The Moral of This Story: Plan Your Travel Fill Ups Wisely

[TDRComm]

Understandably, the new pastime for some is watching and discussing daily fuel price changes. The editor has compiled this at-a-glance list at what we’re all paying in taxes alone per gallon of diesel, per state:

TDR members, you’ll recognize today’s post as it is excerpted from the current Turbo Diesel Register magazine Issue 119, page 13. So, this is for those of you occasionally stopping by or just tuning in here.

If you’re not yet a member of the TDR or let your membership lapse, we hope you’ll consider becoming a full-fledged TDR member today. The annual rate is $35, for which you’ll receive 4 copies of the the quarterly print magazine delivered to your door, as well as a copy of the TDR annual wall calendar. Plus, you’ll enjoy access to all areas of our forum, access to our numerous online technical publications as well as digital back issues of the magazine.

JOIN THE TDR HERE:
https://www.tdr-online.com/main.sc
Or call us at 770-886-8877 Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30 EST.

TDR Admin Staff

 

[bcbender]

Amen... My 60gal AUX tank has paid for itself at least once over when traveling across country. Towing it gives me about 900mi range so I can bypass stations (or states) and get fuel where it makes the best sense (pun intended)

 

[Jim W]

Will I have no choice but to fill up in one of the highest fuel tax bracket states in the U.S. Since I live in IL. and I am nowhere close to a friendlier tax fuel bracket state.

My wife always asks when we travel why is fuel so much more in IL. Because the Dem's think we need to support Chicago, and don't tell me that the state portion of the fuel tax is used only for roads.

 

[NIsaacs]

In Arizona, don't assume our low fuel tax equals low fuel prices. We have two tax rates, big trucks and pickup trucks, pickups are taxed 8 cents less, so using the above tables, pickups are about 43 cents.

Avoid the big name brand truck stops, they are price gouging and price fixing. Example, gas buddy says two local truck stops near Holbrook (I-40) fuel is $4.89...Maverick in town is $4.01 and they have a few truck/RV lanes.

35 miles south of there is Snowflake (my town) fuel is $4.49, another 30 miles south is Showlow, the Maverick there is back to $4.01.

So yes, I agree, plan your fill ups when in Arizona.

 

[TDRAdmin4]

Will I have no choice but to fill up in one of the highest fuel tax bracket states in the U.S. Since I live in IL. and I am nowhere close to a friendlier tax fuel bracket state.

My wife always asks when we travel why is fuel so much more in IL. Because the Dem's think we need to support Chicago, and don't tell me that the state portion of the fuel tax is used only for roads.

Please save the political slams for the politics section of the forums.

 

[Ozymandias]

Will I have no choice but to fill up in one of the highest fuel tax bracket states in the U.S. Since I live in IL. and I am nowhere close to a friendlier tax fuel bracket state.

My wife always asks when we travel why is fuel so much more in IL. Because the Dem's think we need to support Chicago, and don't tell me that the state portion of the fuel tax is used only for roads.

No tribal fuel station in your area?

 

[Jim W]

Ozzy.
NO, not within 100 to 150 miles of me.

 

[Ozymandias]

Ozzy.
NO, not within 100 to 150 miles of me.

To bad, they are often a good source for cheap fuel and cigarettes all over the US.

 

[JKaeseberg]

Please save the political slams for the politics section of the forums.

According to the chart above I don’t think the poster was slamming anybody but just being factual. Your chart says it all.

 

[dpotter]

My recent trip to Prescott, AZ. at the end of Feb 2023, I paid $3.97 for diesel in Prescott. I had paid $5.19 on filling up before leaving commiefornia. A difference of $.45 in taxes and $1.22 in pump price. New math? I wonder where the $.77 goes?

 

[Tuesdak]

My recent trip to Prescott, AZ. at the end of Feb 2023, I paid $3.97 for diesel in Prescott. I had paid $5.19 on filling up before leaving commiefornia. A difference of $.45 in taxes and $1.22 in pump price. New math? I wonder where the $.77 goes?

Well, look into it. Start with the shortage of refineries due in part to no new ones built and the big ones that closed in 2019. Then figure out where Arizona gets it's fuel from: Hint look up major refinery locations. Your answer should be California or shipped in from the gulf coast/back east. Not only cost to ship the fuel, but, is there any rail capacity to actually ship it? Look into the DEF shortage concerns like from The Flying J for more reading on lack of shipping capacity. So cheaper fuel, IF it exists, may not be able to be moved to another area.

The price of a barrel of oil was this high before without fuel prices being this high.

