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Many states have incentives in place that allow a credit against the taxpayer’s income or sales tax liability when biodiesel blends are sold. These credits or incentives can help add additional margin to your bottom line, thus helping to boost your travel center profits.

Biodiesel is well-chronicled as a clean-burning and environmentally friendly fuel, but as it permeates the marketplace and incentives are implemented across the United States, biodiesel’s economic advantages grow. In 2010, biodiesel sales were approximately 300 million gallons, but have jumped to more than 1.5 billion gallons in 2013.

The clean burning, low emission fuel source is renowned for the economic, environmental and domestic production advantages, but biodiesel also displays value in the engine performance realm. When looking at biodiesel benefits, experts have seen a unique blend of high cetane and high lubricity levels yet low sulfur content.

Renewable Identification Numbers, also known as RINs, have become the standard for biodiesel blending tracking by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While RINs can help companies attain important carbon credits, they are not mandatory for all levels of the supply chain.

There are no requirements to label the fuel when offering up to B5 blends. However, it’s important to communicate to your customers that you are offering biodiesel blends. Biodiesel acts as a natural solvent and it has the ability to clean filters and engines that historically may have accumulated material associated with diesel fuel. So, it may be necessary for customers to change out the filters — once or twice — within the first few thousand miles of using biodiesel. Another area for communication is the cloud point. Depending on the biodiesel blend offered the cloud point of the blended fuel may change. This is especially important when switching to biodiesel for the first time. This communication can be as simple as using flyers, posters and banners throughout your travel center.

Integrating biodiesel blends like B20 into your truck stop or travel center is a three step process. First, paperwork preparation and then the physical integration of biodiesel in storage and at the pump. The third step is one that many travel centers overlook: ongoing communication with your biodiesel supplier.

Making the move to biodiesel blends in your travel center or truck stop is a two-part process. In my last post, I walked through the paperwork process for fuel licenses, taxes and credit opportunities. Your next step is physically integrating the product into your retail diesel sales.

Before your first load of biodiesel can be ordered and delivered, paperwork and tank prep must be in place

When your customers pull up to the diesel pump, they want to know exactly what they are getting. Clearly posting your price and the diesel grade are part of your every day operation. Biodiesel pump label requirements give travel centers an opportunity to easily integrate biodiesel blends.

But like anything else in this world, money doesn’t grow on trees and biodiesel is a complex space.

While the nation needs a diversified fuel strategy, biodiesel continues to be the drop-in fuel choicefor retail fuel infrastructure and fleet engines.