Remote connectivity provides the foundation that allows convenience stores, fleets, and any other facilities with fuel the visibility needed to tap into the power of technology. 

As the name implies, without remote visibility into your equipment, you’re stuck with manual, on-site processes that slow you down and cost you money. You won’t be able to tap into the benefits of remote solutions and you’ll have to keep performing every inspection on-site and filling out all paperwork by hand.

Remote connectivity is the first step in digital transformation. But it’s also crucial that the data you get from your devices is trustworthy and accurate. When you make major decisions for yourself or your customers, you have to know that you’re basing them on correct information. 

The right solution that’s dependable and accurate can revolutionize how you do business. But you don’t have to take our word for it. We talked with Joseph Whalen, the Retail Account Manager for RKA Petroleum, about how technology has improved the way they do business. 

This technology allows them to identify issues sooner, get them fixed faster, and make them the best at what they do. Here is what he had to say.

How has remote connectivity helped your daily operations?

Remote connectivity allows us to see up-to-date inventories, which in turn allows us to take care of our customers much quicker. It allows for better communication between our dispatchers and drivers, which ultimately saves our drivers time on the road.

What departments use remote connectivity in their day-to-day operations and how?  

Our Dispatch Team relies on our Titan devices throughout the day to check fuel levels and to make sure there are no major changes—plus or minus—at our customers’ sites. Management occasionally needs to access the information in the software if a customer needs any reconciliation reports. Our sales department utilizes the phone app as a backup on the weekend. As you can see, we use this technology across departments.

How has remote connectivity improved your services?

Having real-time data is crucial for knowing the levels at our various customer sites. If there is an unexpected increase at one of our customers’ sites, the real-time data allows us to make quick changes in deliveries and make sure that every customer has what they need. Also, if we ever notice that something doesn’t look quite right in the data, we can notify them that there may be an issue, such as a probe being out, a tank monitor issue, etc. We are able to see these issues further in advance and implement the fixes needed sooner as well.

Has remote connectivity helped you maintain compliance? If so, how?

Remote connectivity has absolutely helped us maintain compliance. Michigan law states that you only can fill a tank to 90%. Knowing the correct fuel levels helps us make sure we take the correct amount of fuel, saving time for the driver and saving money for the customer. Water in the tanks can also be a compliance issue. The water level icons also help with communicating findings to our customers so they can implement solutions before they rack up major problems–or major fines.

Has remote connectivity helped with fuel delivery? If so, how?

Coordinating a fleet of drivers is a task. I feel that RKA has always been one of the best in the business at doing this, but having this technology allows us to be the best! Coordinating fuel deliveries has seen the biggest improvement with this technology. Time is money, not only for our customers, but for our company as well. The better everything is coordinated, the better our customers are taken care of! Having remote access to accurate data makes it possible. 

Wrap Up

Digital transformation is key for thriving in today’s market. Technology allows you to anticipate challenges and solve them before they cost you money. Like RKA Petroleum, you’ll be able to keep an eye on your data, noticing when something is off long before it causes expensive damage. 

Technology allows you to work faster and cheaper with the confidence to say that you, too, are the best in your business.

Learn how Titan’s family of brands can make your business more effective.

Apps are available to download for both Apple and Android devices and connect to Titan’s complete inspection cloud platform.

The manager begins by setting up the inspections you want performed. Then, inspectors open the app and are taken to a list of the facilities the manager has given them to inspect.

To ensure compliance, the app includes free access to a library containing all accepted state forms and PEI forms, which apply to states that have not yet adopted their own forms. This means you’ll always meet compliance requirements, with new state forms automatically added as states adopt them. Even better, all completed inspections are published on approved state PDFs for paperless compliance reporting that’s as fast as it is easy.

Operators can set up a new inspection by selecting “add new” and then choosing the inspection they desire completed by field personnel or vendors. Simply select the date of the inspection and your Inspector will automatically be filled in based on the list you’ve set up to perform these inspections. Select “add new” again and the inspection is created. 

You have the ability to require specific fields and attachments, so no inspection can be scored until all forms are filled. You have the option to score results as pass/fail or on a weighted scale.

Information is pulled from your site data in the Titan platform, including facility-specific information like tanks, lines, dispensers, canopies, sumps, and ATGs. This ensures inspectors see and inspect what equipment is actually installed at your sites, increasing both the accuracy and efficiency of your inspection process. 

