Fuel planning

I like to fuel near the end of a long run to be at 3/4ths for the next load.

 

Mr. Mallory at JCT orientation specifically advised us that it was OK to pretrip and fuel in the same 15 minute period every day.

That extra 15 minutes a day times 6 days is 1.5 hours time let's just spitball at $0.50 a mile times 60 miles per hour times 4.33 weeks on average in every month computes out to $194.85 a month savings.

But there are a ton of variables at play. For drivers who never come close to burning down their 70 hour clock it might be better to go ahead and do your pretrip here and drive 3 hours ahead and spend an additional 15 minutes putting in tractor and reefer fuel especially if it is significantly cheaper than where the driver did their pretrip.

 

In the winter, especially in the middle of no where , I try to keep the tanks above 1/2 or better near full, or as fullest I can keep them regarding a heavy load. I don't like to freeze in a lengthy storm or have to pull out my emergency Mr. Buddy Heater n bottle of propane for it.

 

Yes he did and yes that is allowable by the company. My point is that is it is brought into question by a D.O.T inspector in a foul mood, that 15 minutes may not fly with them. Sure, it will be fine with most, but if challenged on it, you'd be busted. You cannot do a proper D.O.T pre trip, enter your info at the pump, fuel, go get your receipt in 15 minutes. Anyone that remembers that crotchety old woman at the BANNING scales, she used to time you to prove you could do a proper pre trip in 15 minutes. Everyone failed, either due missing stuff or taking more than 15 minutes. Add fuel to that and not possible.

Again with the math. You're not losing that money. You're still gonna travel those miles. You're not losing anything. Unless EVERY single minute between the moment you leave the shipper to the minute b4 your appt is spent driving and mandatory breaks, and minimal line 4 stuff, you're not losing anything. With that logic, you have to add in the time you spend sitting at customers, time waiting for next load (even 15 minutes) any excess of 10 hours or 30 minutes on break.
The only thing fueling during your day costs you is perhaps an extension of your day, but still within your 14 hours.

Fueling an average of 3x times per week at cheap fuel stops isn't gonna cost you a penny of revenue. In the real world, 45 minutes - 1.5 hours on my 70 never choosy me a load.

 

The DOT inspector may challenge the professional driver to prove they're able to complete a proper pretrip in 15 mintues but they would not be able to compel that driver to do so. The regulations only state that the driver be satisfied with the safety of their equipment. That is how i would shut down any DOT inspector challenging my pretrip times.

 

Guessing you never came across her. LOL. She was a #####. Nailed me years ago.

 

Beancounters have their own math, Reverend Bulldog. He's worried about an "uppity scalemaster" saying something about a 10 minute PTI and fuel at the beginning of the day, YET he wants to convince people that he can pull off the highway, and go through a big box fuel stop in 15-30 minutes every single time he needs fuel. Pure beancounter math.

"But Six, what about the mandatory 30?"

Thats what every truck stuck waiting for fuel is doing. But they do it AFTER fueling. They pull forward, and set the brakes, waddle in, take a dump, stand in line at Subway, then sit down and eat at a table, and finally walk back out to get into the truck. Ignored all the intercom messages from the people behind the desk to get off the fuel island so others can fuel. 'Can't move my truck, I am on my mandatory 30!'

 

This is why I think there should be a yooge trap door. Sit too long it opens and truck is gone. Problem solved.