How Onsite Fuel Delivery Works — A Complete Guide

Onsite fuel delivery — also called mobile fueling or direct-to-site fueling — is a service where a fuel supplier brings diesel, gasoline, DEF, or other fuels directly to your location. Instead of sending drivers to gas stations or managing your own fuel runs, a tanker truck arrives at your job site, fleet yard, farm, or facility and fills your equipment and vehicles on the spot.

For businesses that depend on fuel to operate — construction companies, fleet operators, farms, hospitals with backup generators, marinas — onsite delivery eliminates a significant source of wasted time, labor, and money. Here is exactly how the process works from start to finish.

Step 1: Request a Quote

The process begins with a quote request. You provide basic information: the type of fuel you need (ULSD, dyed diesel, gasoline, DEF, jet fuel), the estimated quantity in gallons, your delivery location, and your preferred delivery window. Most fuel brokers can return a quote within 30 minutes to a few hours. At BettyJet Fueling, we guarantee a quote response in under 30 minutes during business hours.

Pricing is typically based on a rack-plus model — the terminal price on the day of delivery plus a fixed per-gallon margin for delivery and logistics. This means you pay a transparent, market-based price rather than a marked-up retail rate. For recurring deliveries, many companies offer contracted pricing with locked margins.

Step 2: Order Confirmation and Scheduling

Once you approve the quote, your order is confirmed and scheduled. Standard delivery windows are typically 24 to 48 hours from confirmation, though emergency delivery is available within 2 to 6 hours in most metro areas. Your fuel provider sources the product from the nearest terminal or refinery and dispatches a carrier — either their own truck or a vetted third-party hauler.

A good fuel broker assigns both a primary and backup supplier to every order. This dual-supplier model ensures that if one source encounters a shortage, mechanical issue, or delay, your fuel still arrives on time. This redundancy is especially critical during hurricane season, when supply disruptions are common across Florida.

Step 3: Delivery Day

On the scheduled delivery day, a certified fuel hauler arrives at your site with a metered tanker truck. The driver follows a standard safety protocol: checking in with your site contact, positioning the truck safely, connecting grounding cables, and verifying the delivery location. Fuel is pumped through calibrated meters that record the exact gallonage dispensed.

For fleet fueling (also called wet hosing), the driver goes vehicle to vehicle, filling each one while your trucks are parked overnight. For tank fills, the driver connects to your storage tank's fill port and pumps the ordered quantity. For generator refueling, the driver fills the generator's day tank or belly tank directly.

The entire delivery process typically takes 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on volume and the number of vehicles or tanks being filled.

Step 4: Documentation

Documentation is a critical part of professional fuel delivery. After every delivery, you should receive a Bill of Lading (BOL) that records the product type, quantity, origin terminal, and destination. You also receive certified meter readings showing the exact gallons dispensed and proof-of-delivery (POD) photos confirming the delivery was completed.

At BettyJet, all documentation is uploaded to your customer portal the same day. You can view delivery history, download BOLs and invoices, and track spending by site, project, or cost center. This level of documentation is essential for tax reporting, job costing, compliance audits, and insurance claims.

Step 5: Billing and Payment

Invoicing typically follows within 24 to 48 hours of delivery. Commercial accounts generally operate on net-15 or net-30 payment terms, with options for ACH, wire transfer, or check payment. Your invoice itemizes the product type, quantity, per-gallon price, delivery fee (if applicable), and any applicable taxes.

Off-road diesel (dyed diesel) is exempt from federal and state fuel excise taxes, which can save 40 to 60 cents per gallon compared to on-road diesel. Your fuel provider should clearly separate taxable and tax-exempt products on every invoice.

Who Uses Onsite Fuel Delivery?

Onsite fuel delivery serves a wide range of commercial and industrial customers. Construction companies use it to fuel excavators, dozers, loaders, and generators on job sites. Fleet operators use overnight wet hosing to fuel truck fleets while drivers sleep. Farms and ranches fuel tractors, harvesters, and irrigation pumps without sending equipment off-site. Hospitals and data centers rely on scheduled generator refueling to maintain backup power readiness.

Marine operations, event venues with temporary power needs, government agencies, and municipalities all benefit from the convenience, cost savings, and documentation that onsite delivery provides.

Benefits Over Gas Stations

The advantages of onsite delivery over sending drivers to retail gas stations are substantial. Fuel is delivered at wholesale-based pricing rather than retail pump prices. Workers stay on the job instead of spending 30 to 60 minutes per trip at a gas station. You eliminate fuel card fraud and unauthorized purchases. Every gallon is metered, documented, and traceable to a specific vehicle, tank, or piece of equipment.

For a fleet of 20 trucks, eliminating gas station trips can save 10 to 20 labor hours per week — the equivalent of adding a half-time employee's productive capacity back to your operation.

Getting Started

Setting up onsite fuel delivery is straightforward. Contact a fuel broker or delivery provider, describe your fuel needs and delivery location, and request a quote. There is no long-term contract required for one-time deliveries, and most providers offer both on-demand and scheduled recurring service. Within 48 hours of your first order, fuel arrives at your site — documented, metered, and ready to power your operation.