Opportunity BasketRefinery Intel Cooperative (RIC) — Diesel Supply Chain Data Syndicate
A member-owned cooperative that aggregates real-time refinery outage schedules, maintenance calendars, distillate inventory levels (from EIA, CBOT, and direct refinery partnerships), and crack spread trends. Members receive weekly forecasts of regional diesel supply tightness 4–8 weeks ahead, enabling carriers and shippers to lock in fuel surcharges or hedge positions before price spikes. Unlike generic fuel hedging tools, RIC surfaces the structural refining constraint driving the actual price, not just historical volatility.
40 weeks • 70% confidence
Value Proposition
Carriers can forecast fuel costs with 70%+ accuracy 6 weeks out (vs. today's 20%), lock in driver surcharges before spikes, and avoid margin collapse. Shippers can budget and negotiate fixed fuel clauses. Brokers gain competitive advantage in rate negotiation. RIC's refinery-specific data beats commodity price tools because it explains WHY diesel moves, not just that it does.
Target Audience
Mid-to-large freight carriers (500+ trucks), 3PLs managing 1000+ shipments/month, shipper procurement teams with $5M+ annual fuel spend, fuel brokers and logistics consultants
Key Features
- Weekly refinery maintenance calendar and unplanned outage alerts (sourced from refinery partnerships, industry databases, CBOT data)
- Regional distillate inventory forecasts (4–8 week rolling window) by PADD zone
- Crack spread and margin analysis tied to specific refinery constraints
- And more, with full implementation detail...
Tech Stack
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Freight carriers and shippers cannot accurately forecast and budget for diesel fuel costs due to refining capacity constraintsDiesel prices remain elevated above $5/gallon, but the root cause—refining capacity shortages and outages—is unpredictable and invisible to logistics operators. Carriers, brokers, and shippers lack real-time visibility into refinery status, distillate inventory levels, and crack spreads, making fuel cost forecasting impossible and destroying margin predictability. Existing fuel hedging and budgeting tools fail because they don't account for the structural refining crisis driving prices.
Score: 45.7% • 1 payment signal