According to national accident statistics, 50% of the time petroleum tankers roll over, the driver dies. For Phillips 66, the marketing arm of Phillips Petroleum, preventing these catastrophic incidents means using only the best drivers and safest equipment available. “Safe operations are our number-one mission,̶ says Dan Brown, director of marketing distribution, “and we preach it to drivers daily.”

One way Phillips 66 promotes safe driving is by paying its drivers by the hour rather than the load. “We want to make sure drivers focus on their job duties regardless of traffic or other conditions that might add time to their route. We believe incentive pay prompts hurrying, and that's a risk we won't take. We're not hauling shoes!” says Brown.

While operating costs are always a focus of concern, Brown reports that the company's main objective is to “do things right the first time, every time.” He says the goal for the fleet is to utilize every piece of registered equipment and maximize tanker capacity. Each time a truck leaves a loading point, it's filled with gasoline or diesel to the maximum legal capacity. Every piece of equipment is also run 24/7, 365 days a year, for a total of 550-600 hours of operation a month.

Based in Bartlesville, OK, Phillips has been in business for 85 years. It currently manufactures and distributes petroleum products in 48 U.S. states, but also has exploration and production activities around the world. Last fall the company acquired Tosco Corp., which includes the 76 and Circle K brands. Today, Phillips 66 operates, serves or controls over 12,000 retail outlets across the country.

“We have over 100 trucks located in 20 cities throughout the U.S. and 300 drivers that work directly for us. We also employ 65 different contract trucking companies across America to provide light oil distribution services in places where we don't have our own equipment. To haul product for us, a trucking company must earn a satisfactory rating on our internal quality assurance audit, which includes a thorough review of its safety policies and procedures,” Brown notes.

The company also operates an industry-leading central dispatch operation out of Tempe, AZ. “In most applications,” Brown says, “our trucks will travel about 25-35 miles from a loading point to make deliveries to convenience stores and retail service stations, always returning to the loading point empty. Each delivery contains 8,000-12,000 gal. of product, and a driver completes anywhere from three to seven loads per shift.”

Both truck-trailers and semi-tractors are utilized in the fleet since the company's operations cover both East and West coasts. The tanks are all-aluminum units provided by Weld-It Co., Beall Trailers of Oregon and Heil Trailer International. The majority of power units are Peterbilt models.

Brown says recent technology improvements have had a significant impact on the fleet. Electronic motors, for example, have helped improve fuel economy by as much as 25-35%, while ABS brakes provide an added measure of safety.

In addition, all Phillips 66 trucks are equipped with onboard computer systems that allow for monitoring both driver and vehicle performance. For safety reasons, Brown points out, the company takes extra care in making sure its fleet repair shops use quality replacement parts, including high-quality tires.

“We also conform to tight standards on hours of service,” Brown emphasizes. “Our company policy does not allow Phillips 66 drivers to work more than 70 hours within an eight-day period for intra-state operations. Keeping drivers hours below the 80 hours they're allowed to work by law reduces the risk of accidents due to fatigue.

“Transporting fuel is a people business,” Brown adds, “and our drivers are the most important element. Because of the potential risks, we hire only the best of the best.”