How Dogpatch Biofuels went from pen and paper to real-time visibility
How Dogpatch Biofuels went from pen and paper to real-time visibility
Went fully digital
Went fully digital
No more pen and paper
No more pen and paper
Real-time visibility
Real-time visibility
Track drivers, orders, and deliveries as they happen
Track drivers, orders, and deliveries as they happen
Competitive edge
Competitive edge
Technology that helps close deals
Technology that helps close deals
About Dogpatch Biofuels
About Dogpatch Biofuels
Dogpatch Biofuels isn't your typical fuel distributor. The San Francisco-based company traces its roots to 2002, when co-owner Brian Denninger made a bold bet: he converted his travel company's entire fleet to 100% biodiesel, becoming the first tour operator in the world to do so.
Dogpatch Biofuels isn't your typical fuel distributor. The San Francisco-based company traces its roots to 2002, when co-owner Brian Denninger made a bold bet: he converted his travel company's entire fleet to 100% biodiesel, becoming the first tour operator in the world to do so.
That decision sparked something bigger. Brian and his team facilitated the San Francisco Biodiesel Co-op, a grassroots effort that caught the attention of then-Mayor Gavin Newsom. The co-op became part of the city's Biodiesel Task Force, and helped San Francisco's Muni fleet become one of the first municipal fleets in the nation to run on biodiesel.
That decision sparked something bigger. Brian and his team facilitated the San Francisco Biodiesel Co-op, a grassroots effort that caught the attention of then-Mayor Gavin Newsom. The co-op became part of the city's Biodiesel Task Force, and helped San Francisco's Muni fleet become one of the first municipal fleets in the nation to run on biodiesel.
In 2010, Brian and his partner Jolie took over Dogpatch Biofuels and ran it as a retail station for alternative fuels. Then COVID hit. With their tour company in a slow period, they pivoted to fuel delivery, serving transportation companies and construction equipment businesses across the Bay Area.
In 2010, Brian and his partner Jolie took over Dogpatch Biofuels and ran it as a retail station for alternative fuels. Then COVID hit. With their tour company in a slow period, they pivoted to fuel delivery, serving transportation companies and construction equipment businesses across the Bay Area.
Today, the market looks different. More players have entered the renewable diesel and biodiesel space, and competition has intensified. That pressure pushed Dogpatch to look for an edge. They found it in technology.
Today, the market looks different. More players have entered the renewable diesel and biodiesel space, and competition has intensified. That pressure pushed Dogpatch to look for an edge. They found it in technology.
Today's environment... people really want to have that real-time live communication, and that's really difficult to do when you have an offline software that's working behind the scenes.
Today's environment... people really want to have that real-time live communication, and that's really difficult to do when you have an offline software that's working behind the scenes.
Today's environment... people really want to have that real-time live communication, and that's really difficult to do when you have an offline software that's working behind the scenes.
Brian Denninger
Co-Owner
The Old Way: Pen, Paper, and Spreadsheets
The Old Way: Pen, Paper, and Spreadsheets
"FleetPanda has allowed us to go from the Stone Age to the 21st century." Jeff Fino, Operations Manager
"FleetPanda has allowed us to go from the Stone Age to the 21st century." Jeff Fino, Operations Manager
Before FleetPanda, Dogpatch ran deliveries the way many small distributors still do: clipboards in the truck, handwritten lists at each stop, and spreadsheets back at the office.
Before FleetPanda, Dogpatch ran deliveries the way many small distributors still do: clipboards in the truck, handwritten lists at each stop, and spreadsheets back at the office.
The workflow was straightforward enough. Drivers would carry a bus list and write down the information at each stop: which bus, how many gallons. Back at the office, they'd transfer everything to an Excel sheet that Jolie (the co-founder and accountant) had carefully built. She'd convert it to an invoice, and the cycle would repeat.
The workflow was straightforward enough. Drivers would carry a bus list and write down the information at each stop: which bus, how many gallons. Back at the office, they'd transfer everything to an Excel sheet that Jolie (the co-founder and accountant) had carefully built. She'd convert it to an invoice, and the cycle would repeat.
The spreadsheets worked. Jolie had designed them well, and the team was diligent about double-checking their work. But the system had blind spots. There was no way to see where drivers were in real time. Billing could have moved faster. And customers increasingly expected the kind of transparency that an offline system simply couldn't provide.
The spreadsheets worked. Jolie had designed them well, and the team was diligent about double-checking their work. But the system had blind spots. There was no way to see where drivers were in real time. Billing could have moved faster. And customers increasingly expected the kind of transparency that an offline system simply couldn't provide.
Brian puts it plainly: the challenge was that "people really want that real-time live communication," and that's hard to deliver when your data lives on paper until someone types it into a spreadsheet.
