As the winter approaches and the need for oil increases, Jeremy Riordan’s phone begins to ring. During peak season, the owner of Willow Creek Fuels in Saco says he often works 12- to 14-hour days delivering to as many as 60 homes.

“It’s direct customer service – I’m a one-man crew.” said Riordan, 38. “When you call Willow Creek, you’re not getting an operator, you’re getting me.”

Riordan has been delivering fuel for years, first for another company, then for himself for the past five years.

His favorite part of the job is the fast pace.

“I like the action,” he said.

The hardest part is locating homes’ fill pipes.

“I’ve gone over fences, through garages, around sheds, and over an old car to get to a fill,” Riordan said. “You never know what you are going to come across.”