Once a user has been set up in the inspection app, they can work online providing you with real-time results, or if no internet is available, they can perform inspections offline and sync when the inspection is completed and internet is available.

The types of inspections you can do with Titan are as flexible and versatile as your business needs. Forms in the inspection library are not limited to EPA and PEI inspections since you can configure virtually any form or inspection type you want performed, including 30-day walk-throughs, spill bucket inspections, big oil brand or secret shopper inspections, clean bathroom inspections, fleet inspections and so on. You can even set up an optional approval process if you so choose.

Completed inspections are accessible as mapped PDFs in both the Advanced Facility Inspection App and the Titan platform. And because it’s a cloud platform, you can include as many videos, documents, and photos without worrying about possibly running out of space.

Titan’s management dashboard allows users to manage the inspection process, offering complete visibility into what inspections have been completed and which have not in any given month. 

Additionally, you’ll be notified of deficiencies, inspection statuses or stages, trends, and even the root causes of any recurring problems. You can even set up a workflow with notifications to help users and staff track all issues to resolution—even linking to work orders for full maintenance resolution management.

Inspectors have the flexibility to open previously started inspections, start new inspections, or look at completed inspections from the app. Leading convenience stores have used Titan’s inspection app to perform more than 8,000 fuel facility walk-through inspections each month for over 5 years, making is the #1 inspection app in the fuel industry.

If you’d like to learn more about Titan Cloud Software’s Advanced Inspection Platform and Apps, please reach out today to set up a demo.

As the leaders in fuel and fluid handling equipment, PEI is uniquely qualified to provide direction on the best way to manage and maintain your underground storage tanks. Since rules and regulations are constantly evolving, it’s a good business practice to stay on top of inspection tasks.

They have scoured published and unpublished information from manufacturers, contractors, petroleum marketers, and regulatory agencies to provide the most up-to-date recommendations to promote the safety, health, and compliance of your business. Instead of forcing you to scour the internet and archives to find the information you need, PEI keeps it all together in one place. Having one centralized source-of-truth is not just good for your data, but it’s also good for you. 

PEI’s goal (and ours) is to be proactive by identifying potential equipment problems and reducing liability associated with operating underground storage systems.

A quick summary

The biggest changes in the RP900 are all about inspections, who and how they are to be performed in 2022 and beyond. 

As we mentioned before, inspection requirements have changed this year, and these changes have had a trickle down effect to also cause shifts in other areas of the RP900. In addition to noting the changes required by monthly and daily inspections, the RP900 has also changed to reflect the new inspection processes affected by the monthly and daily inspection requirements (or lack thereof). There’s also been a change to the specific language around who can perform inspections to clarify who exactly is qualified and what qualification entails.

This is not to say that all changes are a result of the inspection requirements. However, many of the changes (outlined in more detail below) are a direct result of new processes and requirements from the inspections. 

Recommended Inspection Practices for USTs

Many of the 2021 revisions include updates, modified language, and clarifications. The biggest change is the removal of daily inspections, making them optional and updating monthly and annual inspections requirements to mirror EPA requirements.

The 2021 version includes the following revisions:

• Updated monthly and annual inspections requirements to mirror EPA requirements
• Removed requirement for daily inspection (Chapter 6) and made optional
• Modified monthly inspection process to reflect removal of daily inspection
• Modified daily inspection to an optional periodic operational inspection and moved to Appendix
• Added language that the optional periodic operational inspection is a possible method that can be used to comply with monthly inspection
• Modified language on who should complete monthly and annual inspections by revising the definition for qualified person and removed requirements for Level I and II designation
• Updated periodic, monthly and annual checklists
• Reordered Appendix to reflect changes for monthly, annual and optional periodic operational inspections
• Clarified use of electronics sensors for leak detection
• Clarified use of statistical inventory reconciliation for tank and line leak detection

What hasn’t changed is the amount of data you need for accurate recordkeeping. 

Checklists are designed to help you get things done. When you’re managing monthly and yearly maintenance tasks, keeping track of all that data manually can bog you down. On the PEI website, there are 10 Appendixes alone available to download! When you multiply the number of checklists by 10s or 100s of tanks, your recordkeeping can spiral out of control.

