A Complete Guide to Commercial Gas Stations [+Map of Locations]

For fleet managers and business owners, making sure drivers can get fuel safely and efficiently is a critical part of daily operations. Yet many retail gas stations simply aren’t built to handle the needs of larger commercial vehicles. Tight spaces, long lines, and slow fuel pumps can frustrate drivers and increase labor costs. While truck stops serve long-haul drivers well, they often aren't located where local and regional fleets operate most.

That’s where commercial gas stations, also known as cardlocks, come into play. These stations are specifically designed for businesses, offering features like high-speed pumps, easy access for large vehicles, and additional fuel products that retail gas stations don't carry. Beyond infrastructure, they also provide cost-plus fuel pricing that is often cheaper than retail gas station prices.

In this article, we’ll explore what commercial gas stations are, how they differ from retail stations, where to find them, and how to start fueling at these stations.

Table of Contents

• What is a commercial gas station?
• Commercial vs. retail gas stations: what's the difference?
• Where to find commercial gas stations
• What businesses use commercial gas stations?
• How to start fueling at commercial gas stations
  
  

What is a Commercial Gas Station?

A commercial gas station is a fuel station that is designed for business vehicles. These stations are larger than traditional gas stations and have wide turning areas to accommodate large fleet vehicles such as trucks, cranes, and construction equipment. Commercial gas stations usually aren't open to the general public and require a fleet fuel card account to purchase fuel.

Commercial vs. Retail Gas Stations: What's the Difference?

Here’s a quick comparison of commercial versus retail gas stations stations. Then we can dive into more specific details of how commercial gas stations differ from retail stations.

Commercial Gas Stations Are Built for Businesses While Retail Gas Stations Are Built for Consumers

Commercial fuel stations are built with wide turning areas and high clearance canopies for fleet vehicles to easily get in and out. These stations will save your drivers from the stress of trying to fit large vehicles into small retail stations where it's easy to hit other vehicles or the station itself.

Commercial stations also have high-speed pumps and satellite pumps so drivers can get fuel up to 5X faster than retail gas stations. A satellite pump is located on the other side of the fueling lane and is connected to the main pump, so drivers who have vehicles with two tanks can fill both at the same time. High-speed diesel pumps dispense fuel at up to 32 gpm (gallons per minute) or 63 gpm when the satellite dispenser is also activated. Retail gas station pumps dispense only 10 gpm or less.

Since commercial gas stations primarily serve businesses and aren't open to the public, they don't have convenience stores. Many fleet managers see this as a major benefit because c-stores can be a distraction for drivers who are on the clock and supposed to be on the road. 

Commercial Fuel Stations Carry Additional Fuel Products

Because commercial fuel stations are designed for commercial vehicles, they carry additional fuel products that business fleets need such as Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and off road diesel which aren't usually available at retail gas stations. Many businesses have diesel vehicles so commercial fuel stations offer DEF at the pump since most diesel vehicles made after 2010 require DEF.

For fleets that have off road equipment, off road vehicles, or refrigerated trailers, drivers have the option to purchase off road diesel also known as red dyed diesel at many commercial fuel stations. Unlike regular clear diesel, dyed diesel doesn't include road taxes because the vehicles and equipment that use it don't operate on roads. Using dyed diesel instead of clear diesel in your off road vehicles and equipment can save you 32-90¢ per gallon depending on the state.

Commercial Fuel Stations Offer Cost-Plus Pricing for Businesses

Commercial fuel stations offer cost-plus pricing, which is often 10-30¢ per gallon less than most retail stations in the area. This pricing model gives businesses more consistent pricing across locations. Instead of choosing between the wide price differences of retail brands, commercial stations base their rates on daily wholesale fuel costs reported by Oil Price Information Service (OPIS).

OPIS tracks daily wholesale fuel prices across cities and states in the U.S. Commercial fuel stations establish cost-plus pricing that typically incorporates a fixed margin over the base cost, providing businesses with more consistent and long-term savings. In contrast, retail stations and their merchants frequently adjust their margins daily, influenced by the actions of nearby competitors. This can cause significant price variations driven by local competition rather than true market conditions.

Customer Access and Accepted Payments

Commercial fuel stations typically restrict access by accepting specific fuel cards, whereas retail gas stations accept a wide range of payment methods. The majority of commercial fuel stations belong to either the Commercial Fueling Network (CFN) or the Pacific Pride Network, which are the two largest commercial fuel station networks in the U.S. CFN offers access to 3,000 commercial gas stations, while Pacific Pride offers 1,400 locations.

CFN and Pacific Pride provide their own fuel cards for entry to their respective commercial gas stations. Because they are considered to be rival fuel networks, Pacific Pride and CFN generally do not accept each other's fuel cards.

Where to Find Commercial Gas Stations

Although commercial gas stations are available across the country, they are predominantly located in the Western United States because of regional infrastructure. For example, in states like California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, truck stops are generally located in remote areas, while smaller retail stations are located in urban areas. Because of this, commercial fuel stations were built in urban areas to serve local and regional fleets with vehicles that can't easily access standard gas stations and seldom venture to remote areas where truck stops are found.

Map of Commercial Gas Stations 

Below is a map of commercial gas stations in the U.S., with color codes indicating their respective fuel networks.

Fuel Network
CFN: Blue
Pacific Pride: Grey

How to Find Commercial Gas Stations Near You

Here are the links to search for CFN and Pacific Pride commercial locations by address, city, state, or zip:

• Find CFN locations
• Find Pacific Pride locations: Under search options, select "Pacific Pride Cardlock" or "PrideNet Retail" to display cardlock locations.
  

What Businesses Use Commercial Gas Stations?

While companies with medium to large vehicles rely on commercial gas stations for their larger vehicle accessibility, other businesses with smaller vehicles can still utilize these stations for refueling. Even if your fleet doesn’t need high-speed pumps, larger fuel islands or wide turning areas, you can still enjoy the advantages of less retail traffic and cost-plus pricing available at commercial fuel stations.

How to Start Fueling at Commercial Gas Stations

Since commercial gas stations usually control access to a few payment types, you'll need to get the CFN fuel card to access CFN locations and the Pacific Pride fuel card to access Pacific Pride locations. While a few of these locations might accept other forms of payment, it's best to sign up for a network fuel card so that you gain access to all available locations.

If your business spends at least $1,000 on fuel each month, you are a good candidate to start using commercial fuel stations. At P-Fleet, we offer the CFN fuel card. To start fueling at CFN commercial gas stations, complete the online CFN fuel card application with your business information. Once your application is approved, you can order your fuel cards and start using CFN stations. For a step-by-step guide on applying, see our detailed article on the CFN fuel card application process.