The big difference is the last gatekeeper that sets the price for fuel for the next day: Refineries. No one cared when they were going bankrupt and now they are a bad investment taking decades of NIMBY, permits, EPA, Blah Blah Blah. And no one is doing anything about that including changing the situation of refineries from clearly being a bad investment. Because just wait for the next "BUST!" cycle of oil due in part to The USA's inability to put a long term energy policy in place that protects OUR OIL INDUSTRY from worldwide price fixing that uses Kingdom Levels of cash to do so.

 

[Wiredawg]

All the discussion here certainly reinforces planning for fuel. When we build a trip itinerary, we calculate refueling our MH about every 600 to 800 miles, plot fueling stations along the way, and try to target stops we can use our discount card. We saved about $600 on 5K mile trip. MH has 140 gallons of fuel.

 

[slowmover]

Understanding the relationship between Average MPG and Average MPH will do more to reduce operating cost than chasing pennies-per-gallon on a road trip. (Record & Chart history; FUELLY app).

Intelligent vehicle operation reduces annual fuel burn to the point that vacation miles are practically free given the same budget.

TSD Logistics offers others a program using their EFS discount (big truck discounting). Seems nice till you realize that the chains offer “best” discount (the ones offered you) at the worst chain locations. Meaning the crowds and difficulties of getting in & out in a timely fashion.

On a long Interstate day in the big truck I’ll often get passed while running 67-68/MPH by the same vehicles several times thru that day. That’s bad planning & poorer execution.

A rule of thumb is that:

— 80% range (36-gl CTD = 28-gl) is maximum.
— Miles covered per day (450).
— 16-MPG = One fill per day.

Early in the day is best for in/out. At truckstops it’s pretty much 0800-1100 in outer metro and rural areas.

Earliest start (pre-dawn) is also better for both travel time and fuel economy at the same road speed as a later start. Traffic volume is what kills both MPG and Engine Hour averages.

Diverting off into town a few miles just killed the Highway FE, introduced higher collision risk, and decreased the putative savings. Stop & Go plus crossing traffic a bad idea to choose.

The best fuel stop is in the same direction of travel (fewest or no turns ingress/egress), has many diesel-only fuel pumps, and exits directly back onto the Interstate. Use that in the hours noted above.

Lowest cost = better operation (no lane-changing; no use of service brakes as the ideal), no idling, set speed below cars, and doesn’t involve chasing pennies per gallon.

The fuel budget for a trip is predicted using conservative numbers beforehand.

“Saving” $600 on a 5k trip wasn’t a savings. It was heading out blindly with an unknown vehicle. Truck companies or owner/operators go broke on that path. The vehicle has a historical average. Improving that average is the real game.

Given that it’s a motorhome likely experiencing low miles over X-years, depreciation is the factor that matters most. Cost is total outlay over X-years expressed in nights spent aboard. (Lower fuel CPM barely exists as a change on a per-night expression; it’s not a savings).

Sight lines in mohos are terrible. As are turning radiuses. One mishap (fault irrelevant) killed the lifetime “savings” of false economy from going thru traffic 2X to save pennies.

Big truck firms don’t allow driving into town to chase pennies. They’re serious about the cost of fuel (as it can entail risk). Ones “skill” is an irrelevancy, it doesn’t factor.

Pulling my TT is a 62’ combined rig. I choose PETRO when I can and use the farthest pump from the fuel island C-store with the easiest exit to road from those pumps and that Petro features the largest parking lots of any fuel chain. At 1000 (or 1.5-2.0/hr past sunrise) the place is about as empty as it’ll get. (Always study sat pic beforehand).

Ideally this break will be during my Hour #5 on the road. I’m ready for a real break of about an hour. So fuel and a meal are indicated. I can find a quiet corner far away while there, or head on down the Interstate to one of the larger rest areas (modern term is Safety Rest Area for new or totally rebuilt). It’ll also be quiet relative to the rest of the daylight hours.

On a bad day that first 4.5-hrs given 60-MPH average (below actual set speed, one needs to understand how this works; closest is best), my MPG could be as low as 12. That’s 22-gallons. At 16 it’s 17-gallons consumed. (Same road, only traffic differs).

Highest Average MPH relative to cruise control set speed is avoiding that which then lowers the average (off highway distances & time).

“You” chase your pennies-per-gallon. I’ll take $25 per fill-up (17-gal versus 22). Fuel cost per gallon is not the first consideration or indicative of lowest actual cost. (33-CPM fuel versus 41-CPM fuel).

— Those who leave at 0800 and travel till about dark will experience the highest costs: in fuel, component wear, time en-route, and in fatigue (same travel speed attempted).

