Transforming fluid-handling and fuel transport operations for customers around the world has been OPW’s ongoing mission since 1892. Woven into that deep-rooted company fabric are three key principles behind everything we do:
- Safety
- Quality
- Valuable relationships
That’s why we’re so proud that Civacon, part of OPW, utilized its CivaCommand tank monitoring system to help one Texas fuel hauler deliver fuel without a single delivery error in 2025.
But it wasn’t just about fitting the product to the application that helped them get there.
An Experienced Fuel Transporter with a Nearly 100-Year History
R.B. Stewart Petroleum Products, Inc., a leading transporter of refined fuel products based near Houston, is one such customer whose focus on improving its fuel delivery efficiency aligns with Civacon’s mission to provide safe, quality products built on a trusting relationship.
Their legacy dates back to 1932, when founder Guy Stewart sought to meet the fuel delivery needs of local farmers and other businesses. In the nearly 100 years since then, R.B. Stewart has utilized its vast experience, attention to detail and high driver retention to continually improve its fuel-hauling process, increase safety and enhance efficiency.
“We have a deep pool of senior driver trainers, and 99% of our dispatch team are folks who have driven for us,” said Bryan Elsberry, Director of Maintenance at R.B. Stewart. “We have people who know the business from the ground up.”
Human-Error Cross-Drops Were a Consistent Challenge
Like all fuel haulers, R.B. Stewart spent years running into occasional cross-drops.
These are costly instances when a driver connects a hose from a trailer compartment to the wrong storage tank or when the product in the tank isn’t clearly marked, resulting in accidental delivery.
Cross-drops have been historically problematic for many fuel carriers.
But with the development of the Cross-Over Prevention Systems (COPS), Civacon helped R.B. Stewart and the rest of the industry take a major step forward in the safe loading and unloading of cargo tanks. COPS helps prevent cross-contamination and is engineered to stop the driver from accidentally cross-dropping the fuel.
R.B. Stewart was an early adopter of the COPS system for its delivery fleet and immediately saw a reduction in cross-drops. But as technology continued to evolve, COPS became a key component of CivaCommand, the next evolution in fuel-delivery-system protection.
CivaCommand Is Technology Built to Surpass Expectations
CivaCommand is an advanced fuel tank monitoring system that provides drivers with overfill protection and reduces the number of cross-drop errors. The digital system delivers real-time data for troubleshooting and automatically detects and diagnoses fuel retention conditions.
R.B. Stewart invested in the technology to continue improving their delivery process, and it has exceeded their expectations.
“We made the investment to get involved with Civacon, and it changed how we do things,” Elsberry said. “We’re running about five years without a cross-drop. This is the future of fuel hauling.”
A Strong Partnership Paved the Way to Mutual Success
Although CivaCommand helped R.B. Stewart’s fleet all but eliminate cross-drops and improve delivery efficiency, it’s the mutual support and trust that have made the partnership with Civacon as strong and successful as it is.
“With the help of everybody at Civacon, we’ve developed a great relationship, and they’ve helped us tremendously,” Elsberry said. “We help each other both and make it better and more reliable for what we do.”
Scott Mehman, Strategic Products Sales Manager at Civacon, agrees.
“We would not be where we are with CivaCommand without the true partnership of R.B. Stewart,” he said. “We have such a respect for each other’s business, I don’t think this would have worked otherwise.”
Click here to learn how CivaCommand can help your fleet maintain uptime and improve delivery efficiency through accurate fuel tank monitoring and complete cross-drop protection.