Purchasing Diesel fuel on trip

[ram17]

2017 6.7 CC SRW - This is my first diesel and first interstate trip. Leaving mid June from southwest Connecticut and driving to Indianapolis. Might take some short trips off the interstate to see some points of interest. What is the recommendations on purchasing diesel. Purchase only from the truck stops? What brands if any should I stay away from. When do you guys fill up - at the 1/4 mark or, higher or lower?

 

[6V92TA]

I go for cheapest. look on gas buddy dot com or get a app for the smart phone.

major truck stops are more expensive than te more out of the way stations.

 

[jgillott]

Pilot, Flying J, Loves are all good choices. In all my years of driving, the only tanks of bad fuel have come from little stations that do small volume.

 

[Dasmoeturhead]

Truck stops are good place to take on fuel. I believe with the high turnover rate the fuel is pretty fresh. You can also get DEF at the pump, which also should be fresh.
Some only sell B20 biodiesel. I try to avoid that, but sometimes I use it.
Save your fuel receipts in case you do get a tank full of water. Hasn't happened to me yet, but it could.
Whatever you do, DON'T put gasoline in it. It happens. Same with DEF. Just pay attention. >

 

[GrantP]

Truck stops are certainly a safe option but any station right off the freeway may cost a little more. My travel in the west usually means long gaps between gas stations so by the time I get to a quarter tank I'd better have a plan. That said I can pretty much drive all day on a tank and usually just fill up wherever I'm stopping for the night. Which brand of fuel doesn't matter in my opinion, just try to get it from a station that looks like it moves a lot of fuel.

 

[JR]

As mentioned save your receipts at least until after the fuel you purchased has been consumed. I write mileage on the back. Getting bad fuel is unlikely but without proof of purchase you'll be on the hook for any contamination related repairs which can easily run in the thousands. It is for this reason alone that I tend to stick with higher volume truck stops when on the road. Speculation on my part here, but i believe your chances of being reimbursed in the unlikely event are much better than at a small locally owned station.

 

[Wayne M.]

I buy at major truck stops when on a trip, local places I know that pumps high volumes.
I've been saving my diesel fuel receipts since 1997. Never had a problem. Knock wood.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Major Truck Stops for me, not worth the hassle to save a few cents and truck stops have plant of room when towing.

 

[6V92TA]

I don't care what anybody else does with their money but Major Truck stops charge 20 or more cents per gallon more than the more mundane regular fuel stations do.. so unless you don't pay attention you never noticed how frigging expensive the major truck stops are ( Loves, Flying J, Pilot) truckers have discount cards for those places.. and they are paying for the parking. the local Pilot Truck Stop is $3.45 a gallon for Diesel, its closer to or slightly under 3 bucks everywhere else. and that little tidbit is consistent throught out the US. truck stops cost a bunch more.. hell we just came back from North Carolina pulling the 5th wheel and we pulled of in Micanopy Fl and I was getting to the point where I really neeeded fuel and the major truck stop there ( I know the brand but I can't think of it right now) was 330 a gallon, so I kept going and I got diesel fuel for 285 two miles away in Citra off of US 441.. just the way it is... 45 cents a gallon difference in two miles. want the convenience of a truck stop, you pay for it,,,

one of the reasons I have this in the back of the truck is I can save enough on a fill up to pay for a meal or something else while travelling..

 

[Jim W]

Are you just driving your truck or are you towing a trailer? This makes a difference to me! When I tow my 5er I am 55 feet long and 13'.6" tall so, I go to truck stops. These are easy in and out for me. We carry two books with us, one is called the Next Exit which list all of the diesel stations along the interstate system by state. The other is called the RV'ERs Friend this list diesel stations in each state by city, mom and pop stations included. When we are not towing we do use GAS Buddy.
The only diesel fuel I try to avoid is BP. This fuel is usually over price and at least in my area BP does not refine their diesel they sell. On the pumps is a label stating that this fuel is refined by another refinery and is not a BP product.

 

[SnoKing]

Travel Link in the 8.4 system well give you near by fuel prices and allows you to select and navigate to a station.

 

[JPM]

Travel Link in the 8.4 system well give you near by fuel prices and allows you to select and navigate to a station.

I'll have to figure out how to do that. I hate most truck stops as they force you over to the semi area, don't take credit cards there and is a mess. I prefer normal pumps. Do the new trucks with the goofy no cap flaps take the big semi truck nozzles? My old 03 did.

 

[6V92TA]

. I prefer normal pumps. Do the new trucks with the goofy no cap flaps take the big semi truck nozzles? My old 03 did.

the new trucks will take the large nozzle with no problem

 

[Wayne M.]

I use Gas Buddy app and the Uconnect utility. Both work good.
I'll pay for (what I believe to be) quality fuel from a place that's moving product over a shanty with 30 year old pumps selling cheap.
I have BP diesel nearby, it's a good price and I never noticed that disclaimer sticker. I'll have to look.

 

[6V92TA]

Wayne M, does that mean you wouldn't buy fuel at a place like this?

 

[jgillott]

Last time I purchased fuel at a mom and pop diesel pump on a trip I ended up with rust in my fuel system. Here is an example of what I cut out of my primary filter.

My own fault. I was in an area in Upstate NY and didn't plan ahead for my fuel stops.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Many of the Love's for example have plenty of room at their regular lanes. Even double towing.

 

[Wayne M.]

I might. I see a truck business in the background, and if the tank caps didn't look to be below grade, and seemed like a decent operation, I might.

Also the other cardinal rule with any fuel type, NEVER EVER take fuel when there's a delivery happening.

 

[MConyers]

I don't fuel my diesel vehicles anywhere I wouldn't fuel my gasoline vehicles at. My unscientific guess is that if you aren't too far from the highway that the fuel turnover rate should be okay, especially if the fuel price is lower than that truck stops. I don't fuel at truck stops if there are other choices, and should say my trips are rather planned out, don't tow a huge trailer, and plan where I could stop in advance. Maybe the truck stops are better now, at least used to be you would have to go inside to get the pump turned on, go fuel, then go back in to settle the charge.

 

[dougsram]

Truck stops are by far the most expensive places to fill up and usually charge more for credit card use (particularly in Kansas). And you can be stuck behind a semi at the station forever while the driver pays and does his other business. Use gas buddy and have a few rewards cards such as Shell and Kroger. I use my Costco Visa which gives me 4% back on fuel. Find stations that are right off the freeway and don't require crossing over or under to the other side. You learn over time after traveling the same route which stations are too tight to get into and out of. And I avoid places that use biofuel (eastern AZ on I-10 for example).