Do you think the highe cost of Diesel will finally

[hammersley]

put an end to the HP wars and even bring some sanity to mileage..... I mean actually trying to decrease say HP FOR mileage etc????

 

[jwgary]

I will admit that I was a little concerned when the new CTD came out with a larger displacement since that generally means greater fuel consumption. I guess people have seen a decline in their mileage with these new engines compared to the old 5. 9s. I'm all for the newer technology that keeps improving on the efficiency. I drive my CTD because I know that it is much more efficient than a gasser. I don't really need to have a big tow vehicle, but it is hard to live in TX and not have a pickup, especially if you do your own home improvement projects. So I get a 3/4 ton that gets better mileage than a 1/2 ton and is more capable to boot. I don't know if the HP wars will ever end. People like to look at those numbers and are more interested in HP and ft. -lbs. than in MPG (which I never see advertised at all for trucks). Perhaps guys think you are not being manly if you don't want more power (it's hard to say that without some kind of grunt). Maybe it makes you look like some enviro-weenie if all you care about is fuel economy. Well, I'm just cheap! I don't want to spend more for fuel than I have to and if I can go farther or do more with the same amount, then I am all for it. I don't care about reducing my so-called "carbon footprint. " That's all just a bunch of junk anyway (read Michael Crichton's State of Fear). The engineer in me wants to continuously increase efficiency to improve on the design and use as much of the useful energy as I can.

 

[MFalkinham]

Why can't Dodge repeat what happened in 2003 when they offered the Standard Output 250/460 engine option as well as the High Output 305/555 engine.

Many gas cars and trucks have the choice of 4cyl, V6 or V8 options for those who are more fuel conscious. That way people buy the engine that fits their needs, and not have a "one size fits all" engine scenario like now.

 

[BILLVO]

Judging by how slow the Competition forum has gotten the past few months I would say it may be happening to a certain extent already. Seems the ones there anymore are mostly the big sponsored guys and there sponsors who can afford to absorb the higher fuel costs.



jmo

 

[KnightR]

Stopped at a fuel center yesterday asked the guy why his prices for diesel was ten cents cheaper a gallon than down the hill. Mistake. Drove in today to fill up price was up eleven cents a gallon. What's wrong with this picture. Oh, by the way it's $3. 50 in Southern California.

 

[DBentley]

here in ma. diesel 3. 11 for a week and this weekend up to 3. 29 ??

If gas goes up 1 cent diesel goes 10cents now

Im guessing 4. 00+ by the 1st of 2008.

 

[TWilkening]

The manager at a local filling station went to a managers meeting and was told with oil going like it is, they could see $5 a gallon gas by Christmas.

 

[catoiler]

3. 89 today!! Tell me how come they jack up the price of fuel at the stations when that fuel was bought at the lower price that is in ground?? GREED!!

 

[Tinman]

Stopped at a fuel center yesterday asked the guy why his prices for diesel was ten cents cheaper a gallon than down the hill. Mistake. Drove in today to fill up price was up eleven cents a gallon. What's wrong with this picture. Oh, by the way it's $3. 50 in Southern California.

Good point. When people complain about gas prices they always point to the big bad oil companies. They don't want to point a finger at their local buddy at the convenience store for higher profit margins. But most of the time the local guys are increasing prices based on local competition. This is a great example. Oil company profit margins are lower than most any other commodity. The local market profit margin... well that's different. Here in the little mountain town where I live, fuel is about $. 25 higher than most truck stops (low competition). I reluctantly buy at wal-mart because they are as good or better than the truck stops.

 

[Tinman]

3. 89 today!! Tell me how come they jack up the price of fuel at the stations when that fuel was bought at the lower price that is in ground?? GREED!!

Good grief. You obvious failed grade school economics. I'll try to explain. Say you buy a wigit for $1 and then sell it at $2. Then one day the price from your supplier of wigits goes to $100. Now you have 10 wigits in stock you paid $1 for, but how are you going to buy the new $100 wigits if you charge $2 for the ones you have. The market price is now $100 which means the value of the wigits you are selling when up regardless of what you paid for them. You'd be giving them away if you sold them for $2 because now they are worth $100. So your price reflects current market price. It is a reflection of value. This is the way all commodities work, from coffee to oil. BTW, what are you going to sell your new $100 wigits for $101 or $200? To keep profit margins the same it'd be $200 (100%).

