly on Google, due to the number of searches and people on that platform. Getting those reviews can become extremely easy (and a game changer)if you use a tool like TankSpotter.com which has an automated system for enabling propane companies to get and post 5 Star Reviews on Google, Facebook and Yelp. More importantly, they do it in a legitimate way that complies with all three of those companies’ policies.

Caution ahead… there are some companies that might suggest that they can get reviews and ratings created and posted online for you, in essence stuffing “make believe” reviews onto online platforms.

This can get you in trouble with Google, Facebook and Yelp. It can go so far as to get you delisted, removed, and banished from Google and the sales you hope to get. Don’t try to play the system, as it can cost much more in the long term.

The benefits to marketing online are real. You can double and triple your customer inquiries, eliminate lots of marketing costs, and simplify your entire marketing programs. If you do it the right way, you too could find it is the most profitable step you took in years. The newest opportunity and highest ROI is in merely getting hundreds of 5 star ratings via an automated system. You will find this to be a higher priority among all your competitors, so now is the time to get it moving. The only legal and legitimate solution to automate this at present seems to be TankSpotter.com. For other digital marketing needs, feel free to reach out to Propanequarterback.com.
​The new world of digital marketing will help you to stretch your marketing dollars further while providing a real boost to your bottom line.
visit www.tankspotter.com today