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 EnglishSCL Encourages Customers to Place Orders at Current Prices Major oil suppliers have announced a price increase up to 12% on finished lubricants that will hit the market in late February, marking the first national lubricant price increase of 2020. Increases of this type, traditionally announced annually, are typically tied... Read More +
Leer en EspañolEnvironmental and Transportation Regulations Demand Intact, Drip Dry Drums Customers in nearly every industry receive 55-gallon drums of oil, lubricants or chemicals from SCL on a regular basis. From automotive to construction, agriculture to industrial manufacturing plants, 55-gallon drum deliveries are a crucial part of doing business. But what about... Read More +
Here’s Why It Should Be An Indicator, But Not The Indicator Over the past 20 years, the term absorption rate has risen in prominence throughout the automotive industry. With the changing landscape of dealerships – which have gone from primarily focusing on new and pre-owned car sales to now serving... Read More +
Leer en EspañolSouthern California Business Leaders Share What Keeps Them Up at Night After a devastating financial crisis in 2007 and 2008, not many investors could have predicted the rewards that came this decade. U.S. stocks are now on record as experiencing the longest bull market ever, and according to Bloomberg Businessweek, “gains... Read More +
SCL Customers Must Submit Claims Within 15 Days, Set Limits on Cards New changes announced by the Cardlock Fuel Network (CFN) includes a requirement by participants to submit all claims for fraudulent purchases within 15 days from when cards are invalidated instead of 30. CFN also further enforced that all... Read More +
Southern California Isn’t Often Prone to Extremes But Care Should Still Be Taken The care vehicles require during the winter months in Southern California isn’t as extreme as the care vehicles in colder parts of the country merit, but safety and effectiveness still demand steps be taken. For automotive service... Read More +
SCL Prepaid Labels Align with Security Enhancements In an effort to “increase safety and security of its collection box procedures,” the USPS recently announced packages more than ½ inch thick weighing more than 10 ounces can no longer be dropped in mail collection boxes bearing only stamps. This means customers... Read More +
Leer en EspañolOn this Veterans Day 2019 we pause to thank all our nation’s veterans and their families. Luis Mejia, Richmond Operations Manager – United States Army Served from 1999-2006 as a 44-B. Welder/ Metal Worker. 2000 – Joined B-Co. 426th Forward Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell,... Read More +
HMR Regulations You Should Know to Avoid Hefty (and Often Imposed) Fines For our customers in construction and agriculture, skid tanks are often used for their convenience in providing on-site fuel that keeps operations running efficiently. Unfortunately, they can also be the source of exorbitant fines due to violations in... Read More +
Enhanced Protection Ideal for Urban Traffic, Hybrid Vehicles and Fleets Due to successes in reducing idle time, improving fuel economy and lowering emissions, start-stop engines and hybrid vehicles have continued to increase in popularity among consumers and auto manufacturers at nearly every price point. Despite continuing to gain traction, however,... Read More +
Leer en EspañolTwo SCL Fueling Stations Offer Fully Functioning Backups to Maintain Reliability After nearly 800,000 California businesses and residents experienced up to five days without power due to a voluntary shutdown by Pacific Gas & Electric, utilities have now been almost completely restored throughout the state’s northernmost reaches to the Silicon... Read More +
Leer en EspañolSimple communication and small investments go a long way in preventing accidents As the East Coast of the United States braces for the start of hurricane season, the fall months in California have traditionally welcomed the beginning of rain. While that can equate to positive news for our agricultural partners,... Read More +
Leer en EspañolGeolocating App Provides Digital Payment, Receipt Options In response to an increasing number of skimmer fraud instances reported by the California Independent Oil Marketers Association, a new CardlessSwipe option has emerged as an alternative for cardlock fueling stations. The new technology, which uses a geolocating CardlessSwipe app, allows drivers to bypass swiping... Read More +
Leer en EspañolWhat You Need to Know to Stay Prepared in the Face of Unpredictibility While questions surrounding weekend drone attacks on a Saudi Arabian oil facility and a nearby oil field continue to arise, there’s one fact that remains relatively unquestioned: the destruction of one of the world’s largest processors of... Read More +
Leer en EspañolWhy Simply Relaying Information Should No Longer be Status Quo When it comes to dealer or factory recommended maintenance or even necessary repairs, many customers are often resistant to accept advice from automotive service providers. They either don’t have the time to wait, they didn’t budget for the expense, they believe... Read More +
