San Mateo-based fuel delivery company Booster Fuels Inc. has expanded its operations to Sacramento, where it's bringing renewable fuels to fleet operators.
The service delivers fuel at night, so fleet operators are ready to go in the morning, and their drivers don’t waste time on the clock going to get filled up or waiting in line, Booster CEO Frank Mycroft told the Business Journal.
“We offer an easy button for fleets that want to go green,” Mycroft said. Depending on the circumstances, up to 3% of fuel used by fleets is expended in going to get fuel, usually at truck stops or at automated cardlock stations.
Many fleet operators are interested in using more renewables, but they don’t know how to go about it or where they can get the fuel, Mycroft said.
Booster removes the search because it delivers renewable diesel to fleets, and Booster drivers fill up all their trucks. For some customers, Booster fills hundreds of vehicles at a time. Booster can also deliver gasoline or regular diesel.
The service also helps fleets eliminate fuel cards, which reduces management and potential for theft, Mycroft said. The service also comes with a dashboard to help fleet operators manage fueling and payment. The service started in Sacramento at the end of last year. The service is available parts of California, Washington, Tennessee, Texas and Maryland so far. Booster chose the Sacramento market because it has a broad variety of fleet operators, and lots of them, Mycroft said.
The service allows fleet operators to be more efficient with their drivers, which is an issue because of an ongoing shortage of commercial drivers, he said. Booster runs a driver school to get its drivers their commercial licenses, and they tend to be loyal, Mycroft said.
Booster works with with Ames, Iowa-based biofuel company Renewable Energy Group Inc. (Nasdaq: REGI) and others that supply the renewable fuel, which is often sourced from plant products and recycled fryer oil, Mycroft said. The fuel doesn’t require any changes to existing diesel trucks.
Booster charges market rates for its fuel. Its attraction is efficiency and other cost savings, he said.
Booster has approvals to deliver in some of California’s largest metropolitan air quality management districts, and it's working toward statewide approval from the California Air Resources Board.
Booster customers include school districts, municipal and utility customers and three of the four largest package delivery companies, he said.
The 2014 startup has 250 employees, and it has raised about $108 million in funding from investors including New York-based Invus Opportunities, San Francisco-based Conversion Capital LLC and St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings Ventures, among others.
Mycroft declined to disclose Booster's revenue.
