cash/credit prices for Diesel

Discussion in 'Truck Stops' started by M818, Nov 25, 2011.

  1. M818

    M818 Light Load Member

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    Dallas, Texas
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    This has been really annoying to me and I bet it is more than annoying to real truck drivers.

    What is with the greedy truck stops, every single one of them (almost) and their jacking up the price way out of proportion when someone wants to use plastic to buy fuel? (but at the car/RV slots, the price is never upcharged for using plastic -they would not dare to tick off the public). They ought to be grateful for the business but operate like they have a captive audience. Its a fairly recent practice. If there were real competition, they would not do this.

    Do these places accept checks or will there be the Spanish Inquisition? Do they expect drivers to carry huge sums of cash to pay for fuel? They expect to make up for their own inadequacies on the backs of truckers and by extension anyone who ships goods!

    Diesel is already ridiculously expensive as it is. It ought to be less than gasoline. I was always going through the truck lanes with the M818 because at 1 gallon per second average the large fuel tank could be filled in 90 seconds or less, but no more with the truck stops' rip-off practices.. I'll be happy to occupy the RV /auto lane with the M818 and take my time 10-15 minutes to top it off.

    I sell on ebay, and have noticed the cost of shipping lately as well. If I'm having no choice but to be gouged on shipping (more precisely my customers will be the ones being gouged, I'm not eating that) I'd rather see the truckers being paid a little more, rather than the money going into the overflowing coffers of the truck stops, half of which can't even keep a clean restroom that doesn't stink like a burrito bomb went off in there. Money's going into the wrong place.

    I had a business before and it was a violation of the merchant agreement to pass along an increase to a customer based on their use of plastic. Maybe that has changed, but its not done anywhere else but at truck stops that I've seen. Not in grocery stores, or any other store. They wouldn't dare. So why put the screws to the trucking industry?

    Sorry to rant, but it ticks me off, stinks. :biggrin_25510::biggrin_25516:
     

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  3. Roadmedic

    Roadmedic Road Train Member

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    They are not violating their merchandise credit card agreement.


    They post the price on the pump and then offer a cash discount.
     
  4. M818

    M818 Light Load Member

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    That is a way to get around the agreement. The cash and credit prices are both posted in green on the big signs. Still looks like a ripoff.
     
  5. Pfuse

    Pfuse Light Load Member

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    You're thinking of it wrong. There is a cost associated with accepting a credit card, right? Who should pay that cost? The TS? If they absorb that cost, then I'll have to pay for it in the form of higher prices for using my fuel card.

    As a customer who uses a fuel card (no markup from the TS), I don't want to pay that cost and the TS is not forcing me to. They give me the option to pay in cash or fuel card and not send money to the credit card companies. Seems reasonable to me.
     
  6. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    It sure does seem like they're picking on truckers and trucking co's by passing on the price of a card transaction to the end user doesn't it? They don't do that to the car/RV crowd do they? Why? Because in a car you can easily go to another filling station across the street who isn't pulling those shenanigans.
     
  7. maxwelltie

    maxwelltie Medium Load Member

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    My goodness! A business passing along costs to the consumer!
    Oh my. Call the business police!
    I don't know what rock you've been hiding under, but that's the way it is!
    Add up costs...add in a profit...and you have your price!
    No credit costs...pass that along to the consumer.
    In case you don't know, credit card companies charge up to 7% of the transaction to the retailer, PLUS incidental fees.
    And yes...they charge the general public that cost as well.
    If you want it cheaper...carry cash. That's what we all did years ago.
     
  8. Pedigreed Bulldog

    Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

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    Stay away from the big chain truck stops. I won't fuel anywhere that charges extra for plastic....and that's the wonderful thing about using a Visa/Mastercard/etc....they are accepted EVERYWHERE!!! I can hit the diesel pump at Kroger, Wal-Mart, or any other location where I can get my truck into. Most of the smaller, 1-2 diesel pump truck fuel stops....sometimes even with satellite pumps....won't charge "extra" for using a credit card, and a lot of the time their price beats the big chain's cash price by a few cents per gallon. I've seen prices at the small location 10 cents per gallon cheaper with my credit card than I'd pay across the street at the major chain truck stop if I paid cash.

    ...and in addition to the lower fuel price, I got to refill my coffee cup for FREE!!! They actually WELCOME my business....which is what SHOULD be expected when you pump $200-$300 (or more) worth of fuel into your tanks.

    If you see my truck at one of the big chain truck stops fueling up, call 911 because it has been stolen. I might pull in to use the CAT scale...but that's about the extent of their usefulness.
     
  9. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    If you use one of the fuel cards rather than a credit card you can still get the cash price at the pump. I agree that it isn't right to give 4 wheelers a lower price than trucks pay. But, there are no longer enough independents to handle all the business if we switched from the chains. Most independents do not charge extra for using credit cards. It is only the major chains, such as Pilot and Flying J. At one time they did not offer a cheaper price for cash. In reality, they marked up the price to offset their cost of taking cards. Now, instead of showing a markup they publish a discount for cash. It is smoking mirrors, but that is the way that they have gotten around the law when it comes to pricing. It is all in the presentation.
     
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  10. Pedigreed Bulldog

    Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

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    Most of the fuel cards have a transaction fee as well....no different from fueling the truck, and hitting the ATM with your bank card (and paying the ATM fees) on the way to the fuel desk to withdraw enough cash to pay for the fuel. Sure, there are savings....IF you buy enough fuel at the discounted price to make up for the fee you are charged...but you can save even more going to an independent fuel stop with a price lower than the chain's cash price and just using plastic.

    ...and the "lack of independents" is a myth. The mega-carriers are going to use their "preferred" locations to direct their steering wheel holders to fuel, and even the smaller fleets will use some sort of fuel card (because lets face it, a lot of drivers couldn't be trusted with a company credit card). That leaves every other diesel pump in the country to the rest of us who buy our own fuel. Most of the places I stop do not accept Comdata, EFS, FleetOne, TCH, etc...only Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Discover, and cash. Every once in a while, I'll use a fuel stop which accepts one or MAYBE two of those other fuel cards....but most of the time, it's cash or credit only. It is actually EASIER to find a fuel stop when you aren't limited by your company where a fuel card is accepted.
     
  11. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    There are still a lot of independents, but they are disappearing rather quickly. Pilot has bought several the last few years along with Flying J. If you lease to one of the major carriers the deep discounts some offer using their Comdata card can make it very tempting to use the company stops. I have a friend who is getting over $0.50/gallon at some fuel stops using his company fuel card. As an owner operator or for those who run their own authority they can make their own decision. I prefer giving my money to the independents. The only reason to buy fuel at one of the major chains is the portability of the showers. When you do business with the independents the food is usually better and less expensive and they actually appreciate the business. I don't see as many younger people at the independents. But, there are quite a few seasoned drivers who do frequent them.
    There is a fee with most of the fuel cards. It seems to run about $2-2.50 per transaction. And you are right about the fee offsetting the cost savings. Sometimes, it isn't worth the discount when you consider the transaction fee.
     
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