FYI TSD Logistics Fuel Savings Program

[NWIP]

A friend sent me an email today about some issue between PFJ and TSD logistics reselling their fuel. Somehow CW/Good Sam is involved in this but not sure how. Anyone have any details? I think the bottom line is don’t go to PFJ to get fuel as there is no discount available.

My understanding is that GS has its own fuel program which is in competition with TSD including RVs in the program. Prior to TSD including RVs not an issue but GS now has issue with TSD reselling fuel to RVs thru the program. I was told that P/FJ will no longer allow TSD transactions, supposedly this coming week. Another reason not to support CW.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

A friend sent me an email today about some issue between PFJ and TSD logistics reselling their fuel. Somehow CW/Good Sam is involved in this but not sure how. Anyone have any details? I think the bottom line is don’t go to PFJ to get fuel as there is no discount available.

Details here...

Good Sam tells Pilot/Flying J to end big diesel discounts to RVers - RV Travel

By Russ and Tiña De Maris Last week we sang the praises of the TSD RV Fuel Program, whereby members receive substantial discounts on diesel purchases when fueling up at network truck stops. We weren’t aware of how many of our readers had already cottoned on to this great program until we were...

www.rvtravel.com

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

Interesting. I’ve actually only ever stopped at Loves because it was always cheaper but this was a garbage move by CW. Not a problem, will keep my business out of their stores and PFJ’s.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Interesting. I’ve actually only ever stopped at Loves because it was always cheaper but this was a garbage move by CW. Not a problem, will keep my business out of their stores and PFJ’s.

While I'm certainly not a fan of CW...or Good Sam, for that matter...I differ with your conclusion that this was "a garbage move." When you sign a contract (as PFJ did with CW/GS), you should either honor it or try to renegotiate it. With a signed contract in place, PFJ needs to honor it.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

While I'm certainly not a fan of CW...or Good Sam, for that matter...I differ with your conclusion that this was "a garbage move." When you sign a contract (as PFJ did with CW/GS), you should either honor it or try to renegotiate it. With a signed contract in place, PFJ needs to honor it.

TJ

No worries, TJ. While I agree with your sentiment, I don’t think CW/GS should be enforcing relative to TSD and frankly, PFJ probably should have called them on their nonsense.

First of all, the TSD Program is different from the GS/CW offering in that it is a fleet card and thus, a form of credit while the GS/CW card is a simple discount program, no credit at all. I’ll bet you a cold, frothy IPA (I don’t even have any because they taste like feet, but I’ll buy one just for you) that CW/GS doesn’t care one bit about a professional driver using their EFS fuel card to fill and getting a fleet discount. TSD participants are doing the same thing. We are, in essence, part of the TSD fleet. The business (TSD) gets to decide what their rules are for joining their fleet and receiving the advantages of doing so. If they want to open their fleet to RVers, they can do so and CW/GS should have nothing to say about it at all.

Secondly, CW/GS isn’t even offering a competitive alternative.If CW/GS had worked out a deal with PFJ so that you received a “Fleet Discount” when purchasing fuel at PFJ using the Good Sam Credit Card, that would make sense. They would have a comparable product to defend which yielded a competitive discount and justifies the action of enforcing exclusivity. Fact is - they don’t. CW/GS’s discount is a paltry .08/gallon. Why in the world would I save just $8 on a 100 gallon fill when I could save $20-$30 with TSD? CW/GS’s action here does nothing to benefit the CW/GS and only harms the RVer out there trying to save a buck on fuel by eliminating a network from TSD’s fleet discount program.

There’s nothing wrong with defending your business but the reality is that when you look at the details of the situation, CW/GS doesn’t even have a business to defend here and therefore the action only serves to harm the consumer. Which is why I call it “a garbage move”.

 

[FLSteve]

I have been using the TSD card at both Loves and Pilot/Flying J and have been very happy with the results. I have just been swiping the card at the pump and going through the entry steps to get the pump turned on … but since it looks like it will be all Loves in the future I think I will try the Love's phone app to see if I can streamline the process at the pump. Is anybody using that and does it really make things easily/faster? If so I will learn how to use it.

FLSteve

 

[redbaron]

I tried the app once and it had an error. Said phooyee with the app and have done it manually at the pump ever since.

2019 DSDP 4369 * Active Air * NHSO

 

[Akdare]

I just got home from CPU in Nappanee...used the Love’s app all 4 times I filled up. So easy. I keep the EFS/TSD card in one of the drawers in the dash in case I’m in a spot without cell coverage.

 

[FLSteve]

I just got home from CPU in Nappanee...used the Love’s app all 4 times I filled up. So easy. I keep the EFS/TSD card in one of the drawers in the dash in case I’m in a spot without cell coverage.

@Akdare … I have downloaded the app and am trying to set it up. Do I need a Loves Rewards Card to use this? I have my TDS card loaded in the wallet section.

FLSteve

 

[sheridany]

@FLSteve you can add a Love Rewards card but not required to use the card for fuel payment. If you scroll down on the home page, you will see bright yellow "bar" that says pay aka Love Pay. You just have be in the vicinity of the fuel island (truck lanes) at Loves and it will attempt to activate payment through Love Pay which has EFS in the wallet. i have been just using the EFS card at the fuel island terminal but this is supposed to work as well. I used to go to PFJ primarily but that will change now.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

There’s nothing wrong with defending your business but the reality is that when you look at the details of the situation, CW/GS doesn’t even have a business to defend here and therefore the action only serves to harm the consumer. Which is why I call it “a garbage move”.

