Banquest Client Spotlight: Auto Filling Services

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In the coming weeks we will highlight some of our premiere clients. “Experience is a master teacher, even when it’s not our own.” Join us as we get an inside view of our fellow business owners’ struggles, strengths, and experiences!

 

Interview with: Meir Eisenstadt, Founding Partner, Auto Filling Services

Auto Filling Services founded in 2013 by Meir Eisenstadt and Aron Knopfler, is a commercial mobile fleet fueling service. They arrive at night when all the vehicles are usually parked in the company lot and go to each truck and fill up the gas tank. When the driver arrives in the morning they are ready to go and don’t have to waste time filling up!

 

What types of clients do you service? Do you fill up private cars?
We service commercial and industrial clients, including fuel tanks and generators for nursing homes, bus companies, and construction equipment in the tri state area, 24 hours a day/6 days a week. Private cars is not something we currently do, although we may offer this service in the future.
How did you get into the fuel business?
It was during hurricane Sandy in 2013 and my father ob”m was not well, and my mother’s car was out of fuel. I had a friend of mine drive from NJ with a trunk full of gas canisters to fill our tank. That gave me the idea of offering this to others as a service!
Do you think with the advance of electric vehicles, fuel companies will be going the way of the tape cassette?
Car fuel will go first. Trucks have a longer way to go because the changeover of fleets is not a simple process. Trucks are expensive to replace. Electric is not that much cheaper for trucks. It costs a lot to purchase, takes many hours to charge and needs a lot more power to run. Electric cars are generally not as expensive and the savings could add up quickly.
Why would a company not want to use such a service?
There is no reason! Our system saves businesses time and money. On average, a driver spends 20 – 30 minutes at a gas station filling up a 100 gallon tank. If you have 10 trucks and pay your drivers $20 an hour and it takes them 30 minutes to fuel, it costs you $10 per truck totaling $100 x 21 working days in a month = $2100 monthly!
Where do you purchase your fuel from?
We purchase our fuel directly from the refineries (as opposed to a middleman; i.e. your local gas station).
Do you stock up on gas when prices are cheap?
Yes. We currently store fuel at one of our locations. As such we are able to offer contract pricing for customers who want to know their cost for the year. They can lock in their pricing for a year without concerns of fluctuating gas prices. We are also constantly expanding our storage capabilities to be able to lock in lower fuel prices.
As someone who has taken an idea and turned it into a successful company, what is the greatest challenge you had and how did you overcome it?
Cashflow is one of the biggest challenges. Every growing company lives or dies by their cashflow. Banquest Payment Systems has proven to be a crucial partnership for our cashflow needs. We hope to continue our relationship for many more successful years!

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Please feel free to reply with your feedback regarding our new client spotlight series.

 

Happy Tuesday & Happy Selling!

–Kevin