Compared with last year, summer fuel prices for gasoline and diesel has remained stable. Alternative markets competition still coming from emissions versus price with traditional fuels.

Electric vehicles seem to take up most of the oxygen in the room any time someone mentions alternative fuels, but there are other options. Among those is propane autogas, which has a number of advantages going for it.

Today’s business environment requires distributors to constantly pursue opportunities that improve the efficiency of their fleet operations. At Orion, Mich.-based Powers Distributing, this pursuit of efficiency pre-dates the economic roller coaster of the past decade and extends into other areas of the business.

In spite of generally positive performance out on the road, diesel-electric hybrid drivetrains have had less than stellar success in the North American truck market. So much so that Eaton Corp., a manufacturer of hybrid components, has recently announced that it will discontinue offering hybrid drivetrains in North America.

As the year begins to wind down, it’s time to look at the factors that are likely to have a significant effect on beverage fleet operations in 2014.