Why the nearest fuel distributor is not always number one
Closer helps. A verified, complete listing can still rank ahead of a nearer thin one. A payment cannot set that order.
Half the score is miles
The search starts at a ZIP centroid or a city center. Distance score is high at the pin and falls off as the miles grow. A company across the state does not beat a neighbor on distance alone.
The company still has to cover the point. Inside the radius, the home city, or a place they listed all count. A circle that crosses a mountain or a ferry is a claim, not a road test. Listed places are how a distributor covers a spot the circle gets wrong.
Half the score is the listing
Quality adds a review score Bulk Fueling sets, completeness of the profile, a verified check after the name, phone, and coverage are confirmed, response time after at least three quotes are marked contacted, and an equipment match. Heavy-haul searches reward wet hose and after-hours. Other searches reward a tank wagon.
Featured companies with a current placement appear in a labeled strip and are left out of the numbered list. Paying for the label does not add points and does not hold number one.
Questions
Can a distributor edit the score?
They can complete their profile, fuels, and coverage. They cannot set the review score, the verified flag, or the featured date. Those stay with the directory.
Where is the formula written down?
On the how-we-rank page, in the same terms the list uses.