Full tank or not? Shipper...

Some of the bigger carriers ask for your fuel level when you do your daily check call. Whether they actually factor in fuel levels when considering if you'll be legal I don't know for sure. Either way it's the responsibility of the driver to be sure they are both legal on weight and have enough fuel to make it to their destination. For the most part I try to never fuel right before I deliver a load unless absolutely necessary to make my pick up to avoid just this problem. That being said, in the winter you obviously want to keep your tanks fuller due to getting stuck and it helps to keep moisture out of the tanks. If the company wants you to fuel somewhere that you aren't sure about that'd be the time to get in touch with dispatch and hash it out with them. Never hurts to call and ask if maybe fueling somewhere else would be a better idea.

 

First thinkmg you want to do is get a light weight for your truck with full tanks so you know how rhe max weight you can haul. Its best to have full tanks if the tanks are full when you go to pick up your load. If you are scaled out with full tanks then if you stop for fuel you can fill up without worrying. Now if the load is a light load it wont matter because you can figure it out with your light weight. If the load is heavy then fill up. If your over the shipper Wil take weight off

 

Also what I forgot to mention. Is diesel fuel weighsam approximately 7.15 pounds per gallon. It varies due to temp but you can get pretty close if you know how much fuel you have and are going to add

 

I always tried to get an empty trailer and truck full of fuel weight , now if you are pulling a reefer you must take into the mix that fuel too......along with any pallets that the product will be loaded on...several variables to consider here.

 

I go with full tanks. Time is usually the main factor. Some places have scales on property. If they can, they will load you 79980. Would you rather that be 79980 with full tanks or 79980 on quarter tanks. Loaded heavy with a quarter tanks, you're going to do quite a bit more stopping to fuel. That eats up a lot of time, especially if you are paid by the mile. You're losing money. The load pays you the same whether you're loaded with fuel or not, so the difference is going to be time.

 

You always load with a full tank of fuel, best rule of thumb.

 

Always know your empty weight. That weight is what your carrier/broker uses to estimate the amount you can haul.

If you are rolling into a shipper that has their own scales, go in with topped off tanks.

 

So you can haul more weight, and/or be sure you can take heavy loads. Imagine you hook to a load with full tanks, scale it, and find you're 500 over gross. Now what? It's a lot easier and faster to put fuel on than take it off. Unless I knew it was a light load I rarely if ever loaded/hooked with more than tanks half full. Even then, I once hooked to a Bud load on a Sunday and scaled 80,100 at their gate. I thought "No problem, I'm headed to MT so I'll burn off some fuel and WY will let me slide". But, Budweiser in Fort Collins won't let you leave if you're over gross. Hours of uncompensated hilarity ensued.