Little or no traffic — no impediments — is lowest fuel cost. (Highest average speed is road design, not cruise control set number), Nationwide that’s before 1100 to get most miles done.

Vacationers have more choices (no need to be “timely”). Also don’t need to travel the Interstates. For all roads, include this:



Highway miles are an emotional problem re fuel cost. It’s “higher” per week than the metro bubble average, even if better MPG. (Get a grip).

.

 

[Wiredawg]

SM, You're a GENIUS! Thank you. I would have never thunk it.

 

[slowmover]

SM, You're a GENIUS! Thank you. I would have never thunk it.

You may have known it already. I assume you do. But I doubt the recognition of traffic risk weighs in with CTD & RV owners. (Your example was also handy; thought you were a big boy). Others don’t get much traction from factor weight.

An historical average means an understanding of a variety of conditions:

— I came into San Antonio this morning ahead of a 15-mph tailwind. Despite weighing 76k, I was almost at 10-MPG for the trip down from New Mexico.

— No traffic on IH-10 from Ft Stockton so was running 70. Came thru SA at 1100 (low to no noticeable traffic). One slowdown. 9.7-average for a 535-mile trip. Altitude downhill the whole way (4800’ to SA at 800’). 38F to 85F

Is that my average?

Road, Load, Speed, Traffic, Weather, Terrain.

Change any one and the fuel expense just changed.
Traffic is the worst effect as all otherwise except speed are fixed.

Yeah, $600 is “off”. Trip planning beforehand covers that. A truck driver goes broke gambling on daily fuel changes. And X-nights over Y-years means one has to full-time (6-9/months annually) before the daily expense is affected in any significant way. (Pulling a towed? Factor that in — totals — also if bought to be such).

$150k at 4.89% over 120-months adds $30k in finance charges alone. $600/night at 30-nights/year.

Fuel cost ain’t the travel expense problem.
Its the fixed overhead.

If FE matters then the fixed cost is reduced, and one specs the rig for FE. Then operates to maximize those advantages.

40-CPM for fuel is against 150-CPM or 300-CPM true cost of ownership?

A single parking lot cracked panel just screwed up the whole thing. Ghetto payday is an ambulance chaser going after deep pockets (you). His clients fault won’t stop this as the imaginary injury suffered is off-setting.

Reason went the way of the Dodo bird. The demand for money will come out of your pocket (rate increase).

You’ll be asked WHY you passed up three or more big truck facilities in your moho just to cram yourself into Wally World to save a few bucks.

A shiny RV is white privilege. .
.

 

[NIsaacs]

[QUOTE="slowmover, post: 2712905, member: 1016281

Big truck firms don’t allow driving into town to chase pennies. They’re serious about the cost of fuel (as it can entail risk). Ones “skill” is an irrelevancy, it doesn’t factor.

Pulling my TT is a 62’ combined rig. I choose PETRO

.[/QUOTE]


Using my example above, the fuel price difference is $0.88, not exactly pennies. You go ahead and fuel at Petro, I will fuel at Maverick. If I stop for fuel twice a week, once west bound and again east bound, (I am a "big trucker" running coast to coast)...

I take 150 gallons per stop or 300 per week or $264 less per week than you. Humm, that's $13,758 per year, not exactly pennies.

Petro is on the west edge of town, easy off, easy on, no traffic. Maverick is in the center of town, easy off, easy on. You do travel about a 1/2 mile, on Business I-40, (twice) if you are east bound. West bound, all you do is cross the street (twice), just barely more traffic than Petro.

Like the thread says "Plan your travel fill ups wisely"

Correction:

Fuel stop west of town is TA, not Petro, but same difference.

 

[Wiredawg]

I guess our fueling routine got lost in the traffic (LoL). We plan truck stops on the highway that honor TSD, but don't have a problem paying full price. We don't chase pennies going off path, just like you say, not worth the increased risk. Although truck stops on the side of the interstate we are traveling is preferred, it doesn't deter us from crossing over. Truck stop access, traffic flow, and layout are usually well planned. I agree about picking the farthest island out with less cross foot traffic and generally less congested. The point of my first post on this thread is you can save on the price of fuel simply by using a fuel savings card and planning your fueling stops where they are accepted (along the route you are travleing).

BL: our travel itinerary includes preplanned truck stops. So, last big trip, we saved $600 in fueling discounts at truck stops on our route. We exclusively use truck stops or fueling stations that have truck fueling lanes.

So, the info you presented was fine, I just thought I'd pull your chain on the assumption(s) about fueling locations and chasing pennies. It took me a little while and a few rewrites to get my post just right.

One more thing: You are one for the few truck drivers I know who has a PHD!