Double Yellow's Company Driver to Independent Thread

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by double yellow, Nov 5, 2014.

  1. tsavory

    tsavory Road Train Member

    1,910
    1,860
    Jun 4, 2013
    Paoli, IN
    0
    I know that I use company's card at p/J and it seems to save $15+ a fill up but before prices started dropping it was $30-60 per fill up.
     
    csmith1281 and Starboyjim Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,875
    22,138
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    You'll find that your savings with NASTC (and probably other cost+ programs) vanish when prices are rising. What you're seeing is the cash price creeping down when prices fall (great savings on paper), but it will always track upward immediately (small or no savings).
     
    csmith1281 and double yellow Thank this.
  4. dannythetrucker

    dannythetrucker Road Train Member

    2,856
    4,032
    May 26, 2011
    everywhere, man
    0
    well, you're doing it wrong. You were supposed to just look at how much you saved over the pump price. and brag when you fill at places that overcharge. didn't you pay attention at the NASTC class ? They told me not to think too much, just let it work for me. lol.
     
  5. Cranky Yankee

    Cranky Yankee Cranky old ######

    15,317
    209
    Jan 31, 2012
    Green Bay Wi
    0
    it looked real good in DEC getting 60-90 cents off pump price
     
    csmith1281 and Starboyjim Thank this.
  6. Starboyjim

    Starboyjim Road Train Member

    2,039
    1,424
    Dec 10, 2011
    Weed, CA
    0
    I'm leased to Conway Truckload, we buy at PFJ mostly, some Love's, for company discount + FSC, usually nicely below pump price. Free showers. Like Rollin Coal, fuel and go, transflo and shower on Obamabreak. Company has a fuel desk for on-the-minute pricing (very volatile, even intra-day sometimes) so I usually plan my trips first around 70hr clock, then fuel cost, then stop locations. And routes before any of this starts. If I need fuel, I buy fuel. While fuel cost is the biggest item on my P&L statement, and I really appreciate the fuel desk support, saving $10 bucks isn't worth waiting in line for half an hour or more.

    Hmmm. I wonder if the Pilot fuel card would add on to my corporate discount, lower my price even more?

    DY's post (incredible) is helpful for me, mostly to help focus on the economics of owning a truck business. It might seem like a tangent, but I spent over $60K on fuel last year, and that's a pretty big number.

    The way fuel prices don't really track barrel price, the way the FSC lags in response (totally BS, this is the digital age, remember?) and the pump prices add up, in my 2015 arithmetic, to a conspiracy. We're the fodder in a game played by rich and powerful forces in the energy commodity. So while I like saving a few bucks at the pump, and I do that as often as possible, in the end I pay what they want, knowing I'm probably getting vaselined again.
     
    csmith1281 and double yellow Thank this.
  7. double yellow

    double yellow Road Train Member

    5,946
    10,066
    Aug 28, 2011
    State of Jefferson
    0
    The fsc *should* vary slightly weekly, whether the carriers pass that along is another story. Here is the government's website listing weekly average "advertised" fuel prices: http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/

    The fsc formula is (current price - base price)/ base mpg.

    DAT uses $1.00/gal and 6.5mpg so according to them this week's fuel surcharge is: (2.854-1)/6.5= $0.29/mile.

    20150506_060451.png

    Not just the energy companies -- the big carriers pressure the big truck stops to steadily increase the "advertised" price in order to increase the fsc without actually raising the cost of diesel. Bonus if it makes things tougher for small carriers..
     
  8. TruckerPete1990

    TruckerPete1990 Road Train Member

    8,623
    5,376
    Jul 16, 2012
    Bentonville Arkansas
    0
    Double yellow im about to order some oil sample things. What should i order im gonna use the polaris Testing kits but not buying from KR site as he only has 5 for like $156? but i can get them from polars for 10 for 150+... Should i do the Basic Engine , Advanced Engine , Advanced Engine PLUS this is where im getting this from. http://www.polarislabs.biz/lubricants.aspx Its gonna be my first oil sample but as my truck seems to blow black smoke every now and then it seems i wanna get a sample done and find out why.
     
    csmith1281 and Blu_Ogre Thank this.
  9. Woobie

    Woobie Medium Load Member

    475
    869
    May 3, 2013
    RVA
    0
    Black smoke means rich mixture. Either leaking injectors, weak turbo/boost leaks or misadjusted valves.
     
    csmith1281 and 77fib77 Thank this.
  10. double yellow

    double yellow Road Train Member

    5,946
    10,066
    Aug 28, 2011
    State of Jefferson
    0
    My $0.02:

    If you are not doing extended oil change intervals, get the basic.

    If you are going more than double the factory drain inteval get the advanced.

    I don't see the need for ferrous density (advanced plus)
     
    csmith1281, Grijon and TruckerPete1990 Thank this.
  11. TaylorMade407

    TaylorMade407 Road Train Member

    1,328
    1,036
    Jun 30, 2009
    Orlando,FL
    0
    double yellow Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.