Leer en EspañolEducating Customers About Oil Choices Can Build Trust and Loyalty According to a 2018 survey by a leading tire manufacturer, about 1 in 3 customers is not confident enough to select the right oil for their vehicle. A significantly lower percentage than that feel equipped to perform basic car maintenance,... Read More +
Leer en EspañolCalifornia Fuel Tax Set to Increase July 1st A tax increase on motor vehicle and diesel fuels is coming to the state of California, effective July 1st, 2019. According to a special notice issued by the state of California’s Department of Tax and Fee Administration, “The prepayment rate for each... Read More +
Rising Costs of Raw Materials Spur Second Price Increase Last week we published a notification alerting our customers to a pending 6% increase in price based on the rising cost of raw materials. Over the past week, however, most major oil suppliers announced an unexpected additional price increase from 6%... Read More +
New Innovations in Secondary Containment Systems California is tough on waste management, and secondary containment systems are often an essential part of a compliant spill prevention protocol. Title 22, referring to waste generation, is an official code of regulations within the state of California that outlines specific parameters for properly... Read More +
Price Increase Scheduled for Finished Lubricants – May 6, 2019 With increases in the cost of raw materials, rising freight costs and overall market fluctuations that affect manufactures, and the processing and delivery of finished products, a 6% finished lubricants price increase will go into effect on May 6th. In... Read More +
Leer en EspañolFluid Analysis – The Next Generation of Sample Submission - Most oil analysis labs do not have your original equipment manufacturer (OEM) information and specific fluid information on file, which can lead to inaccuracy in a customer's overall trending analysis. Fluid analysis data results can become flawed when the appropriate wear limits are not put in place...
Leer en EspañolPulling an Oil Sample - Proper Techniques for Maximum Results - One of the best ways that you can monitor the health and efficiency of your fleet is to implement regularly scheduled oil analysis as part of your preventative maintenance schedule. Oil analysis gives you a benchmark of the internal conditions within your equipment that you can then monitor over time to make any necessary adjustments...
Leer en EspañolOil Sample Turnaround - Why a Rapid Return is Important - Like the blood pumping through our veins, lubricating oil is the lifeblood or plasma within our vehicles and equipment. Without, they would come to a grinding halt - literally. As you can imagine...
Leer en EspañolOil and Water - Never a Good Combo for Engines or Equipment - With unprecedented moisture levels across the state of California thus far in 2019, it is important to stay on top of safeguarding your lubricant products from rainwater contamination and condensation...
Leer en EspañolHow Will Gavin Newsom Manage CA’s Energy Sector - On January 7th, 2019, Jerry Brown stepped aside to hand over the reigns to a new governor elect for the state of California – Gavin Newsom. Newsom, a member of the Democratic party, previously served as the lieutenant governor of California under Brown...
Leer en EspañolLiquid Urea vs Prill Form and the Cost of DEF When it comes to the manufacture of diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF, whether the urea content begins in liquid solution or solid prill form can impact the cost of manufacture and ultimately the price of the finished product. DEF is... Read More +
Leer en EspañolJanuary 2020 Deadline Looms – Maritime Industry Prepares Less than one year from now, the soft rollout of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) January 2020 sulphur cap regulation will go into full effect. The IMO is responsible for the safe management and environmental stewardship of the shipping industry, and the... Read More +
Leer en EspañolThe Changing Face of China’s Economy Made in China – The ubiquitous label you find on everything from clothing to kitchenware, toys to sports equipment may be shifting. While the United States occupies the top slot as the largest economy in the world, China is a close contender, and in 2016,... Read More +
Leer en EspañolHoliday Trucking and the Holidays It has been said that the trucking industry is the life blood of the U.S. economy, moving more goods and services across the north American continent than one can even imagine. There are times throughout the year when demand for transport via trucking dramatically spikes... Read More +
Leer en EspañolExtreme Temperatures Are Your Car Battery’s Worst Nightmare It’s a commonly held belief that high summer temperatures are to blame for lowered performance in car batteries or even a full battery drain with air conditioning units running at full throttle. That may not actually be the case, however, since lower... Read More +
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