I guess it must be a generational thing with me. Back when I grew up, you honored the agreements you made. Farms were bought and sold on a handshake and, if you didn't honor the deal, word got around quickly and no one would do business with you again.

TJ

 

[Akdare]

@Akdare … I have downloaded the app and am trying to set it up. Do I need a Loves Rewards Card to use this? I have my TDS card loaded in the wallet section.

FLSteve

I don’t think so, but I picked up a Love’s card a couple of months ago when I was passing by a Love’s in my car...loaded it and the TSD card into the app at the same time. Let us know how it works for you.

 

[DKRITTER]

..… but since it looks like it will be all Loves in the future I think I will try the Love's phone app to see if I can streamline the process at the pump. Is anybody using that and does it really make things easily/faster? If so I will learn how to use it.

FLSteve

That's what we do, you can turn the pump on from inside the MH, it makes it a little simpler.

I stopped by a Love's and picked up one of their rewards card and set it all up. It took a little work to set it all up.

Now I get on the EFS card and put in our route and pick a station that's the best price (so far it's always been a Love's) and as we pull in my wife gets on the app gets everything going and lastly puts in the pump # and I put on my gloves and away I go.

 

[MapNerd]

I guess it must be a generational thing with me. Back when I grew up, you honored the agreements you made. Farms were bought and sold on a handshake and, if you didn't honor the deal, word got around quickly and no one would do business with you again.

TJ

I'm not of the opinion that PFJ shouldn't honor their agreement with CW/GS. I'm of the opinion that CW/GS's agreement with PFJ to be the exclusive fuel discount program doesn't apply to this situation and thus the agreement is non-enforcable. Obviously though, my opinion is wrong here because PFJ is obliging.

You know, TJ. it's really not a generational thing and I think you know that. Its really just two good, honest people who have a difference of opinion and that's okay. People can disagree, it's a healthy thing. By and large my generation honors their word, as does yours, as do the majority of people in every generation. There are scoundrels in every generation but that's no reason to write off an entire group of people simply because they were born in a certain window of years. Word still gets around when those people do their deeds, albeit a lot faster these days and through different means but the end result is the same.

The only thing I was trying to say is that I think CW/GS is being a bully here and pretty naive, enforcing an agreement they know very well doesn't apply based on the circumstances of how the EFS card works. There's no upside for CW/GS in enforcing this. It only harms PFJ through lost sales and TSD participants through the loss of a fueling network. TSD participants, as you can see on this forum and the others, are not suddenly going to drop their TSD cards because they just love filling up at PFJ so much that its worth the $20-$30 difference in savings.

Just because you have a legal agreement in place, from an economic or public relations perspective, it doesn't always make sense to enforce it. Every business has the option to enforce an agreement at their discretion. There is no obligation to enforce other than the precedent that sustained non-enforcement may set. For some reason that I can't understand, CW/GS is choosing to enforce their agreement with PFJ even though there is no upside for CW/GS or PFJ in doing so.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

You may be correct regarding the viability of the agreement between CW/GS and PFJ. Since I don't have access to the agreement language, I'm not in a position to comment on that.

What may be lost here, however, is that revenue through RV sales via the TSD card is likely pretty insignificant in PFJ's overall sales volume. It relies primarily on sales to trucking fleets and individual truckers for the bulk of its business. So, dealing with RVers may not really be significant to PFJ and may be the reason it doesn't want to risk a legal battle over a relatively insignificant (to PFJ) fuel discount issue.

From CW's perspective, the "upside" is being able to offer a fuel discount as a membership incentive. It is a marketing tool and that's probably why they negotiated the agreement with PFJ in the first place. I think it is quite possible that CW/GS actually paid (or pays) PFJ for this program based on the increased membership income generated. If they don't try to protect that agreement and allow PFJ to honor another more liberal RV discount program, it would undercut that marketing tool.

What I do appreciate is that we can come at this discussion from different perspectives and still keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

What I do appreciate is that we can come at this discussion from different perspectives and still keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

TJ

That IPA is still waiting for you, buddy. No chance I’ll drink it. You make a good point a out CW/GS paying for the exclusivity as well. I didn’t think of that but money usually does exchange hands in these types of transactions.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

That IPA is still waiting for you, buddy. No chance I’ll drink it. You make a good point a out CW/GS paying for the exclusivity as well. I didn’t think of that but money usually does exchange hands in these types of transactions.

What should I have in the fridge for you when we meet? And, while a cold IPA would work for me, if you're going out to buy one, an amber ale would be even better.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

Lagers and Belgians are always welcome

 

[Gizmo]

Here in Kansas loves with the EFS/TSD card are 1.78 cents for diesel. When the last time you've seen those prices?

 

[Joe Hogan]

GS fuel discount program is a good revenue producer for GS. GS probably gets a <>=$1.00 off and "shares" .05 with members. This is why all the fuss about being exclusive for RVs. I did try to find specific language in the latest 10K. only general GS service and CC revenue is discussed. But GS Services and CC revenue is a big number.