Choosing a wholesale fuel supplier is one of the largest recurring decisions a gas station owner makes, and it is easy to focus on a single number. Price matters, but it is only one part of what you are agreeing to. This guide is a checklist of questions to put to any supplier, including RJB Energy. It is general information, not legal or financial advice, and it does not describe any particular supplier’s terms.
Start with the product
Ask exactly what will be delivered. For gasoline that means the posted octane rating of each grade. For diesel it means whether the fuel is ultra-low-sulfur and how winter conditions are handled. Ask whether any additive package is included, whether it can be declined, and whether the fuel is sold as a branded or unbranded product. Our fuel grades guide explains the basic numbers.
Ask how deliveries work
Reliable supply is the point of the relationship, so questions about delivery deserve as much time as questions about price.
- Who decides when your station needs a delivery: you, the supplier, or an automatic schedule?
- How much notice is needed for an extra or urgent delivery?
- What are the delivery windows, and what happens if one is missed?
- Is there a minimum or maximum quantity per delivery, and is it compatible with your tank sizes?
- What happens when fuel is in short supply across the region? Do existing customers get priority, and is that written down?
Do not accept a general assurance in place of a written answer. If something matters to your station, ask to see where it appears in the agreement.
Understand how the price is set
Wholesale fuel prices move with the market. Ask how the price you pay is calculated and when it changes. Possible structures include a price tied to a published reference plus a fixed margin, a price quoted per delivery, or a fixed price for a period. Ask what is added on top of the fuel itself, such as transportation, taxes or fees, and whether those are shown separately on the invoice. Ask how an invoice can be disputed.
Look at payment and credit terms
Find out when payment is due, whether credit is extended, and what the supplier needs from you to extend it. Ask whether a deposit, a personal guaranty from the owner or a lien on equipment is involved, and what happens if a payment is late. Terms that look small, such as a late fee, can matter over a year.
Check brand, equipment and exclusivity
If a brand or image program is involved, ask what you must change at the station and who pays for it. Ask whether you must buy all your fuel from one supplier, and for how long. Ask who owns the dispensers or tank equipment and what happens to it if the relationship ends.
Know how it ends
Ask how long an agreement lasts, whether it renews automatically, how much notice is needed to leave and whether there are charges for leaving early. An agreement that is easy to enter but hard to leave deserves more scrutiny than one with clear exit terms.
Compare in writing
Put the answers side by side. A simple table with one column per supplier and one row per question makes differences obvious, and it protects you from remembering the best parts of each conversation. Where an answer is vague, mark it as unknown rather than favorable.
Where RJB Energy fits
RJB Energy supplies regular, plus and super gasoline and diesel to gas stations in New Jersey. It does not publish prices, delivery schedules or agreement terms on this website, so these questions are best asked directly. If you would like to do that, read about gas station supply to see what to have ready, then send a supply request and ask the same questions you ask everyone else.