Small Fleet, Big Problems? How to Fuel Your Vehicles Without Owning a Fuel Yard
Running a small fleet is hard enough without adding “fuel yard manager” to your job title. Every trip to a gas station eats time, and research shows each fueling stop can add about 20 minutes of non-productive time and roughly 4 kilometers of extra wear per vehicle. When you multiply that by every driver, every week, the waste becomes obvious and expensive. That’s exactly why we built Tailored Fuel in Ottawa: so small fleets can keep moving without ever pouring money and hours into building or managing a fuel yard.
Key Takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How can I fuel a small fleet without a fuel yard? | You can rely on mobile on-site fueling, like our Fleet & Equipment Fueling service, where we deliver fuel directly to your parked vehicles on a schedule that fits your operations. |
| Is mobile fueling more expensive than gas stations? | We charge pay-at-the-pump pricing with our commercial membership. |
| Do I need special equipment or a yard to start? | No yard, no tanks, no pumps required. With our on-site fuel delivery, you just park your vehicles, at your shop, office, or jobsite, and we handle the rest. |
| Is this only for large trucking fleets? | Not at all. We specialize in Ottawa-area small and mid-sized fleets, contractors, service companies, and local businesses, outlined on our website. |
| Can this help with employee perks too? | Yes. We support businesses both as a fleet fueling partner and as an employee benefit, letting your team skip gas stations entirely through our commercial solutions described on the Commercial page. |
| How do I find out if my fleet is a fit? | Reach out through our contact page and we’ll walk through your routes, fleet size, and current fueling habits to see if on-site fueling makes sense. |
1. Why Small Fleets Don’t Need Fuel Yards Anymore
Fuel yards used to be the benchmark for “serious” fleets. Today, they’re often a liability, especially for small fleets in a city like Ottawa where space, compliance, and capital are all tight. Building out tanks, pumps, security, and spill systems for a dozen or two vehicles rarely pays back the investment.
Meanwhile, operating a truck already costs about $2.26 per kilometer on average, with fuel alone at roughly $1.20 per kilometer. When margins are that tight, tying up cash in a private fuel yard instead of using flexible on-site fueling or mobile services doesn’t make sense for most local operators.
Fueling Small Fleets the Modern Way
We built Tailored Fuel around a simple idea: your vehicles should get fuel where they sit, not where the nearest gas station happens to be. Whether your fleet parks at your shop, at employees’ homes, or across multiple jobsites, we bring the fuel to you.
That means you can grow from a few vehicles to a few dozen without ever pouring concrete for a fuel island, negotiating wholesale contracts, or worrying about tank inspections.
2. The Hidden Cost of Sending Drivers to Gas Stations
Every time a driver detours to a gas station, your business pays twice: once at the pump and again in wasted time. Those 20-minute fueling trips include driving out of route, waiting in line, dealing with pump issues, and handling receipts or card errors.
Multiply that by daily fueling for 10–20 vehicles and it quickly turns into hours of paid time with no productive work. On top of that, each trip adds extra mileage and wear that never appears as a clear line item but quietly eats into your maintenance budget.
What That Looks Like for a Small Fleet
- 10 vehicles x 5 fueling trips per week = 50 fueling trips
- 50 trips x 20 minutes = 1,000 minutes (over 16 hours) of lost time weekly
- At $30/hour loaded labor cost, that’s roughly $480/week, or almost $25,000/year
With on-site fueling, those hours simply disappear. Drivers start their day ready to work because their vehicles are already fueled before they even grab the keys.
3. Why Investing in a Fuel Yard Rarely Pays Off for Small Fleets
Fuel yards look attractive because bulk fuel pricing can be cheaper than retail. But for small fleets, the math often falls apart after you factor in setup, maintenance, and compliance. You’re not just buying tanks and a pump, you’re buying environmental risk, security headaches, and ongoing inspections.
On-site bulk fueling from a partner like us gives you many of the same benefits – predictable pricing, controlled fueling, and less downtime – without locking you into a fixed yard or major capital project.
