Tip Etiquette at Truck Stop Diesel Pumps

[Diesel Pusher]

It is for accounting but for tax purposes, tractor fuel being subject to road taxes, refer fuel being like ag fuel or any other fuel not used for on-road purposes.

Exactly! ..... Sorry, I guess I should have provided a little more detail......

 

[Tom in PA]

Flying J/Pilot offers significant discounts to RV'ers using their "RV Card."
The best tip is after fueling, pull up to the yellow line before going inside to get a receipt or buying anything.

 

[osuallen]

Flying J/Pilot offers significant discounts to RV'ers using their "RV Card."
The best tip is after fueling, pull up to the yellow line before going inside to get a receipt or buying anything.

The P/FJ RV card is 8 cents off the cash price. There are times when that is the best deal, but most of the time Open Roads or mudflap offers much greater discounts.

 

[DKRITTER]

The P/FJ RV card is 8 cents off the cash price. There are times when that is the best deal, but most of the time Open Roads or mudflap offers much greater discounts.

It has been years since we fueled up at a Pilot, we have always received a better price from TSD 90% or Mudflap 10%.

 

[FL-JOE]

I agree with most of what has been suggested. I'll just toss out another possibility on getting DEF. When we were full time I started having issues buying DEF in containers. The seals wouldn't look right or appear to have been opened. Of course like many Newmar DP owners I didn't want to reposition my coach in busy diesel lanes to add DEF. I started carrying a DEF container so I could still get my safer bulk DEF in the diesel lanes but add it later while in a CG.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Having not used Truck Stop diesel pumps in the past I have been looking for tips on using Truck Stop Diesel pumps. Trying very hard not to look like a Noob and piss people off.

Hi Joe,

I know it's been a couple months and maybe you're a "Truck Stop Expert" by now, but you asked for tips, so I'd love to give mine to you. I've been using truck stops, exclusively, for 5 years...and would consider myself having enough experience to share the small amount of advice to make you look like a Pro.

1. Figure out the correct entrance AND exit paths BEFORE arriving. Seems stupid, but let me tell you...they're NOT always straight forward and, if you're trying to figure it out on the fly, it will just make you more stressed and irritate the truckers as you clog things up. My Garmin 1095 is awesome for this, because every stop will download a BIRDSEYE view and will even show ROUTING THROUGH the truck stop, RV park, etc!! The LAST thing you wanna do is have to detach because you went the wrong way and can't turn around.

2. As you approach the pumps' entrance, assess where you need to be...AND BE PREPARED TO BE CUT-OFF by some other jerk that is in a hurry. This happened TWICE just a couple days ago. Makes us mad, but I keep telling myself, "hey, it's THEM who are wasting time/money while sitting here waiting for others".

3. KNOW how your TSD Fuel Card works BEFOREHAND...don't try to figure it out after you pull to the pump! It's NOT hard at all and I've helped numerous folks learn how to do it ahead of time. It's literally a SWIPE, PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH, Enter Code, NO NO, and done procedure.

4. NEVER LEAVE YOUR RIG when it's at the pump...even if you need to go inside to pay. ALWAYS ALWAYS pull forward and MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR TOAD so that the truck behind you can pull up far enough. Unfortunately, this doesn't work the other way; we CONSTANTLY get burned by truckers who pull up a little bit, then SPLIT for a half hour to do who knows what. In the meantime, since my tanks are at the rear, we're screwed and can't pull up far enough. So, sometimes, I'll try to get behind a shorter truck, bobtail, etc. just to hedge my bet.


That's really all there is too it. I've never had a single bad experience...aside from maybe getting a bit of "attitude face" as we pull forward a lot more than a normal truck. I guess the grumpy ol' dudes somehow get upset that they have to walk two extra steps to go around us just get to their cheeseburger. LOL

 

[Underboss]

Yes, I always route plan and google earth pre stop. Its amazing how after you pull through the pumps and are leaving, its sometimes not clear which way to go.
I got stuck behind a semi that literally was pulled forward and gone from the truck before I pulled in. I filled up, ready to go and the truck was still there and he was nowhere to be found. He did not come out for another 30 minutes then sat in his truck for 3 minutes before even starting it to leave.

 

[sheridany]

The best time to pull into a truck stop for fueling is late morning or mid-day. You can always almost pull into a fueling lane pretty quickly. After 4 pm, it gets busy as the drivers typically come in to stay at the end of their time allowance.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Hi Joe,

I know it's been a couple months and maybe you're a "Truck Stop Expert" by now, but you asked for tips, so I'd love to give mine to you. I've been using truck stops, exclusively, for 5 years...and would consider myself having enough experience to share the small amount of advice to make you look like a Pro.

1. Figure out the correct entrance AND exit paths BEFORE arriving. Seems stupid, but let me tell you...they're NOT always straight forward. My Garmin 1095 is awesome for this, because every stop will download a BIRDSEYE view and will even show ROUTING THROUGH the truck stop, RV park, etc!! The LAST thing you wanna do is have to detach because you went the wrong way and can't turn around.

2. As you approach the pumps' entrance, assess where you need to be...AND BE PREPARED TO BE CUT-OFF by some other jerk that is in a hurry. This happened TWICE just a couple days ago. Makes us mad, but I keep telling myself, "hey, it's THEM who are wasting time/money while sitting here waiting for others".

3. KNOW how your TSD Fuel Card works BEFOREHAND...don't try to figure it out after you pull to the pump! It's NOT hard at all and I've helped numerous folks learn how to do it ahead of time. It's literally a SWIPE, PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH, Enter Code, NO NO, and done procedure.

4. NEVER LEAVE your rig when it's at the pump...even if you need to go inside to pay. ALWAYS ALWAYS pull forward and MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR TOAD so that the truck behind you can pull up far enough. Unfortunately, this doesn't work the other way; we CONSTANTLY get burned by truckers who pull up a little bit, then SPLIT for a half hour to do who knows what. In the meantime, since my tanks are at the rear, we're screwed and can't pull up far enough. So, sometimes, I'll try to get behind a shorter truck, bobtail, etc. just to hedge my bet.


That's really all there is too it. I've never had a single bad experience...aside from maybe getting a bit of "attitude face" as we pull forward a lot more than a normal truck. I guess the grumpy ol' dudes somehow get upset that they have to walk two extra steps to go around us just get to their cheeseburger. LOL

Great summary
One additional thought to make the TSD/Open Roads card easier - If you are frequenting TA or Loves stops, you can use the TA or Loves app on a phone and the TSD card info is stored in the app.
For TA app, when you pull up to the pump and the app gives you a six digit code you enter on the pump.
For Loves app, when you pull up to the pump, open the app, tell the app what services you want, enter the pump number, confirm you are at the pump, then start pumping.

 

[Wemustrv]

Get the Mudflap App on your phone and enjoy pretty good discounts at the truck lanes.