Folks new to this trade ask the same question: what software actually runs a jobber or a fuel marketing shop, and what does each piece do? Here is the whole landscape in plain words. We build one of these (PUP), so we say that up front and keep the rest fair.
First thing to get straight: "jobber software" is not one product. It is really five different jobs that people lump under one name, and most operations run two or three of them together. Before you shop, get clear on which ones you actually need: wholesale distribution, c-store back office, compliance, real estate, single state or many, one company or several entities.
The five jobs
- Wholesale / jobber back office. The operating core. Rack and contract pricing (the rack is the terminal price you buy at), supplier invoices, allocating loads out to your customers, billing, motor fuel tax, and the books. This runs the distribution side. See BOL to invoice and fuel allocation.
- C-store back office. Everything behind the pumps on the retail side. Price book, inventory, reconciling fuel sales against what the tanks actually read, catching shrink, tobacco and scan rebates, lottery, and age-check.
- Forecourt and POS. The dispensers and registers themselves: Gilbarco, Verifone, Wayne, NCR. Your back office plugs into this layer.
- Dispatch and logistics. Truck routing, tank monitoring (ATG, the gauges in the underground tanks that report how full they are), and proof of delivery.
- Compliance. Motor fuel tax filed state by state, plus RIN and RFS work (Renewable Identification Numbers under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, the credits tied to blended fuel).
Who owns what
Worth knowing before you sign anything. A large share of the old-line jobber names rolled up under one company, PDI Technologies. Over the years they picked up DM2 (sold now as Petroleum Insights), FACTOR (an Oklahoma City shop running since 1977), and others.
None of that makes PDI a poor choice. It is a serious platform with a strong team, and plenty of large operators run it and stay happy. Just walk in clear-eyed about what a consolidated market does to a deal: enterprise pricing, longer contracts, and less give when the vendor you depend on already bought up a good slice of its old competition. If you are on an older system that got acquired, ask your rep point blank what the migration path looks like.
The names, grouped
One line each. Every one of these has tiers and modules, so read it as a map, not a spec sheet.
Wholesale / jobber back office
- PDI (PDI Enterprise). The heavyweight. Broad, deep, built for scale and priced for it.
- Petroleum Insights (formerly DM2), under PDI. Strong on cardlock and lubricants.
- FACTOR, under PDI. Accounting, wholesale, c-store, and fuel.
- ADD Systems. Independent. Deep roots in heating oil, propane, and motor fuels.
- iRely. Wholesale distribution, order all the way through tax.
- Red River Software (Fuel Suite). Jobbers, dealers, and propane, with a heavy compliance bent.
- AIMS (Commander). Long-running jobber accounting, tank inventory, and dispatch.
- BookWorks. Independent, courting operators coming off the acquired platforms.
- PUP (Pup Jobber). Modular jobber and dealer back office built for the small and mid-size operators the big vendors price out, with reliable accounting, multi-state, multi-entity, and real estate. More on it below.
C-store back office
- Petrosoft (CStoreOffice). Cloud-based. Inventory, fuel reconciliation, loss prevention, and tobacco rebate capture. Built by an operator who ran his own stores.
- Series2K. A well-regarded convenience-store and retail back office with deep store and foodservice features. C-store is its focus. It also offers jobber software, so it is worth a look if your operation leans heavily retail.
Forecourt / POS
- Gilbarco Passport, Verifone Commander, NCR Voyix. The pump-and-register layer your back office talks to.
Dispatch
- BizSpeed (goRoam). Routing, live visibility, and electronic proof of delivery.
How to tell them apart
Set the feature lists down for a second. Four questions sort the field faster than any demo:
- Does it run your operation out of the box? Cardlock (unattended sites where fleet drivers fuel on a card), lubricants, propane, home heat, commissioned-agent stations (sites where you own the fuel and pay the operator a commission). If the thing you do every single day rides on a bolt-on, that tells you plenty.
- Can you see the price? A good share of this market still quotes you off what they figure you can pay.
- How hard is it to leave? Lock-in is the cost you only feel later.
- Does it talk to your POS and your accounting on its own, or does feeding it turn into a part-time job?
Hold two or three of those up against what defines your shop and the list gets short in a hurry. For the full set of demo questions, see our buyer's guide, and for a head-to-head read the vendor comparison.
Where PUP fits
We make one of these. It is PUP, the flagship is Pup Jobber, and it is live today. Short version: a jobber back office aimed at the small and mid-size operators the big names price out, while still carrying the heavy features and the support a jobber needs.
Day to day it:
- Pulls in your supplier invoices in NAXML (the standard file suppliers send, so you stop rekeying loads).
- Allocates those purchases against your sales with live margin.
- Settles your commissioned-agent stations daily.
- Keeps the books, records, and reports, across multiple states and entities.
It is modular, so you switch on the pieces you run and pay for those. More is in the works on top of it (loss prevention, compliance records, cardlock and fleet fueling), and current-generation security is built into every piece. We also publish our prices, which is rare in this market. You can build your operation and see an instant estimate on the pricing page.
Common questions
What software does a fuel jobber use?
Most jobbers run two or three systems at once: a wholesale back office for rack pricing, invoicing, allocation, fuel tax, and books; a c-store back office if they own retail; and a forecourt or POS layer at the pump. Larger operations add dispatch and compliance tools.
Is jobber software the same as c-store software?
No. Wholesale jobber back office runs the distribution side, the loads you buy at the rack and sell to your customers. C-store back office runs the retail side behind the pumps, like price book, inventory, and fuel reconciliation. Many operators run both because they do both.
Who owns the older jobber software brands?
A large share of the legacy names rolled up under PDI Technologies, which acquired DM2 (sold now as Petroleum Insights), FACTOR, and others. Several independents remain, including ADD Systems, Red River, AIMS, BookWorks, and PUP.
How much does fuel jobber software cost?
Most vendors quote by the deal, and enterprise suites can reach six figures a year plus setup. PUP publishes its pricing online, starting at $450 a month for the wholesale platform, with an instant estimate on the site.