Wrap Up

With Titan, you can store all your documents and comprehensive data in one place. You’ll get more done in less time with automated reports at your fingertips. Best of all, you can stop worrying about delayed reporting, missing paperwork, or losing critical compliance documents.

Those in the business of storing and dispensing fuel can use advanced technology to streamline their UST inspection tasks. 

Learn how Titan can keep your fuel operation efficient and profitable. Schedule a demo today.

There’s a saying in life: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll only get what you’ve always got. If you’ve been tracking fuel tank inspections with pen and paper, then you can expect the same inefficient workflows and cumbersome compliance reporting.

If the people who have been going from site to site and tank to tank with pen and paper only knew they could be conducting inspections with digital tools. With mobile inspections software tools, customers can replace dozens of manual processes with one software tool  that enables efficient, on-the-go data capture.

You already understand the importance of accurate information. The wrong data or a faulty tool could potentially cost you thousands of dollars in downtime, environmental fines, or more. Inspecting your fuel tanks one by one is actually more likely to produce errors than when you utilize digital tools. 

We’re here to help you save time and improve accuracy while remaining—and even improving—compliant. Here are some fuel tank inspection recommendations that utilize technology in order to keep your inspections as efficient as possible.

Underground Fuel Tank Inspection Basics

Conduct a visual inspection with a mobile form. You should perform visual inspections of your fuel tanks regularly—but are you doing it thoroughly, consistently, and accurately every time? Using a mobile form, you can be sure that your inspectors are looking for the right things every time and not missing anything. A mobile form will guide your inspectors to look for signs of corrosion, cracks, and leaks in all the highest risk places so you don’t miss anything if an inspector is in a hurry or inexperienced.

Our environmental software automates access to all required state and PEI forms in a central hub and stores all documentation for as long as you want or need. Titan also adds new forms as states adopt them so you’ll always work from the most current regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states that enforce UST rules do require a walkthrough inspection every 30 days, and you are required to retain inspection records for at least three years. 

Reporting and record keeping. Depending on your UST, you’ll need to inspect various equipment associated with your storage tanks and keep written verification of equipment performance. Equipment manufacturers or installers provide this verification, but it’s the owners’ responsibility to maintain accurate and current records. If and when an inspector conducts an on-site inspection, you need to keep records that prove your facility or store meets certain requirements. 

This is a lot of information and paperwork to keep track of. However, the right technology makes it simple. Our platform operates as a virtual filing cabinet so you no longer have to search actual filing cabinets—or worse, shoeboxes—for the relevant paperwork. Instead, you can do a simple search on the platform and see everything you need in seconds. 

You can also keep track of vendors and work orders to make sure you’re fixing all notifications and alerts that pop up.

Wrap Up

With Titan’s facility management software, you can keep all the essential federal and state records stored in one place and ensure that inspectors see and inspect what’s installed at your site. You can connect all your fuel equipment to understand the root issues of your most valuable assets.

Our solutions represent the convergence of compliance, fuel analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), setting a new standard for facilities with fuel.

Learn more about how Titan can streamline fuel inspections—and more.

Brent Puzak has worked for convenience stores for over two decades. During that time, he learned first-hand about the challenges facing each department. So we brought him in to share his perspective on how teams of all sizes can scale their operations amidst increasing regulations. 

Read his take below.

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During my time working for convenience stores, I’ve learned that Compliance Managers face unique challenges. They need to answer complex questions and focus on the day-to-day tasks necessary to follow state and federal regulations. Finding that balance between increasing revenue while meeting the needs of stakeholders, regulators, and public health is hard.

The role of the Director and Compliance Manager is complex. Their job is three-fold:

1. Keeping stores and tanks operational while taking the pressure off store personnel. 
2. Find solutions for operators.
3. Ensure their actions comply fully with all regulations.

My tenure with convenience stores gave me a 360-degree view of these segments: employees, operators, and regulators. It allowed me to work with massive amounts of data and interpret it from many perspectives in a way that minimized disruption.

Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

How do regulations create challenges for compliance teams?

The biggest challenge facing the industry over the last several years is the updated underground storage tank (UST) regulations. The 2005 Energy Policy Act created a greater focus on compliance for the c-store industry. The new double-wall requirements have added a layer of complexity for compliance teams.

