Do you accept theft in your company? This may seem like a silly question, but let me explain. Let’s look at a small construction company for example.

Times are tough and money is tight. So like most companies affected by the global economy, survival takes priority over being the next environmental hero.

I used to cringe every spring when our Chief Accountant sent around the note advising me that it was “that time of year again.” I’m not talking about tax time, but time to plan the annual operations budget. Before resource management software came along we had to wade through a paper jungle just to get a ballpark estimate.

Remember the good old days…about a year and a half ago? Prices at the pumps were hovering below one dollar per litre and they stayed the same for weeks. Well the good old days are gone forever and today we live in a world where fuel prices seem to go up by the hour.

How’s business? Most of us have seen cut backs in the last few months but today I have some good news for you. A fuel smart strategy will actually make you money.

There’s nothing really fun about managing a fleet fuel budget. Nothing simple about figuring out where all of last year’s fuel dollars really went. There’s the stack of receipts and the pages of invoices and a few spreadsheets that try to summarize it all. But there’s a lot those papers can’t tell you.

Unless you've been living on Gilligan’s Island with the Skipper and his crew you've certainly heard about the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. An explosion of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010 killed eleven workers and is currently spewing about more than 18,000 barrels of oil per day into Gulf waters.

I just about fell out of my chair. I know gas and oil prices have moved up over the last few months and we are on the verge of the annual summer bump in fuel prices, but when I heard about the possibility of a $7 dollar gallon, I had to do some digging. Where did that number come from? It seems the prediction was made as a reaction to more stringent environmental controls on emissions coming in the future for both Canada and the US.

Nobody likes hassle. That’s why many fuel-reliant companies made the decision to use on site fuel storage tanks. It made sense. There was the convenience of having the fuel you needed close at hand, no need to drive to a card lock, and access was of course 24/7. What could possibly go wrong? I’ll tell you.

Do you like shopping around for a good deal? I remember hearing about a guy who got a good deal on a new paint job for his truck…his brother-in-law was going to do it. No need to write any more because you can finish the rest of that story.

45 minutes is new industry average according to a new study. Time spent fueling increases labor costs; decreases productive work time

How many invoices from suppliers come into your office each month? If you took the time to count them all, I am sure you’d be surprised. Chances are you don’t even see them; it’s likely someone in accounts payable who reconciles all your bills.

Ok, time for an oldie but a goodie…Time is money. How many times have you heard that line? And I did use the word “time” three times in the opening line on purpose, because you guessed it, “time” will be the focus of this offering.

Summer is over. The kids are back in school, vacations are done and with fewer distractions now you can focus on making some improvements to your business. If you are fuel-reliant this could be the time to find a new supplier. Why?

Every time the price of oil drops, I get asked why the price at the pump stays high. With twelve years in the fuel business, it seems I’m always being asked “aren’t the two linked?”

A couple of months ago we talked about the fluctuating world price of oil and how it effects prices at the pump. In that column we talked mostly about supply and demand and mentioned how oil is traded as a commodity. Well there is a lot more to that story, a whole lot more.

How many different jobs do we all do in a day? If you’re like most managers, you wear a lot of hats. You probably manage people, resources, equipment, timelines, budgets and more.

Over the years harsh winter weather has crippled fuel supplies bringing industry to a grinding halt. While most companies scrambled to locate fuel during these crises, other companies didn’t even feel the pinch. The reason?

The upheaval in the financial markets this past month has added a pile of new pressures for business owners and managers. The hot buttons are managing cash flow and operating costs while also holding onto people and business volume.

Humour me a moment – while you’re filling your gas tank, do you fret over what would happen if you spilled a bit of fuel? Do you sweat over the impact it would have on the environment, the facility employees or their insurance rates?

It’s summer and as predictable as bar-b-ques and family vacations gas prices are creeping up. It seems the price at the pump increases with demand and for gasreliant companies this can be as painful as a sunburn.

We all have that nagging suspicion and we’ve all heard the official explanations. But the answer isn’t just a simple yes. In fact, the causes and the culprits might surprise you.