We understand the power that information can hold for our customers, which is why our experts at SCL work to share the latest in trends, safety and compliance and a number of other topics on our blog. Please explore the latest entries below or search for articles by topic.
Leer en Español Read in English18th century English poet Alexander Pope wrote in An Essay on Criticism that, “to err is human.” When we combine that seemingly universal truth with potentially harmful substances and heavy machinery, a simple mistake can be not only dangerous, but also crippling to a business in terms of repairs and... Read More +
Finished Lubricants Price Increase With the continued rise of raw material costs that impact the manufacturing, processing and delivery of finished lubricants, a 2nd round of price increases are expected by all major manufacturers by as early as April 23, 2018. According to Jobbers World, price increases on finished lubricant... Read More +
Preparation is Key When Dealing With an Earthquake Spend a little time in and around California and you will no doubt eventually experience an earthquake – the sudden, oftentimes violent and destructive agitation of our earth’s crust. This crust, otherwise know as our lithosphere is the hard candy shell of... Read More +
How Will Proposed AB 1745 Affect California’s Motor Vehicle Industry District 19 (San Francisco) Assemblyman Phil Ting dropped a bomb on Californians this January with his introduction of AB 1745 – the Clean Cars 2040 Act, which if implemented will require all passenger vehicles sold after January 1st, 2040 to be... Read More +
Protect Your Equipment By Following API’s System Service stations and facilities around the country follow an integrated coding and labeling system designed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) for the identification of fuels and fluids. Proper storage of these products adheres to the API color-coding system designed to prevent... Read More +
A $0.25 Federal Gas Tax is Being Proposed as Part of Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Plan In an effort to augment the White House’s $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan, this past February President Donald Trump reportedly introduced a federal tax on both gasoline and diesel to the tune of 25 cents per... Read More +
Virgin, Recycled, Re-Refined Oil Not all oil is created equal, and contrary to popular belief, recycled or re-refined oils are not “dirty,” or lesser in quality than pure, virgin or newly produced oil. It is also often assumed that recycled, refurbished and re-refined oils are the same product, so below... Read More +
Save Time and Money by Installing an ATG System When it comes to managing and monitoring your onsite fuel tank levels and fuel usage, automatic fuel tank gauge systems, or ATG’s are an excellent investment. With all-in-one packages that include tank monitors, sensors, cables and a data portal with remotely accessible... Read More +
Implementing Fraud Protection Programs to Keep Your Organization Secure Just as with your personal credit card, the practice of CFN card skimming, shimming, wanding and cloning is unfortunately growing more commonplace in the world today. That is why it is important to protect your assets with fraud protection in any... Read More +
Multiple Factors Contribute to Fluctuations In general, economic markets rise and fall like the tides. Sometimes spiking quickly, sometimes slowly rolling over long periods of time. The crude oil market is no different. Throughout the past five decades, oil availability has ebbed and flowed. This is often the result of... Read More +
Rainy Season Best Practices for Facility Safety and Cleanliness Properly Preparing for a Rain Event Will Keep Employees Safe and Your Facility Clean The rainy season (or what should be the rainy season) is upon us in California and it is important for facilities that manage lubricant products and other... Read More +
Beginning April 1st, if Not in Compliance With the ELD Mandate Rule, Drivers Can Be Placed Out of Service On December 18th, 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented a 2-year “Phased-In Compliance Phase” as part of their Electronic Logging Device – ELD Mandate Rule, first published February... Read More +
Knowing What to Look for When Reading an Oil Analysis What is Oil Analysis In a previous article, Oil Analysis – What is it and Why Should You Do It? We discussed the benefits of routinely running and reading oil analysis on your fleet as a way of monitoring and... Read More +
How the World’s #1 Rideshare App is Utilizing Self-Driving Trucks Roughly 15.5 million trucks in operation in the United States. 2 million of these trucks are tractor trailers and are operated by nearly 3.5 million truck drivers. At the helm of one of America’s most iconic occupations, the trucking industry... Read More +
What Are Desiccant Breathers You’re most likely familiar with the small packets of plastic pearls that come inside a box of new shoes – desiccants – hygroscopic substances used as drying agents, removing humidity and reducing particulate and moisture contamination. Desiccant breathers are used in a similar capacity for lubricant... Read More +
