At Greg’s Petroleum Service, we continue to take proactive steps where possible to ensure our employees are safe and to ensure the continuity of business operations including no disruption in supply and deliveries of our products or quality of service and support to our customers.

As many of you know, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a California statewide “Shelter-in-Place.” This will affect many companies and people across our state, however, Greg’s Petroleum Service is exempt from the “Shelter-in-Place” order because we are considered an “Essential Business.”

We have implemented several precautionary measures for both employees and visitors to reduce the risk of exposure to our workforce and the community.

Our office is in process of transitioning to service all customers primarily from remote, home offices with no in-person meetings. We will still be running business as usual, but we will be doing it from home with limited staff on-site. Please be prepared for more phone, email and video communication until further notice during these uncertain times. If you have any questions, please give us a call. If no one answers, follow the prompts and you will be directed to the person you need.

While we work on transitioning, we are practicing social distancing, consistent sanitization and minimal in-person contact in order to protect our staff, our customers and our families.

Please rest assured, we do not expect any disruption to our services. We remain committed to providing exceptional reliability and are taking several actions to help continue meeting your supply expectations.

Product Deliveries

• Delivery services will continue to operate as normal.
• Please contact your Sales representative or call our Warehouse to place orders.

Customer Pick-up Protocol

• We will be limiting in-office visits, please call ahead for pick-up orders.
• Dispatcher will issue pick-up time.
• Order will be staged and ready for pick-up.
• Customers should call us to notify when they arrive for the pick-up.
• Greg’s Petroleum Service employee will load the order.
• Customer will sign.
• Greg’s Petroleum Service employee to follow standard sanitary procedures after each transaction is complete.

CFN Cards

• For the time being, all CFN cards will be mailed directly to the customer.

We are part of an essential industry, and outside of health and safety, we take the servicing and support of our customers as our top priority. As always, please reach out to me directly or one of our team members if you have any questions or concerns.

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, and there is increasing concern and questions, Greg’s Petroleum Service will continue to keep communication high where necessary to avoid any concern or questions related to our business as there is enough to worry about already.

Stay safe and please let us know anything we can do to assist during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

Ron Mariani
President
Greg's Petroleum Service

There are few things more annoying than getting a fraud alert from your credit card company. It takes time to investigate the report, and then you have to cancel your card and await a new one and hopefully, reimbursement for the missing money. Most businesses cannot afford the disruption or expense. Unfortunately, credit card fraud is becoming all too common. The United States is the world leader in credit card fraud, with 38.6% of businesses reporting losses in 2018. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to fraud. Small companies with 10-49 employees reported losses of up to $37,258 dollars per fraud incident.

Where is your business most vulnerable? At the source of the transaction through the use of card skimmers. Credit card skimming is a huge industry problem, especially at gas stations. A gas station is an ideal place for thieves to set up this scam because most card swiping machines are unattended at the pump. All a thief has to do is insert a small device into the card reader. When a card is swiped through, the device captures the card details for the thief to use later. The problem is widespread across the nation. In Florida, they found nearly 1000 credit card skimmers at gas stations in 2018. The number of skimmers and other devices used to steal information from card readers could be much higher across the nation. Florida is one of the few states actively tracking the number of card skimmers.

For many small businesses that rely on company cards for fuel purchases, credit card skimming can be a real problem. Unless you are consistently tracking fuel purchases daily, it’s easy for a thief to rack up a sizeable fraudulent bill before you notice. That’s why it’s so important to track your expenditures diligently and to watch out for scams. Here are a few signs to look out for when using a credit card at the pump.

• Make sure the card reader is not loose or looks like it has been tampered with or moved.
• A card reader that sticks out further than normal. Do a quick comparison with the other pumps.
• Voided security seal. Look for a flat, blue, or red label on the cabinet panel that says security seal. If it has been tampered with, the words “void open’ will appear in white, and it means that someone tried to access the internal machine cabinet. Notify the attendant and do not use the machine.
• A pin pad that looks thicker than normal, seems out of place, or that has keys that are tough to push.
• Anything that looks like it may be a small camera. Many thieves will place a small camera to capture PINs. If you notice anything unusual, notify the clerk on duty. Always cover your pin while entering it.

