How Do You Maximize Shower Points

I thought that was the free truck wash?

 

They limit the fuel cards regardless if you've been there 20 days or 20 years. You can only fuel at pre-designated fuel stops and in order to get fuel elsewhere you must get it authorized. You can get emergency fuel anywhere.

i drive teams so I fill up once a day but I may have a solution for you. Fuel up at the designated fuel stop then on the days you don't fuel the truck wherever you are ask them to open up emergency fuel for your reefer and they will authorize 51 gallons. I pull reefers too so I know that there is no way you will burn 51 gal in one day in your reefer, but when they authorize the emergency fuel stop you can put some in the truck tanks and some in the reefer to add up to 51 gal. And even put some def in if you have to.

Requesting emergency fuel is easy and usually they don't question it if you ask to fuel the reefer. Just tell them where you are at and you can even expedite the process by asking the employees at the truck stop for their comm data station code so you can tell dispatch and they will authorize it lickity splt.

If they ask why you didn't just put fuel in it at your stop just say you were in a time crunch or you wanted to finish your run before topping off etc. but they likely won't question it. They never do for me but I haul dedicated and return my trailer to the DC everyday for a preloaded one so I have to top off my reefer.

 

The trick is to NOT top off when they send you a fuel solution to fill up. Only put in about 65 - 85 gallons which will be enough to run a day's miles off. In this way you can get fuel almost every day. and still have enough to keep your tanks above 1/4. Once you build up a bank of showers on your rewards cards, you can go back to putting in 100 gallons when they tell you to fill up. but you can see you're still not fully topping off.

So you go pick up your load, need to scale and fuel so only put in say 75 gallons and tomorrow some time send a message for a fuel opt, they will open you up somewhere along your route, probably for a fill up. again you only go in there and put in enough to finish the load or roughly half of what you need say if the load has 2 more days on it, perhaps 75 today and 75 tomorrow. for example. typically 50 gallons is not going to get you very far. start thinking like an owner operator. Your typical 2500 mile week will require about 400 gallons. 6 fills at 65 gallons each gets you 6 showers for the week..

 

If you're at the truck stop, on the Qualcomm, go to:
Navigation -> Menu -> Where To? -> Trucking -> Points of Interest -> Customers Nearby

You should get a list come up. The truck stop you are at should be at or near the top. The line you are looking for has the name of the truck stop, and "@fuel_". The five digit code (usually the 2 letter state and 3 numbers) is the Comdata code for that fuel stop.

Example:
I'm at the TA in Greencastle, PA. The line says:
Ta-Greencastle (@fuel_PA429), I-81 Ex5,Greencastle,17225,PA,US

The Comdata code for this truck stop is PA429.

The Love's app lists the code for most of their stores. However, if you are at a Love's, you can usually ask drivers coming in for a shower if they'll do a team shower for you. Since they have to ask at the counter anyway, they'll usually do it. (Don't worry, each person gets their own shower.)

Actually, it never hurts to ask drivers at the kiosk at the other places. When I was with my mentor, I was taking a 34 at a Petro and didn't have any credits. It took about 5 minutes to get a team shower.

 

This advise is spot on.

Another strategy I'll use if I have a fuel plan that calls for putting in only 45 gallons (and I don't know WHY they programmed the computer for this amount) then I'll usually bypass that fill up, then get on freeform message and ask to "reopt my fuel plan" when I get a couple hundred miles down the road.

 

When you put in the minimum, at least 51 gallons, check the first box N and the second box Y when you do your Macro 11. The system will automatically send a new fuel route with more fuel stops and no one will be asking why you didn't fill up.

Or do like I do. Only take a shower when your farts smell better than you do!

 

Then I'd never have to take a shower. My farts smell like roses.

 

Take a shower every day. ..only let your fuel get to half and fill them back up