Buy cheaper fuel online
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• Online services will be the way forward for buying discounted diesel and could appear in the UK by the end of 2001, according to market analyst, Datamonitor.
A new report from Datamonitor looks at some of the mushrooming online services in America which have helped motorists buy cheaper fuel over the Internet—one of which is Priceline.com.
Under the Priceline.com scheme consumers barter their price online and then buy it from participating fuel stations. The American company is looking at expanding its service for car drivers to Europe but Datamonitor reckons the model could equally well help hauliers.
"There is no reason why this could not apply to commercial vehicles," says Datamonitor oil analyst Shon Loth.
He believes a flurry of companies are poised to move into the online fuel purchasing field. For example, another American online service—www.la over.corn—was set up by an ex truck driver.
One of its current services is pooling demand for fuel on a regional basis for truck drivers and fleets. It is understood that the company is looking at the UK as "several scouting trips have been made", says Loth.
Meanwhile, a UK initiative, Translinx, launched a fuel quotation service via the Internet last week.
Translinx, a subsidiary of Just2Clicks, says its new service will enable hauliers to put in a request for fuel and receive eight quotations back from fuel suppliers. Sales and marketing director, Brian Everett, says: "This is the way forward for buying fuel and in time, as the market gets more competitive, the price must go down."