Many companies turn to fleet fueling cards to avoid credit card skimming. We offer a fleet fueling program to help reduce costs for our customers, for simple expense tracking, and access to 24/7 card lock fuel sites throughout the country. Unfortunately, fuel cards are susceptible to skimming scams as well. Luckily, programs like our CFN fraud program offer protections to help prevent fraud. These protections include:

• Network-wide protection against fraudulent transactions
• Product controls for unauthorized purchases
• Protection from card skimming and software attacks
• e-Receipts for quick tracking and reporting
• Suspicious card activity alerts

These protections can help save your business from fraud, but it also helps to make sure that your delivery team knows what to look for to avoid card skimming. Make sure to teach your drivers about the signs of card reader tampering. It’s also crucial to stress the importance of protecting your fuel card and immediately reporting it when the card is lost or suspected of being stolen. These standards can help reduce the frequency of fraud attacks and save your business money.

Your role is to stay on top of your fuel expenditures. That’s where our fleet program is even more helpful. The tracking we offer can alert you to any possible fraudulent transactions quickly. Thieves know that they will be caught, so their goal is to rack up expensive purchases quickly. The faster the fraud is detected, the easier it is to cut off the card and stop it. CFN offers coverage to reimburse your business up to $25,000 for the 45-day calendar period before the card invalidation.

Unfortunately, credit and fuel card skimming will only continue to happen. You can prepare and look for the signs of tampering, but thieves are smart and will think of new ways to trick us. Gas stations and fuel cardlock sites are particularly vulnerable, which means that every time you fuel up, you could be getting scammed. Join our fleet fueling program and sign up for CFN fraud protection. It’s the only way you can guarantee that your business will have the proper protection if you fall victim to a scam. Fraud protection can save your business money and wasted time. Invest in this protection for your company today.

The term 'Thank You' is not enough when it comes to expressing our gratitude towards the medical workers, who are front and center taking care of those affected by the COVID-19 virus. Heroes are not those who fly in the sky but are the ones who are by our side in difficult times. While the whole world is braving a pandemic currently, there are the coronavirus helpers that are not staying back at home comfortably but going out there and doing everything to fight COVID-19. They are putting their lives at risk to save others from the risk of infectious disease. Right from the medical workers, doctors, nurses, midwives, sanitation workers, police, firefighters, essential items providers, media personnel and everyone who is serving before self- we thank you!

There are also many essential services workers (including our warehouse personnel and drivers) that have a responsibility during the COVID-19 outbreak to continue operations, potentially putting their lives in danger through contracting COVID-19. Many of these people work behind the scenes without the general public realizing how essential they are to keeping society functioning.

So if you see a truck driver this week, please thank them. They are putting in long hours, under stressful circumstances, to ensure life’s essentials get restocked. Truck drivers are often taken for granted. But in times like these, we are reminded of their hero status.

A big thank you to each and every essential worker for putting yourselves on the frontlines so we can be safe and healthy. In times like these we see so clearly how important their work is to all of us. We will be forever grateful!

Our lives depend on the work of truckers. We see that more than ever now. Food lines the shelves of grocery stores because of the efforts of truckers. Fuel is available to purchase because truckers haul it from refinery sites all over North America. Building supplies, equipment and nearly everything we use to run our lives and businesses were probably transported at one point by a truck. Truckers move more than 70% of all goods across the country. According to the American Trucking Association, that’s 10.8 billion tons of freight in 2017, or the equivalent of 30 pounds for every person in the country.

Despite how vital the trucking industry is to the country and our economy, many delivery and fleet businesses struggle. The highest costs for fleet operations are fuel costs, equipment repair and equipment breakdowns. Today’s large semi-trucks are more complex than ever, and these costs can add up quickly. One truck out of commission in a fleet can represent a significant loss of revenue for a company, and many fleet operations run on thin profit margins.

That’s why Chevron is so committed to helping trucking companies go further. Their Delo® brand heavy-duty motor oils meet the needs of modern heavy-duty engines. These motor oils have earned a long-standing reputation for durability and for helping keep trucks on the road and out of the shop.

See for yourself what a difference these oils can make. Try out the Delo fuel economy calculator. Simply enter your fleet’s information and calculate the savings your company could earn by making the switch to Delo® products. If the projected savings aren’t enough to convince you, watch the series of endorsements from some of the hardest working professionals in the business who use Delo® products.

Delo® 600 ADF with Omnixmax, a Chevron patented technology, is one of Chevron’s newest products. Formulated to provide protection to both the engine and the emissions aftertreatment system to deliver maximum system protection including:

• Aftertreatment Protection: Chevron's ultra-low ash additive technology uses 60% less metallic components that can build up in aftertreatment systems and require costly maintenance and equipment downtime.
• Drain Interval Extension: Utilizes a potent antioxidant system that prevents breakdown at elevated operating temperatures which otherwise limits engine oil life.
• Fuel Economy Retention: A new and proven performance dimension that enables equipment to retain up to 3% more fuel economy performance, offering significant lifecycle cost savings.