Federal Oil Spill Fee – Tax Reinstated – What You Can Expect In our efforts to best serve our valued customers, we strive to keep you up to date as much as possible with industry trends and changes. As of March 1st, 2018, the Federal Environmental Oil Spill fee, previously... Read More +
The Safest, Most Comfortable Truck Ever “Semi is the safest, most comfortable truck ever,” according to Tesla.com. A lofty statement, but with prototypes of the electric semi tractor/trailer/truck on the ground and pre-orders being taken, the Tesla Semi Truck is gaining serious traction within the freight and hauling industry. With four... Read More +
Unfortunately, oil and diesel spills happen, and when they do, they leave behind a wake of environmental and economic devastation. According to an article published on LiveScience.com, “1.3 million gallons of petroleum are spilled into US waters from vessels and pipelines in a typical year. Between 1971 and 2000, the... Read More +
As Disruptive Technologies Such as Electric Vehicles Enter the Mainstream Market, Scientists and Economists Speculate on the Pending Challenges That Oil and Gas Face In an essay written by scientist, inventor and entrepreneur, Seth Miller, in his blog focused on “science, technology, and navigating an uncertain future,” Miller proposes a... Read More +
Who in California doesn’t love an ice-cold beer? According to the California Craft Brewers Association, California craft brewing now sits at the epicenter of the American craft brewing movement and continues to lead the nation in number of breweries per capita – more than any other state with upwards of... Read More +
This February Expect Lubricant Price Increases for all Major Oil Manufacturers Beginning in February 2018 you can expect all major oil manufacturers – Chevron, Shell, Phillips 66, Exxon/Mobil, etc – to roll out lubricant price increases of 5-7% on lubricating oils, coolants/antifreezes and greases, with certain specific products potentially increasing... Read More +
From Portland to London to Delhi, the EV Ride-Hailing Transition is Underway Current EV Technology in the World Around the world, countries are pledging to make their highways greener and more energy efficient in an effort to combat climate change and to reduce harmful VOC emissions by replacing standard vehicles... Read More +
When it Comes to Manufacturing World Class Golf Equipment, San Diego Has Cornered the International Market From Primitive Clubs to NASA Tech Golf is a game that was first played in 15th century Scotland in the Kingdom of Fife, where early enthusiasts would hit a rock or pebble around a... Read More +
Choosing the Right Grease to Suite Your Specific Application Has Never Been Easier Choosing the appropriate grease for your equipment depends 100% on the specific application. Some greases will work in multiple capacities, but understanding the specific use, wear and conditions are essential before any recommendation can be made. Modern... Read More +
Our customers are out there on the road, in the dirt, the mud and the grime, getting the job done and at SCL we are always looking for new and improved ways to support them in maintaining and optimizing the machines, fleets and vehicles that keep our country moving. As... Read More +
A $0.01 Increase on Motor Oil in the State of California As of January 1, 2018, the California Motor Oil Fee increase from $0.04/gallon to $0.05/gallon, raising the state Motor Oil Fee to a total of $0.29/gallon from $0.28/gallon. The tax increase will affect motor oil dealers who produce, sell... Read More +
The Chemical Composition of CO2 and NOx As fleet managers and heavy equipment operators, it’s important to understand the difference between the most common emissions and why they are so heavily regulated. If you are a business that operates heavy machinery or a fleet of trucks, you are most likely familiar... Read More +
An overview of how we can accommodate your petroleum equipment needs In a wide range of industrial sectors, if there’s metal touching metal, oil is involved. At SCL, we’re here to protect and optimize the machines that keep our country moving and we pride ourselves on providing superior logistics and... Read More +
Since 1908, when Henry Ford debuted the first mass-produced automobile – the Model T – the automotive industry has seen a blitzkrieg of evolution in engine design, style, capabilities and technological innovations. The vehicles we drive represent in many ways the externalization of our psyche, our values and our lifestyle.... Read More +
How Has Biodiesel Evolved and How Are Renewable and Alternative Diesel Products Changing the Game What is Biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable and clean-burning diesel replacement fuel that was created to reduce our US dependence on foreign oil while at the same time minimize the carbon footprint of diesel... Read More +
