Gas station reimagination

Ben Morris started his first business when he was 10 years old. In his hometown of Alexander City, he sold tomatoes door to door.  

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur,” Morris said. 

His entrepreneurial spirit has only strengthened with time. Today, he sells more than tomatoes. 

Morris, a Mountain Brook resident, is the founder of a fuel delivery service called FuelFox. 

“We’re like an Amazon or Uber for gas,” Morris said. “We’re bringing back the full-service gas station, but we’re delivering the fuel to you rather than you having to come to the full-service gas station.” 

FuelFox has three custom-built delivery trucks that transport gas to clients in Jefferson and Shelby counties. 

Initially, it serviced only corporate clients, like landscapers, pest control services and food distributors, while the fleets were parked at night.  

But FuelFox recently expanded its clientele to include individuals and families. FuelFox trucks go to high-density surface parking lots at office buildings, apartment complexes and gyms, where they fuel vehicles at the same time each week. 

“Just like you know which day your trash is being picked up and you take it out to the street, you know which day is gas day at your office building,” Morris said. 

FuelFox was able to expand its offerings after launching an app in November. The app allows individuals to choose their fueling site and time and pay electronically. 

FuelFox charges the county average gas price, as determined by the auto group AAA. All fueling is performed by trained firefighters. 

“We only hire firefighters as ambassadors,” Morris said. “Firefighters are well-respected. They’re going to provide excellent customer service. They have extensive training both through the fire department and with us, and so it’s just a natural fit.”

Morris came up with his business idea with the help of his wife, Rebecca. She doesn't like going to the gas station, Morris said, and used to voice her displeasure about the task’s inconvenience. 

“I was thinking, ‘I bet there’s a lot of people out there who feel the same way,’” Morris said. “I have yet to meet one person who enjoys going to fill up their vehicle.” 

Morris was practicing law when he began to conduct market research for his business idea. Once he determined its viability, he resigned from his law firm to dedicate all of his time to FuelFox. 

Over the course of seven months, from January to July 2018, Morris designed the custom-built trucks, developed proprietary fuel-monitoring software, formulated his business plan, acquired the necessary licenses, hired drivers and on-boarded his first corporate clients. 

“They immediately saw the value,” said Morris, citing the labor hours recovered by the businesses he serves. 

The app has since enabled its expansion. Morris said FuelFox allows individual customers to avoid gas stations that can be unsafe and unsanitary. 

It also saves time. 

“If you can get another 20, 30 minutes in your day, that’s huge for everybody,” Morris said. “Individuals have been extremely receptive because it just takes that extra burden of having to fill up your vehicle out of your life.”

To learn more about FuelFox, visit fuelfox.net or call 807-6787.