Delivering maximum system protection, Delo 600 ADF reduces the rate of DPF clogging to deliver extended DPF service life (2.5x), industry redefining fuel economy retention, superior wear protection and improved oxidation stability.

If you want to keep your trucks running and save money on operating costs, it is time to make the switch to Delo® products. We’ve been supplying our customers with products like these for more than a decade, and they’ve seen the benefits.

The trucking industry is more vital than ever. We need the goods and supplies that move across our nation every day. Without this essential industry, so many other businesses would struggle. The average grocery store would run out of food within three days without the support of deliveries from trucks! Nearly every industry relies on the transportation of goods and services provided by semi-truck and trucking companies.

Chevron knows that, and that’s why they’ve created the Delo® oil lineup to help these trucks go further and stay on the road. As a lubricants supplier, we are proud to help provide these products to fellow businesses and show them what they can do for their fleets. Contact us to order your Delo® oil today!

Things are a bit uncertain now, with all that is going on in the world. Business owners everywhere are taking a close look at the way their businesses run and the way employees interact with one another and customers.

While we want to believe fraud isn’t prevalent at times when we are focusing on pulling together, it is actually one of the times we need to be more focused on it. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to fraud.

There are a few different types of fuel fraud that businesses should be aware of including:

• Skimming—when a thief manipulates a credit card scanner to steal the information off the card.
• Internal fraud—when employees misuse fuel privileges or deliberately steal fuel by buying excess fuel for personal use, using company vehicles for personal use, storing excess fuel to sell or siphoning off fuel.
• Phishing—an email or text is used to retrieve credit card or fuel card information through an online fraudster posing as a trusted source.
• Data breaches—when a hacker breaks into a private database to steal cardholder information to create new accounts or to misuse current accounts.

These are some of the significant ways that fuel fraud occurs. Businesses need to take steps to protect themselves, as it can often be challenging to prove fraud has occurred, especially when it comes to internal fraud. Unfortunately, employees who misuse company fuel cards or credit cards can account for a large portion of fuel fraud transactions.

One reason internal fuel fraud can be such a significant issue for many companies is a lack of understanding about what fuel theft is. Fleet managers and drivers often disagree over the ethics of fuel theft. According to an Edelman Berland research firm report commissioned by Shell, nearly 86% of US fleet managers believe that some of their drivers are committing fraudulent activity. In contrast, almost 1 in 6 drivers do not consider fuel fraud to be a big issue at all, even though 2 in 5 drivers admit they have seen another driver act fraudulently.

Why is there a disconnect between managers and drivers? It may come down to a misunderstanding of how much fuel fraud truly affects a business. Drivers on the road may not think that misusing fuel for their purposes is that big of a deal. They don’t see the budgetary effects of little extra fuel costs here and there. Managers, on the other hand, are often watching over razor-thin profit margins, searching for ways to save money. Every little cent makes a difference to the business, and so extra fuel charges can start to add up.

The best way to prevent fraud is to detect when it starts to happen. Managers need access to fast, accurate expense tracking to stay on top of charges before they occur. This way, they can identify problematic fuel purchases and find out why they are happening. Using this information, a manager can then warn drivers to stop the inappropriate behavior or train them on how to prevent fraudulent transactions. The problem many businesses face is that they don’t have fast and accurate tracking.

We can help with that. Our fuel card program helps to prevent fraud and protect businesses when it happens. Every CFN card comes with a card number, quantity limit and driver identification number, which is set to a pre-approved amount. Drivers will then be more careful to avoid misusing their fuel privileges. Email notifications of potential fraud alerts can also be set up for early detection.

The CFN fleet card program is set up with a number of controls to help cut back on fuel misuse. These controls can help train drivers to use their fuel privileges more appropriately and include:

• Personalized driver profiles
• Daily transaction limits
• Time of day and weekly control limits
• Product control
• E-receipts
• Custom fuel usage reports

All of this information is easily accessible for managers and businesses to stay on top of their fuel expenses. If fuel fraud is occurring, it can be detected quickly before high costs arise. The more closely you track your fuel expenses and impose limits on fuel privileges, the easier it will be to protect your business.

We are sure that most drivers don’t intend to misuse fuel privileges. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. That’s why the CFN fleet card limitations protect both businesses and drivers. With these limits, clear expectations and fast-tracking, everyone can stay in line. It will help cut back on expenses, which is what every business needs. Sign up now for the program.