 

[tgordon]

The last story I heard was that refinarys in Mexico shut down for hurricanes, don't know as I have not been watching the TV lately. The driver for the local Co-op has to be in line to get fuel at 12 or 1 in the morning if he wants to get any. Hello rationing and long oines here we come#@$%!

 

[catoiler]

Good grief. You obvious failed grade school economics. I'll try to explain. Say you buy a wigit for $1 and then sell it at $2. Then one day the price from your supplier of wigits goes to $100. Now you have 10 wigits in stock you paid $1 for, but how are you going to buy the new $100 wigits if you charge $2 for the ones you have. The market price is now $100 which means the value of the wigits you are selling when up regardless of what you paid for them. You'd be giving them away if you sold them for $2 because now they are worth $100. So your price reflects current market price. It is a reflection of value. This is the way all commodities work, from coffee to oil. BTW, what are you going to sell your new $100 wigits for $101 or $200? To keep profit margins the same it'd be $200 (100%).

You don't get it!

 

[klenger]

Good grief. You obvious failed grade school economics. I'll try to explain. Say you buy a wigit for $1 and then sell it at $2. Then one day the price from your supplier of wigits goes to $100. Now you have 10 wigits in stock you paid $1 for, but how are you going to buy the new $100 wigits if you charge $2 for the ones you have. The market price is now $100 which means the value of the wigits you are selling when up regardless of what you paid for them. You'd be giving them away if you sold them for $2 because now they are worth $100. So your price reflects current market price. It is a reflection of value. This is the way all commodities work, from coffee to oil. BTW, what are you going to sell your new $100 wigits for $101 or $200? To keep profit margins the same it'd be $200 (100%).

I'll buy that theory, except that if the price of widgets falls from $100 back to $1, you can't still sell them for $100. That's not the case with fuel. Price goes up with immediately the price of crude, but falls ever so slowly well after the price of crude falls back down.

 

[WDixon27]

all i know is i am trying not to use up the tank of diesel i bought at 2. 839 now that it's 3. 159

 

[hammersley]

Don't you smell a rat??????

"This is a great example. Oil company profit margins are lower than most any other commodity. The local market profit margin... well that's different. "



I've seen that before and it sounds good if you believe the Creative Accountants :-laf



Now think about the domestic production that has a huge supply being produced at a sunk cost of less that $5/bbl..... and contracted $$ in teh desert at the most of $20/bbl ---- ..... craetive economics IMO.....

 

[TFucili]

Good grief. You obvious failed grade school economics. I'll try to explain. Say you buy a wigit for $1 and then sell it at $2. Then one day the price from your supplier of wigits goes to $100. Now you have 10 wigits in stock you paid $1 for, but how are you going to buy the new $100 wigits if you charge $2 for the ones you have. The market price is now $100 which means the value of the wigits you are selling when up regardless of what you paid for them. You'd be giving them away if you sold them for $2 because now they are worth $100. So your price reflects current market price. It is a reflection of value. This is the way all commodities work, from coffee to oil. BTW, what are you going to sell your new $100 wigits for $101 or $200? To keep profit margins the same it'd be $200 (100%).

Since we're conducting class, professor, what you are referring to as "margin" is actually "markup". Margin is profit as a percentage of selling price, while markup is profit as a percentage of cost. If your widget costs $100 and you sell it for $200, that is a gross margin of 50%.



Class dismissed:-laf

 

[Wiredawg]

Higher Fuel Prices Have Affected Me!

In light of the rising price of diesel, I've pretty much decided to not invest in another full-size diesel truck. I'll continue to drive the one's we have and fix them as needed, but no more large investment expense of another truck. We use our's as daily drivers and will continue to do so.



I see the RV market and vehicle markets in the US changing enormously over the next two to five years, as fuel prices continue to climb. :{



Just my thoughts on what is ahead.



Wiredawg

 

[BILLVO]

I am sure most all of us have stock in the big oil companies through our 401k retirement plans. That are doing quite well these last couple of years. We may not be earning back what the current price is costing us. But it is another way to look at it.



Seems when the minimum wage starts to go up a little the cost of living far surpasses it.



jmo