The Sad Destruction of Flying J by Pilot- catering to cars

Diesel_Smurf · Jul 24, 2010

Powder Joints said: ↑

Flying J has no love lost from me, but in the slow times they have to do what they have to do to stay in business, turn a profit or they won't be ther for you at all.

Besides Denny's has a good some good food choices. It may add a clean spot that drivers won't recognize. It might be a good thing.

As far as this 4 wheeler crap, give me a break . You might be the one delivering the goods to the store, but no one needs a truck if those Socker Moms with the Rug Rats aren't there buying. And they are not the ones claiming to be a trained professional, yet time and time again I see more really bad driving from truck drivers not the 4 wheelers. Bottom line quit the whining.

If you want a say in what Flying J does buy there stock then you get a voice, If you think they care about losing a couple of drivers, they don't care anymore than your boss does.
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Do you really think Pilot needed to put a Denny's into all the flying j's to keep themselves from going under? (ahem they bought them out hence they HAVE MONEY... also to many companies out there force their drivers to fuel there, they are in no trouble of being out of business.) Think twice on that one.

About Denny's good food? try the skillet and after your skin sloths off your gums tell me that again (while your food is burning up in front of you on the skillet they cooked it on and serve it to you on) some of their food may be fine not gonna say i have tried all their food, but will tell you this much, have noticed there is a huge difference in a major food chain's food when it is prepared outside a truck stop and on truck stop grounds. they tend to not give as much care to it as they would if only 4 wheelers were their main customers. don't believe me order something there at j and then go to a denny's in your home town, and order the same thing, first off it will be cheaper in your home town and 2 you will have more of a choice on the menu. and thats bull crap!

3.bad drivers are everywhere. we all know there are bad drivers in trucks as well. but we also know that 4 wheelers most of them whip around you cause they can, and dont give a hoot about the big rigger. yeah the soccer mom and her rug rats need what yall haul and so do yall, so tell me something how come yall are the ones hauling it and they are the ones being treated like kings and queens and you cant find a hole in the wall to park your rig when you need to go buy a box of kleenex to wipe your nose. so excuse me if i don't stop whining. i'm not a driver i am a WIFE of a DRIVER. and the way yall are treated is BULL CRAP. you can sit back all you want and let them roll all over you and let nothing ever change in the good for you. But as long as I can I will try to raise hell to get you and all the other drivers out there what they deserve! And yall deserve a heck of a lot better than what yall been gettin!

Diesel_Smurf · Jul 24, 2010

BIG RIGGER said: ↑

Most of the drivers of today don't remember the way it used to be when we had to wait in line at the fuel desk to show our fuel receipts or give a deposit to get a towel and key to the shower.

Then return after the shower to wait in the line again to return the key and towel to get the deposit or receipt back this was a major hassle.You had to come inside to get the fuel turned on as well.

I remember when Flying J announced that they were developing the system to eliminate all of this waiting in line.I didn't believe it at the time but they prove me wrong.

Flying J had it's problems has do we all however we should all be grateful for much of what we take for granted today Flying J innovated and made possible.
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I remember that, and I also remember showers for 2 lol

HEAVY DUDE · Jul 24, 2010

The solution: Don't like it don't eat there.

Diesel_Smurf · Jul 24, 2010

HEAVY DUDE said: ↑

The solution: Don't like it don't eat there.
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like i said they aint gettin no more of our money

but think if a lot of those who are ticked off would stop giving them their money as well (the ones that can not talkin company drivers) they would feel it.....

losttrucker · Jul 24, 2010

ChromeDome said: ↑

My comments would be this.
Flying J has some of the largest lots around for trucks to park over night.
Most of these lots are in very good condition and are designed allot better than peelot or even some of the TA's. Much less chance of a large pot hole in a J.
They need to make money to keep these locations open so that drivers have a place to sleep, fuel, eat or whatever. But many of the drivers that stop at the truck stops are not spending allot of money. They will buy coffee and maybe one meal, but that is about it. Yes we buy fuel, but what percent of rest break stops do you buy fuel?

Truck stops need to make money. So they have room for 200 trucks to park in the lot. That means maybe 275 customers?
Each person will spend an average of probably 8 bucks (being giving here, normally would be less) and of that 8 bucks 25% would be profit. So for 10 hours of parking they are looking at a profit of 550 bucks off of the entire full lot each night.
Remember, this is an average. Some drivers will be eating at the restaurant, but many will not.
To add to those numbers they will have trucks that will pull thru and just grab a few things they need. Those drivers will probably spend more money than the ones that are parked for 10 hours on average. This is because the pull in drivers are just there because they need something. These guys are great, since they do not add to the cost of maintaining a large lot.

Now we have the fuel purchases. Yes, I am sure some were waiting for this.
So you are adding allot to the bottom line here........
You buy 300 gal of fuel at that stop...... They made a whopping 30 bucks off of that sale if they are lucky. Yup the MAX profit that most stations ever see is 10 cents per gal. Most stations never see more than 2 or 3 cents per gal of fuel sold in profit.
The profit comes from the stores and food. This is why convenience stores have gotten so big.
This is why our beloved truck stops have become travel centers, and most of the old mom and pop truck stops are gone. To make enough profit to keep the lots, buildings etc maintained and the employees paid, the truck stops had to find more customers. There just were not enough truckers in the doors every day to pay the bills.
So we go to the other group on the highways. The 4-wheeler driver.
The average 4-wheeler driver on the interstate, that is not commuting to and from work, is going somewhere. They mostly will not have coolers or any way to keep food in the car. They have a small fuel tank. And they have money to spend.
So the truck stops changed. They made themselves as car friendly as possible.

You guys that see this as a bad thing need to think more.
If the truck stops did not have 4-wheelers coming in, they would not be here at all.
We do not add up to enough profit for them to stay.
So next time you are in a truck stop make sure to thank a 4-wheeler.
Without them you would not have truck stops to sleep in. EVER.
You would have little 4 pump covered fuel stops without anything else. Maybe a coffee pot at the register if you are lucky.
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That can't be further from the truth.....if it was alot of companies wouldnt offer cost plus fuel programs to O/O where you can save anywhere from .05 to .50 cents off a gallon.

phroziac · Jul 25, 2010

Diesel_Smurf said: ↑

I remember that, and I also remember showers for 2 lol
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hey, have you tried the dennyses yet?

There's an ihop in the detroiter truck stop, i used to go there alot until i realized how bad they were treating me. They give you like, two or three refills on your ridiculously overpriced drink, and then thats it. they give you your receipt real quick and hope you get the hell outta there ASAP. I hate that.

Injun · Jul 25, 2010

There's a Dennt's in the Jackson, TN Pilot. Exit 85. Haven't had too much trouble finding a parking spot there, but like all truck stop chains, overpriced. Could go to Denny's in town and pay about 25% less...if you could get a truck there.

phroziac · Jul 25, 2010

I am so sick of truckstops!

mgfg · Jul 25, 2010

BIG RIGGER said: ↑

I prefer a Denny's that is open to a J that is closed any night.
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Well said!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ChromeDome · Jul 25, 2010

You find me a fuel stop where a driver can save .50 cents per gal.
Most of the stops it is .04 cents per gal. Up to .10 cpg.
In those cases the truck stop is getting it's profit per gal down to about a penny per gal, but they get a few cents per gal kick back from the fuel supplier that is giving the discount.
You really need to take a business course some time, or at least talk to a manager at a gas station, since most of the managers at the truck stops will not tell you.
Fuel has always been this way. It is NOT there high profit item.
If you do not have the brain power to understand my initial post you should not be commenting though. Leave it to those that do understand business.

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