Robinson Oil Corporation creates “personal touch at scale” with Trinium Fuel

Since 1930, Robinson Oil Corporation has been a cornerstone of its community. Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, the company manages two distinct pillars of the energy industry: a network of retail gas stations and a robust commercial fueling division.

For a company built on nearly a century of personal service, the challenge was managing the complexity of the commercial side without losing the "family" feeling that defines them.

To maintain this balance, Robinson Oil turned to a specialized technology partner to serve as the engine for their commercial operations: Trinium Fuel.

The Complexity of Commercial Fueling

While the retail side of the business has its own requirements, the commercial fueling division is a world of "extensive hats" and high-volume data. Managing cardlock networks like CFN and PacPride requires tracking thousands of individual transactions, managing diverse credit terms, and maintaining pinpoint accuracy on margins.

"We are small, but we want to look like we’re a huge department," says Debi Biggers, Director of Commercial Fueling. For Robinson Oil, the goal wasn't just to find a database; it was to find a system that could handle the unique financial nuances of commercial fueling while allowing the team to remain responsive to their customers.

Establishing a dedicated commercial engine

Robinson Oil implemented Trinium Fuel specifically as the specialized powerhouse for their commercial fueling division. Rather than relying on generic tools, they chose a platform designed for the specific rigors of fuel logistics and cardlock management.

For Controller Coleen Stubelt, the software provides the structure necessary to maintain financial integrity. Now, Robinson Oil has created a streamlined environment where data is no longer a burden, but a strategic asset that allows the team to see profitability and margins in "30 seconds" rather than 30 days.

Service at the speed of business

This instant access to data allows the team to be proactive. "You can see if there is an anomaly on pricing... and see if you’ve got anything off-whack before you even do your billing," says Biggers.

This transparency is also a sales tool. Alec Emery of the Sales team uses Trinium Fuel to provide customers with transparent cost analysis. Because the system maintains records spanning decades, Emery can pull granular transaction data to answer any question.

"You can create reports based on whatever they want—by driver, vehicle, or card—to make it a truly personalized experience," Emery notes.

Eliminating manual tasks with automation

The true power of the platform lies in its ability to handle the "pre-work" before the team even arrives. For Naveet Uppal, Customer Service Representative, the transition from manual entry to Trinium Fuel’s automated workflows has been transformative.

"We used to do it completely manually," Uppal says. "Now, because most of the stuff is automated, it’s much better, much faster—it’s really, really, really a lifesaver."

This automation happens around the clock. Trinium Fuel automatically imports transaction files from major networks overnight. As Stubelt notes, "if the files are available, it's imported before you even get to the office in the morning."

When the staff begins their day, they aren't bogged down by data entry; they are simply validating and posting. "When my billing person comes in, it's there," Biggers adds. "She pushes the button and it's uploaded."

This efficiency extends to the bank. By automating the ACH process, Robinson Oil has eliminated the "paper chase" of physical checks. "It's real quick just to press a button and upload that ACH to the bank," Stubelt says. "It saves the accounting clerk a ton of time and keeps the customers within their terms."

The "bigger than we are" effect

While technology often leads to “detachment" from the customer, Robinson Oil uses Trinium Fuel to do the opposite. By automating the complex back-office daily fuel uploads, the team is freed up to focus on what matters: the human connection.

"We seem bigger than we are because you’re not getting a robot voice," Biggers says. "If I see three or four emails going back and forth, I say pick up the phone. We need to talk to people."

As Robinson Oil looks toward its next century, Trinium Fuel provides the bedrock for continued evolution. The software’s automated workflows ensure that the next generation of leadership has the tools they need to grow without sacrificing the personal touch that has been the company’s hallmark since 1930. 

"It makes my life easier," Biggers concludes. "I know that people are being taken care of."