Brian puts it plainly: the challenge was that "people really want that real-time live communication," and that's hard to deliver when your data lives on paper until someone types it into a spreadsheet.
Why FleetPanda
Why FleetPanda
"That's where FleetPanda really got its start: the collaboration between the software side and the actual end-of-field side. I think that gave them quite a bit of knowledge on how things function in the field." Brian Denninger
"That's where FleetPanda really got its start: the collaboration between the software side and the actual end-of-field side. I think that gave them quite a bit of knowledge on how things function in the field." Brian Denninger
Brian first crossed paths with the FleetPanda team years ago, back when they were still FuelPanda, running their own fuel delivery operations before pivoting to software. He watched them grow and evolve over the years, so when Dogpatch started looking for a dispatch solution, the decision felt natural.
Brian first crossed paths with the FleetPanda team years ago, back when they were still FuelPanda, running their own fuel delivery operations before pivoting to software. He watched them grow and evolve over the years, so when Dogpatch started looking for a dispatch solution, the decision felt natural.
"When we started looking at doing distribution ourselves, it was really a perfect fit," Brian says. "I had seen them grow, and I had seen the software change over time."
"When we started looking at doing distribution ourselves, it was really a perfect fit," Brian says. "I had seen them grow, and I had seen the software change over time."
Built for wet hosing operations
Built for wet hosing operations
Most logistics software is generic. FleetPanda was built by people who had actually run fuel trucks themselves. That hands-on experience shows up in how the product works in the field.
Most logistics software is generic. FleetPanda was built by people who had actually run fuel trucks themselves. That hands-on experience shows up in how the product works in the field.
Brian emphasizes that many software companies try to force operational changes that aren't efficient. FleetPanda took the opposite approach.
Brian emphasizes that many software companies try to force operational changes that aren't efficient. FleetPanda took the opposite approach.
"I think oftentimes working with software engineers, they are very good at what they do, but maybe not in the field. They tend to try to build software that may require operational changes that aren't as efficient. FleetPanda has the experience in doing it themselves and the open-mindedness to work with infield teams to build the software around them instead of having the infield teams build their workflow around the software." —Brian Denninger
"I think oftentimes working with software engineers, they are very good at what they do, but maybe not in the field. They tend to try to build software that may require operational changes that aren't as efficient. FleetPanda has the experience in doing it themselves and the open-mindedness to work with infield teams to build the software around them instead of having the infield teams build their workflow around the software." —Brian Denninger
A product that keeps improving
A product that keeps improving
Legacy systems tend to stay static. You get what you get, and updates are rare. FleetPanda ships new features constantly, and Dogpatch has been part of that development process, testing new capabilities and providing feedback that shapes the product.Brian sees that as a key differentiator.
Legacy systems tend to stay static. You get what you get, and updates are rare. FleetPanda ships new features constantly, and Dogpatch has been part of that development process, testing new capabilities and providing feedback that shapes the product.Brian sees that as a key differentiator.
The beauty of the program is that it's growing and improving. Implementation is consistent and dynamic rather than static and stale.
-Brian Denninger
The beauty of the program is that it's growing and improving. Implementation is consistent and dynamic rather than static and stale.
-Brian Denninger
Implementation and Support
Implementation and Support
"FleetPanda took the time to come to our site, work with our drivers individually, go out in the field. You're just not going to get that from other people." -Brian Denninger
"FleetPanda took the time to come to our site, work with our drivers individually, go out in the field. You're just not going to get that from other people." -Brian Denninger
Getting up and running happened quickly. The FleetPanda team came on-site, worked with drivers one-on-one, and actually went out in the field with them. The system was live within a couple of weeks. Full adoption took longer, as it does with any software rollout. Brian estimates three to six months before everyone was fully comfortable. But the learning curve was manageable. "The ability to use it, the ability to train the guys, the ability to get them on board was very quick," he says.
Getting up and running happened quickly. The FleetPanda team came on-site, worked with drivers one-on-one, and actually went out in the field with them. The system was live within a couple of weeks. Full adoption took longer, as it does with any software rollout. Brian estimates three to six months before everyone was fully comfortable. But the learning curve was manageable. "The ability to use it, the ability to train the guys, the ability to get them on board was very quick," he says.
Support that’s always a call away
Support that’s always a call away
For a small team making deliveries at night, waiting days for an email response isn't an option. When something breaks in the field, you need answers immediately.
For a small team making deliveries at night, waiting days for an email response isn't an option. When something breaks in the field, you need answers immediately.
"If we have a question or someone we need to call, we know we're getting to a team that's working in the program rather than a team that's just answering service calls that might not have an immediate solution. That customer service side on FleetPanda lined up with the service that we want to provide." -Brian Denninger
"If we have a question or someone we need to call, we know we're getting to a team that's working in the program rather than a team that's just answering service calls that might not have an immediate solution. That customer service side on FleetPanda lined up with the service that we want to provide." -Brian Denninger
Jeff Fino, who handles day-to-day operations at Dogpatch, echoes this. During the early days, he was calling FleetPanda's team in the middle of the night—and getting answers.