Fuel Yard vs. Mobile Fueling: A Simple Comparison
| Aspect | Owning a Fuel Yard | Using Mobile / On-Site Fueling |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | High (tanks, pumps, permitting, site work) | None. You start with a service agreement |
| Compliance & inspections | You manage everything | Handled by your fuel partner |
| Scalability | Hard. Physical capacity limits | Easy. Add vehicles or sites as you grow |
| Risk (spills, theft) | You own the risk | Risk sits largely with provider |
| Cash tied up | Significant capital locked in | Pay as you go |
4. How On-Site Mobile Fueling Works for Small Fleets
On-site fueling sounds complicated, but from your side it’s very simple. You tell us where your vehicles park – yard, office, construction site, or even employees’ homes – and we schedule deliveries that fit your operations.
Your drivers arrive in the morning to full tanks. No detours, no receipts, no “quick stops” that turn into delays.
5. Tailored Fuel’s Ottawa-Based Fleet & Equipment Fueling
We’re Ottawa’s local mobile gas company. You’ve heard of Uber Eats; now imagine never sending your drivers to a gas station again. That’s exactly what our fleet and equipment fueling service delivers for businesses across the city.
We support mixed fleets, vans, pickups, cube trucks, and off-road equipment, so your crews can start their day with full tanks whether they’re heading to downtown service calls or remote construction sites.
Industry-Specific Solutions Without a Fuel Yard
Every industry has its own fueling headaches. Construction crews lose time hunting for stations near remote sites. Service companies watch techs queue at pumps during rush hour. Seasonal operations like landscaping or snow removal fight early-morning lineups and frozen hands at cold pumps.
We designed our fleet & equipment fueling to fit these realities, not some theoretical perfect route. You park where it makes sense for your work, and we bring the fuel to that reality, no fuel yard required.
6. Understanding Tailored Fuel’s Pricing for Small Fleets
Transparency matters when you’re comparing mobile fueling to the idea of a fuel yard. We keep it simple: our model is built around pay-at-the-pump fuel pricing plus a cost per truck structure (ex: $120 per truck per month). You’re not guessing at premiums or hidden markups.
Where Small Fleets Actually Save
- Labor: No paid time spent at gas stations.
- Routing: Fewer detours, less unplanned mileage.
- Admin: One clean digital record instead of stacks of paper receipts.
- Fuel control: Less chance of card misuse or personal fill-ups.
When you account for those savings, mobile fueling often comes out ahead of both gas stations and the all-in cost of running your own yard.
7. Turning Fueling Into an Employee Benefit (Not a Chore)
Fueling isn’t just a fleet issue; it’s a people issue. Nobody likes gas stations, especially in Ottawa in January. The same on-site fueling model that keeps your company vehicles ready can also support your employees’ personal vehicles as a benefit.
We already position Tailored Fuel as an employee perk: employers cover a predictable convenience fee that includes membership and delivery, while team members keep paying for fuel as they always have, just without the gas station stop.
Why This Matters for Small Fleets
When you’re competing for technicians, drivers, or skilled trades, small perks matter. “You never have to stop at a gas station again” is practical and easy to understand. It also improves punctuality and reduces the “I had to get gas” excuses that derail the first job of the day.
This way, fueling goes from friction in your operation to a quiet advantage in your hiring and retention toolkit.
8. Realistic Expectations: What Small Fleets Can Save
We like to keep expectations grounded. Not every fleet will cut costs in half, but most small fleets see real, measurable gains when they stop wasting driver time at gas stations. Industry mobile-fueling case studies often show savings of more than $800 per vehicle per year in combined labor and fuel efficiency.
For a 15-vehicle fleet, that’s $12,000+ annually, before considering softer benefits like fewer late starts, better driver satisfaction, and less admin time chasing fuel receipts.
What You Gain Beyond Dollars
- More predictable mornings: vehicles start the day ready.
- Less winter misery: no one is standing at a pump at -25°C.
- Cleaner yard and workflow: no need to build fueling lanes or manage traffic.
- Capacity to grow: adding vehicles doesn’t require expanding a fuel yard.
For many owners, the peace of mind alone is worth not having to think about a fuel yard ever again.
Conclusion
You don’t need a fuel yard to run a serious fleet in Ottawa. You don’t even need gas stations in your daily routine. With on-site fueling, your vehicles get the fuel they need while they’re parked, not while your drivers are on the clock and off route.
We started Tailored Fuel because gas stations are outdated, dirty, and a poor use of your time and money. If you’re running a small fleet and thinking about how to fuel smarter, we’re here to help you skip the fuel yard entirely, and never have to go to a gas station again.