Typically, fuel delivery trucks have to meet all state and DOT regs, which means being a fairly modern truck. They don't run on air. It'll need the usual maintenance and upkeep on a truck of that size. (Tires, oil and filters, brakes, ect) Insurance on a vehicle involved in transporting a hazardous material isn't free either. The cost per mile on that sort of truck ISN'T the same as the family pick-em-up. Fuel delivered to your doorstep most likely will cost the seller as much (or more) to get it there as fuel delivered (then sold) at the local gas station.
Big oil companies are reporting record profits. Local vendors aren't. In many cases, local retailers and wholesale distributors are barely making a few cents per gallon. But let's say for the sake of arguement they can make a buck a gallon. (Which the don't come close to) Let's figure the truck takes one hour from leaving it's last stop 'till it's on the way to the next stop when it drops that 30 gallon delivery. And let's imagine they can hire a hazmat CDL licensed driver for $10 an hour. His insurance and employers portion of taxes just ate up half of what the "profit" was on the fuel. (based on that imaginary buck a gallon profit) $15 an hour to cover the owning and operating cost on a LEGAL fuel delivery truck? PLEASE.....?!?!?!
Unless the fuel supplier is just across the street, the wholesaler just GAVE you 30 gallons of fuel and he probably lost a few bucks over the long haul.
Figure this with REALISTIC profit per gallon and he just went broke over a 30 gallon sale.
I seriously doubt ANY fuel distributor can sell 30 gallons, deliver it to your address, and sell it at anything like "pump price". I was born at night, but it wasn't LAST NIGHT. Not happenin'.
Being right on the fringes of a major metro area, I have several wholesalers who deliver to larger customers like truck lines, construction companies, utility companies, ect. at my beck and call. They deal in large volume where they can operate on a close margin (per gallon). We also have 3 differet county Ag co-ops that deliver to farmers in varying quantities. NOT THE FIRST ONE will deliver LESS than 250 gallons for a penny less than a minimum that is based on 250 gallon. You can get 30 gallons delivered, but you'll PAY for 250.
The mowing business I own bought just a shade over 7800 gallons of #2 diesel over a 7 month time period. I don't have the sort of leverage it would take to get 30 gallons delivered at the same rate as 250, so why would someone who buys 30 or 40 gallons a YEAR expect anyone to believe any SANE fuel distributor would do that?
No one with so much as a lick of business sense needs customers so bad that they'll deliberately give away their product and deliver it at a loss. I ain't buyin' the idea of 30 gallon home delivery at the same price per gallon as higher volume bulk delivery. This isn't 1950.