Jeff Fino, who handles day-to-day operations at Dogpatch, echoes this. During the early days, he was calling FleetPanda's team in the middle of the night—and getting answers.
"We were getting pretty fast response times for support and questions answered. We used to do a weekly phone call. I thought that was really amazing that we had that much access to the team at FleetPanda." -Jeff Fino, Operations Manager
"We were getting pretty fast response times for support and questions answered. We used to do a weekly phone call. I thought that was really amazing that we had that much access to the team at FleetPanda." -Jeff Fino, Operations Manager
How Dogpatch Uses FleetPanda Today
How Dogpatch Uses FleetPanda Today
About 70% of Dogpatch's business comes from recurring customers: daily or weekly deliveries to tour bus companies, construction sites, and fleet operators. Another 20% are less frequent customers, and about 10% are one-off jobs.
About 70% of Dogpatch's business comes from recurring customers: daily or weekly deliveries to tour bus companies, construction sites, and fleet operators. Another 20% are less frequent customers, and about 10% are one-off jobs.
Recurring orders on autopilot: For regular customers, setup is simple. Configure the delivery once, and it runs automatically from then on. Jeff puts it this way: "The nice thing about regular customers is you can set up those deliveries from here until the end of time."
Recurring orders on autopilot: For regular customers, setup is simple. Configure the delivery once, and it runs automatically from then on. Jeff puts it this way: "The nice thing about regular customers is you can set up those deliveries from here until the end of time."
Creating new customers used to take time. Now it takes five or ten minutes, and they're in the system forever. When they call again months later, all their information is already there.
Creating new customers used to take time. Now it takes five or ten minutes, and they're in the system forever. When they call again months later, all their information is already there.
Creating orders in real time: Jeff has been impressed with how order creation has evolved. "I've really liked the strides you guys have made on creating new orders," he says. "It's really metamorphosized into something that's really nice, really powerful and easy."
Creating orders in real time: Jeff has been impressed with how order creation has evolved. "I've really liked the strides you guys have made on creating new orders," he says. "It's really metamorphosized into something that's really nice, really powerful and easy."
The speed matters. "Even as I'm sitting there with a customer, I could be putting the information in FleetPanda and set up the delivery," Jeff explains. He assigns the driver, adds any special instructions in the notes, and the driver gets everything on their phone. No back-and-forth calls needed.
The speed matters. "Even as I'm sitting there with a customer, I could be putting the information in FleetPanda and set up the delivery," Jeff explains. He assigns the driver, adds any special instructions in the notes, and the driver gets everything on their phone. No back-and-forth calls needed.
Continuous fueling: Jeff's favorite feature is continuous fueling, which keeps a running total on screen while tracking individual deliveries to each asset. "I think the most useful and helpful feature for me has been the continuous fueling," he says. "You have the total amount right there, plus it breaks out the individual deliveries to each asset."
Continuous fueling: Jeff's favorite feature is continuous fueling, which keeps a running total on screen while tracking individual deliveries to each asset. "I think the most useful and helpful feature for me has been the continuous fueling," he says. "You have the total amount right there, plus it breaks out the individual deliveries to each asset."
This replaced his old process of fueling individual assets, adding them up on paper, and then cross-checking against the totals.
This replaced his old process of fueling individual assets, adding them up on paper, and then cross-checking against the totals.
Reconciliation and billing: Once a delivery is complete, the data flows back automatically. Jeff reviews and verifies the totals, then sends it to Jolie for billing. "I review it, I verify the totals. If everything looks good, I verify the delivery, and then it goes to Jolie and our accounting process and the bill gets generated. Simple."
Reconciliation and billing: Once a delivery is complete, the data flows back automatically. Jeff reviews and verifies the totals, then sends it to Jolie for billing. "I review it, I verify the totals. If everything looks good, I verify the delivery, and then it goes to Jolie and our accounting process and the bill gets generated. Simple."
The team does weekly billing, and the process is now more streamlined with fewer errors than the paper-based system.
The team does weekly billing, and the process is now more streamlined with fewer errors than the paper-based system.
Communication without the chaos: The biggest operational shift though is that the team doesn't need to constantly call each other to stay in sync. All the information lives in one system, updated in real time.
Communication without the chaos: The biggest operational shift though is that the team doesn't need to constantly call each other to stay in sync. All the information lives in one system, updated in real time.
"If you gave someone a challenge of 'do a week's worth of work and you're not allowed to talk to each other,' I can honestly say with FleetPanda, we can do that."
