Local heating oil delivery service

Rural and small-town homeowners, cottage owners and small landlords whose heating isn't on natural gas.

A margin per litre between your wholesale purchase price and the delivered price, plus optional extras like automatic delivery plans, price-lock agreements or furnace service referrals.

• Safe driving of heavy vehicles
• Route planning and scheduling
• Customer service and reliable follow-through
• Basic bookkeeping and managing fuel price swings

• Provincial fuel or technical safety licensing, plus Transportation of Dangerous Goods training and vehicle requirements, check your regulator
• Commercial general liability and pollution or environmental liability insurance, which can be costly for fuel hauling
• Spill and tank-overfill risks, which can bring large clean-up costs
• Strong seasonality, with most sales in the cold months, so plan your cash flow
• Wholesale price swings and the growing shift to heat pumps in some areas, so test local demand first
• Large upfront cost, so consider buying or taking over an existing local round
• Workers' compensation coverage (WCB/WSIB) once you hire drivers, rules vary by province

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $60,000 to $250,000, depending mainly on the tanker truck and equipment you buy. Because the upfront cost is large, consider buying or taking over an existing local round.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on your route size, customer numbers and wholesale price swings. Sales are strongly seasonal, with most in the cold months, so plan your cash flow.

Check provincial fuel or technical safety licensing, Transportation of Dangerous Goods training and vehicle requirements with your regulator. Ask about commercial general liability and pollution or environmental liability insurance, and WCB or WSIB coverage once you hire drivers. Spill risks can bring large clean-up costs.