How to use the pump at the Truck Stop

[Neal]

Do you remember the first time you went to a truck stop to pump diesel? I do and I had to ask the nice trucker next to me how to use the pump. I figured posting this may help a new RVer that may have the same questions and can be better prepared for that first fill up. Mine was late at night, struggling to find a gas station, wondering how far I could go, where I could go, etc. I came up on a TA Petro station and the learning began. Let me add that the hustle and bustle of the loud trucks, the pace of the truck stop, all were daunting.

So you're at the truck stop pump and hopefully you have a TSD Fuel Savings card but maybe not. Swipe your card whether TSD or Credit Card and start the process. Various truck stops have varying workflows at the pump from Loves, Pilot/Flying J, TA Petro, etc.

1. You may be prompted with entering a club number, this typically applies to truckers getting credits for shower use, savings in the store, etc. SKIP this
2. You'll next be asked for Tractor, Refer, etc. Choose TRACTOR - this is the Diesel you'll pump
3. Next screen will likely have DEF on the lower left. If you need to pump DEF after Diesel press DEF. Otherwise press SKIP
4. Now you'll go through prompts depending on your card asking for a Control Number, maybe a Driver number, etc. and you just have to work through these
5. You may see a cash back prompt, I have only seen this with the TSD card probably because it is treated as a debit card, I think
6. Once done, you'll see Authorizing Diesel and you're ready to remove the giant green nozzle, raise the handle, and pump

Warning, not all of these high speed truck pumps will auto-stop like an auto gas station. I typically have to listen as I am getting close to where I think my usage will be and as I'm getting close I usually slow fill to avoid foam around the last 10 gals.

If you need DEF and have to pull forward, do so promptly but carefully. I'm not sure how long the DEF pump will wait, lately I have not had an issue, initially I couldn't figure it out.

Congrats, you did it! Now pull forward to the yellow line if you plan to go inside the store so the truck or RV behind you can begin their process. Watch other trucks as to how they are routing out of there, some of them can be tricky figuring out the path out and back to the roadway.

If anyone else has tips to add for newbies to learn from please share.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Nice summary!

We have saddle tanks, so after I start the pump on the drivers side I then go to the passenger side to start the pump on that side (no swiping or any other authorization needed, it is linked to the pump on the driver’s side). When that passenger side pump is filled, return that nozzle to pump and I go back to the driver’s side to finish up.

But only leave the driver’s side pump IF you know that your filler opening will cause the pump to stop as it gets close to full! We never had a problem but when looking at the ground it is obvious that other people have had that issue.

 

[Retired]

Do truck stops have #1 or #2 diesel?

 

[Rich-MLsRV]

Thanks - good summary. At truck stops w/ engines running I always have a hard time hearing when the tank is almost full and end up with some overflow - even if I slow down the diesel flow . I wish there was a way to prevent the overflow. I haven't tried filling on the passenger side to see if there is no overflow.

I also have to pull forward to fill DEF. I have not encountered a DEF timeout.

 

[redbaron]

For Def timeout, I pull the Def head out and lay on the ground while I pull forward. I then use a towel to clean it before I insert it into the filler neck.

 

[Neal]

For Def timeout, I pull the Def head out and lay on the ground while I pull forward. I then use a towel to clean it before I insert it into the filler neck.

I've put the diesel nozzle on the ground before so that I don't trigger the DEF processing until ready. I stopped doing that and won't do it again until I see the need, i.e. experience a timeout and see if it is a problem or not. I do expeditiously get in and move forward, the last time i did this I screwed up and didn't move forward enough so I got to do it twice and it wasn't a problem.

 

[Neemer]

When you guys fill your DEF tanks at the pumps, do you put a specific amount in, or fill ‘er up until the nozzle says it’s full?

 

[Neal]

When you guys fill your DEF tanks at the pumps, do you put a specific amount in, or fill ‘er up until the nozzle says it’s full?

I fill until the pump stops

 

[VTPete]

Good post. Just want to add, Newmar’s tend to “boil over” and make quite the mess. The best solution in my own experience is to put about 1/2 the expected gallons in at a 2/3 flow rate, then let it run at slowest setting until done. I’ll kill time cleaning bugs off the windshield while I wait. Waiting’s not my natural setting so it took me awhile to figure this out ;-).

As for def, I ask the wife to pull forward to avoid the timeout and hand feed it til it clicks off, usually only 6-7 gal so pretty quick.

 

[MapNerd]

Isn’t Reefer just short for RV??