"If you gave someone a challenge of 'do a week's worth of work and you're not allowed to talk to each other,' I can honestly say with FleetPanda, we can do that."
"If you gave someone a challenge of 'do a week's worth of work and you're not allowed to talk to each other,' I can honestly say with FleetPanda, we can do that."
Jeff Fino
Operations Manager
Results and Impact
Results and Impact
Real-time visibility for everyone
Real-time visibility for everyone
Dispatchers can see exactly where drivers are, when they arrive on site, and whether deliveries are complete—no phone calls required. Jolie can track fuel dispensed and see how long drivers spend at each location. This visibility helps the team stay efficient and catch issues early.
Dispatchers can see exactly where drivers are, when they arrive on site, and whether deliveries are complete—no phone calls required. Jolie can track fuel dispensed and see how long drivers spend at each location. This visibility helps the team stay efficient and catch issues early.
A Marketing Advantage
A Marketing Advantage
For tech-forward customers, FleetPanda has become part of Dogpatch's sales pitch. When prospects ask about reporting and transparency, Brian has a clear answer. He's found that having the platform helps him get further in sales conversations: "I have a product that I can share with our customers about how we can be transparent with them and how they can use the system to their benefit."
For tech-forward customers, FleetPanda has become part of Dogpatch's sales pitch. When prospects ask about reporting and transparency, Brian has a clear answer. He's found that having the platform helps him get further in sales conversations: "I have a product that I can share with our customers about how we can be transparent with them and how they can use the system to their benefit."
Jeff sees the same thing in the field. They've worked with companies like Facebook's commuter bus operations, where technology expectations are high. "We've used it as a nice marketing tool," he says. "When we approach someone, they think, especially companies like Facebook, they're keyed into the technology. Every customer likes to have more information rather than less. It's been an advantage for us in attracting new customers."
Jeff sees the same thing in the field. They've worked with companies like Facebook's commuter bus operations, where technology expectations are high. "We've used it as a nice marketing tool," he says. "When we approach someone, they think, especially companies like Facebook, they're keyed into the technology. Every customer likes to have more information rather than less. It's been an advantage for us in attracting new customers."
I've been able to generate more Zoom and live calls and get further down the sales pipeline because I have a product that I can share with our customers about how we can be transparent with them."
I've been able to generate more Zoom and live calls and get further down the sales pipeline because I have a product that I can share with our customers about how we can be transparent with them."
I've been able to generate more Zoom and live calls and get further down the sales pipeline because I have a product that I can share with our customers about how we can be transparent with them."
Brian Denninger
co-owner
The Partnership
The Partnership
What stands out most to Brian and Jeff is the collaborative relationship. Dogpatch has served as a beta tester, providing feedback that shapes the product.
What stands out most to Brian and Jeff is the collaborative relationship. Dogpatch has served as a beta tester, providing feedback that shapes the product.
Jeff values being heard: "It's been really beneficial for us to have a say in how this software might work in a very specialized industry. Some of the direct comments I made about user interface, I think were implemented. It's been really a fun and productive mission for us."
Jeff values being heard: "It's been really beneficial for us to have a say in how this software might work in a very specialized industry. Some of the direct comments I made about user interface, I think were implemented. It's been really a fun and productive mission for us."
And Brian appreciates that FleetPanda adapts to how Dogpatch works, not the other way around. That flexibility, combined with responsive support and a product that keeps getting better, has made the partnership work.
And Brian appreciates that FleetPanda adapts to how Dogpatch works, not the other way around. That flexibility, combined with responsive support and a product that keeps getting better, has made the partnership work.
"It's been really beneficial for us to have a say in how this software might work in a very specialized industry."
"It's been really beneficial for us to have a say in how this software might work in a very specialized industry."
"It's been really beneficial for us to have a say in how this software might work in a very specialized industry."
Jeff Fino
Operations Manager
The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line
Dogpatch went from clipboards and spreadsheets to a fully digital operation. They gained real-time visibility into their drivers, orders, and deliveries. And they turned their technology into a competitive advantage.
Dogpatch went from clipboards and spreadsheets to a fully digital operation. They gained real-time visibility into their drivers, orders, and deliveries. And they turned their technology into a competitive advantage.
And Brian appreciates that FleetPanda adapts to how Dogpatch works, not the other way around. That flexibility, combined with responsive support and a product that keeps getting better, has made the partnership work.
And Brian appreciates that FleetPanda adapts to how Dogpatch works, not the other way around. That flexibility, combined with responsive support and a product that keeps getting better, has made the partnership work.
Don't miss these
Don't miss these
Scaling up operations
during hyper-growth
Increase in margins post
3-way merger
From pen & paper to
fully digital
from pen and paper to real-time visibility
from pen and paper to
real-time visibility
from pen and paper to
real-time visibility
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Curious to see the product?
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