Because of this, convenience store owners now need to turn their attention to a new problem: How can they better manage increasing regulations? Their old ways of managing data and performing inspections are no longer sustainable. These new requirements go beyond the scope of what your average compliance manager can handle manually. 

For example, before the 2005 Energy Policy Act, a lot of people were using SIR and CSLD for their method of release detection. Then interstitial monitoring became a rule. There are more sensors in the storage tanks pulling more data than ever before and stores need to collect that data on an ongoing basis.

People who managed their data on Excel spreadsheets struggled to keep up with the workload. A lot of people looked for systems to help them better manage their business to keep pace with their growth. As you can imagine, using remote technology to access, store, and check data is far easier than checking gauges manually and sorting every spreadsheet by hand. It makes a compliance manager’s job much easier, much cheaper, and much more effective.

Because of its convenience and functionality, we’ve seen software evolve from a nice-to-have to a critical need in the industry.

How do c-store compliance teams solve these challenges?

Owners and operators have had to figure out how to manage the firehose of data. They’ve realized that spreadsheets, which they’d been using for years, weren’t going to cut it. An increase in compliance requirements means more testing and inspections. And more scrutiny means finding more issues to resolve. 

The amount of data required to meet regulations has almost tripled now that the 2005 Energy Policy Act is in place. These new requirements have placed an extra burden on compliance staff and organizations as a whole. Depending on the types of systems in operation, periodic testing and release detection must be completed to ensure overall system integrity, while monthly visual inspections ensure that irregular operating conditions are caught to minimize and prevent impacts to the environment. Many of these tests and inspections are new requirements and add additional visibility and tracking to each site.

In fact, some customers have seen an increase of 30,000 or more component tests and inspections over a two to three-year period! 

Store owners want to remain compliant, but they need help to scale at this order of magnitude. It is humanly impossible to track such an enormous amount of data without some tracking system in place. Operators need to find platforms that allow them to manage compliance aspects more effectively; the data needs to be housed somewhere, and ideally someplace that’s easy to navigate and sort.

Customers are looking to cloud technology for its vast storage capabilities. Cloud software allows them to access data remotely from anywhere and share it more globally. This flexibility gives them visibility to critical compliance information and more control over the way people work.

Once compliance teams have access to a central source of truth and have experienced first-hand the value of technology, they embrace digital transformation.

Wrap up

In my experience, it’s important to have a system in place that gives me visibility into all the data. I want to make sure I’m not missing anything that regulators need and I want a way to report on compliance efficiently.

At my last company, using Titan’s software allowed me to do that. Today, as a Titan team member, I help other convenience stores transform how they handle their mountain of data. 

Best of all, the technology will continue to evolve and grow as regulations do. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this industry–regulations tend to only increase.

Once upon a time, many years ago, Love’s Travel Stops executives were having trouble managing environmental compliance at all of their sites. So they began searching for a solution that could store all their compliance and connectivity data and also provide a one-stop-shop to streamline their processes. After evaluating a variety of solutions and even considering an in-house option, Love’s selected Titan Cloud’s industry-leading software to help them manage all aspects of their environmental compliance.  

The Love’s team started using Titan’s mobile inspection app to collaborate with 3rd party vendors on issues and remediation tracking. Communicating with external teams through the app allows Love’s users to ensure quick resolutions every time. In addition to the mobile app, the Service Channel integration feeds Love’s activities and workflows from Titan’s platform directly into Love’s maintenance portal to eliminate double entries and mistyped information.  

With Titan’s environmental compliance software proving to be such a success, Love’s deepened their relationship with Titan Cloud to include Alarm and ATG Configuration Management solutions. The Love’s team immediately saw results with the alarm management system, alerting them to alarms they previously wouldn’t have seen and allowing them to dive deeper into recurring alarms through Titan’s root-cause analysis. The new detailed information on alarm types, groups, causes, and frequencies allows Love’s users to see how alarms are affecting a specific location and troubleshoot what’s triggering alarms in the first place.  

On streamlining their compliance and ATG processes, Love’s Senior Environmental Manager Kevin Nickell said, “the greatest return we’ve seen has been in time saved, and in this industry, time is money.” Titan solutions are used at more than 730 Love’s stores across the U.S. As Love’s continues their rapid site expansion, the Love’s and Titan Cloud teams will continue working together to identify retailer pain points and create innovative solutions to overcome those challenges.  

The End.