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Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

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Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#41

Post by MBlume »

physcab wrote: post #8

I've seen Booster Fuels trucks around at a company I used to work at. To me this makes the most sense as a perk offered by a company not in a major city, that has huge parking lots of cars. I used to commute to Santa Clara 3x a week from SF and needed to re-fuel every week. If the company offered the service as a perk with me just paying for gas, that would be pretty convenient no-brainer.

I'd be a little angry if I worked at that company. What are they doing for the folks who don't drive in every day?

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#43

Post by michaelmior »

nostromo wrote: post #31
technofiend wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess I'm one of those weird outliers who has a use case but still won't use the service. My wife works nights and rarely remembers to fuel our vehicle. I commute via Uber or bus so I never have it either. $15/mo is still too much for the service. Sooner or later my wife will run out of gas and then she'll do a better job of remembering to fuel the truck.

I imagine it's quite a bit more than $15 a month. They probably bake some healthy margins into the price of gas.

They claim their prices for members are designed to be competitive with lower-priced gas stations in the area.

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#44

Post by refurb »

noonespecial wrote: post #36

For all of the ridiculous "fire professionals" because safety hrmmm huuhh drep mentioned in the articles, let me just point out that this(1) is a thing that already drives fairly recklessly through the neighborhoods in my town delivering fuel and doesn't seem to do half of the things these car-fuel delivery companies do to deal with spillage issues. (1) http://jamesheatingoil.net/Members/1/galleries/Oil_Truck/oil...…

I was thinking the same thing. You see a lot of construction vehicles driving around with large tanks in the back of the pick-up. I wonder what certification they require?

That said, gasoline is a LOT more flammable than fuel oil or diesel. The later two burn, while gasoline vapors almost explode when ignited.

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#45

Post by noer »

nick007 wrote: post #10

Hi, I'm one of the founders. Happy to answer any questions!

Why did you choose to go after the customer market directly? This seems like the kind of thing that could work being sold directly to companies with large workforces in office parks. That way you bill the compnay for the service, and the individual only for the cost of the fuel. Yoshi could then save money by sending a single fuel truck to a location to fuel multiple cars in one trip. The company then gets the benefit of a unique(ish) perk to offer to employees.

Full disclosure: I don't drive that often, bike to work and probably fill my gas tank once a month or less

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#46

Post by michaelmior »

ssharp wrote: post #28
danhak wrote: post #3

I've never owned a car in a city as dense as SF or New York so maybe it's different in places like that, but this strikes me as yet another example of the "Uber-For-X" SV startup that doesn't solve any real problem. Stopping by the gas station once a week on my way home is simply not a big enough annoyance for me to subscribe to yet another service. I'm also skeptical of the long-term prospects of this business model…

I can stop for gas, go in for a cup of Starbucks and be back to my car that now has a full tank in less than 5 minutes. Would I pay $15 a month for this even though my normal routine doesn't suck? Maybe. But what about the actual gas cost? That's more important than the $15 subscription fee if the spread is large enough and I'm guessing it is since they have to pay for the drivers, carry some kind of insurance I pres…

They claim their prices for members are designed to be competitive with lower-priced gas stations in the area.

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#48

Post by mjmahone17 »

gberger wrote: post #29
skynetv2 wrote: post #12

solution in search of a problem? Gas stations are not sparse, there is one on every corner.

Or is there? http://www.wnyc.org/story/say-goodbye-manhattans-gas-station...

Not sure I want a gas truck driving into parking structures in the middle of Manhattan to top-up private cars. That seems like a serious health and safety hazard. And there really is no excuse for Manhattan needing to have numerous gas stations: the island is small and accessible to vehicles from other boroughs. Plus Manhattan has more than a gas station per square mile, which is more than most suburbs I know of.

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#49

Post by softawre »

SonicSoul wrote: post #40
danhak wrote: post #3

I've never owned a car in a city as dense as SF or New York so maybe it's different in places like that, but this strikes me as yet another example of the "Uber-For-X" SV startup that doesn't solve any real problem. Stopping by the gas station once a week on my way home is simply not a big enough annoyance for me to subscribe to yet another service. I'm also skeptical of the long-term prospects of this business model…

I agree with your points. The only way i'd subscribe to this service is if the delivery went something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUQ-ds9LIvw *EDIT: off topic, Always Sunny In Philadelphia solution to this problem.

This comment says nothing for the people not willing to go watch random youtube videos to hear your point. Could you have not articulated it with a bit of text and used the link to further clarify what you mean?

Re: Yoshi (YC S16) launches “set it and forget it” vehicle re-fueling service in SF

#50

Post by Animats »

ohitsdom wrote: post #13

> Today, the company’s fuel delivery drivers are 1099 contractors Why? Even if truck driving jobs tend to be contract positions, this isn't any driving job. And it certainly isn't uber.

That may not fly for long. DoL is cracking down.

Their drivers need a commercial drivers license with a hazmat endorsement.[1] There's also a TSA background check before you get to drive a gasoline tanker, even a small one.

Why doesn't the fueling vehicle have a full-sized hazmat diamond, like every other fuel truck in the US?

[1] https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/cdl_htm/sec9

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