How many of you have run out of fuel?

Man I have come close and always my own dang fault! So close once I sucked some air on a incline and jumped off at the next exit and fueled. It was like 1" deep in each tank if that. I had just forgotten to look down for a while I guess!!

After reading these I am feeling better!

 

Had one of our switcher trucks run out of fuel last winter. The new guy was driving that one, and the fuel gauge didn't work in that truck. He came over the radio and said his truck quit working, so I run over there and he's out of fuel.
The guy who took the local run was supposed to come and fuel our switcher trucks when he got back from his run, didn't do it, and lied and said that I refused to give up my truck to let him go fuel it.

We have a fueling station on the property but the fuel tank is/was leaking and water was getting into it so we didn't use it, so we had to go down the street to the fuel station to fuel even though there were no license plates on the switcher trucks.
I don't think that was legal.

I got written up for it, without being consulted over it, then screamed at and called a liar, until it was determined that the guy who was supposed to fuel our trucks lied and said I refused to give up my truck, like why would I do that??

Yeah needless to say, that guy don't work there no more, not on his accord, and neither do I, on my own accord.

Worst company in the world. The company is owned by Universal, Matty Maroun's company. Entire place is a dump, cheap cheap cheap on everything.

 

There is really no excuse to run out of fuel except when it is not in your control.

I did it once, it was because some idiot drained the right tank of a customer's truck to put into another truck. None of the trucks at this customer's place balanced fuel between the tanks, they were just tee'd for the two intake and return lines and that is it.

SO I get to my last stop, and the fuel gauge says 1/2 full, and get almost back to the customers' place, where there is a long hill to get into the place and it stalls. The right tank is low the left one is at half. I get B***** out about it and one of the fork lift drivers mentioned after lunch that the mechanic drained the tank so I tell the idiot mechanic who drained the fuel if he ever does that to me again, they will be looking for a mechanic and he has to go tell the shop foreman he was the one who screwed with the truck without permission. He did and I got an apology.

 

I can probably top everyone. I work local, home every night, as a fuel hauler. We have a fuel pump at our terminal that is supposed to be used after every shift. I start my shift 5PM, pre-trip my truck ... but not well enough. First load was going about 3hrs round trip. When I was getting close to the stop I noticed my fuel gauge was reading a little under half. I know that it should have been full when I started because the last person who drove it was suppose to fill it up, so I ASSUMED that the gauge was just wacky as a lot of our older freightliners had broken fuel gauges. So while I was unloading at my first stop I decided to visually check the tank. It looked fine to me (spoiler alert: it wasn't) so I just re-assured myself it was a wacky fuel gauge. Drove all the way back, got loaded for my next load which was a local. About a mile away from my stop I caught a red light. As soon as I stop the truck gives out. I try and turn it and of course nothing. Went to check the fuel tank again and realized what a big mistake I made haha. There was a gas station across the intersection that I knew sold diesel, so I went over there to check and just my luck they were out.

.... That was a tough call to make back to dispatch The shame when I had to tell passer-bys that the fuel truck ran out of fuel.

When I got back to the yard I learned that the truck had come in on a wrecker the night before and was in the shop and never had got fueled up. Perfect example of how doing a half ### pre-trip can mess you up.

Ok Mr. Professional, it's a long fall from that high horse and the concrete is a cold hard female dog. We are all humans ... we all make mistakes.

 

Twice, but not for a long long time now.
Though I have been reduced to prayers several times

 

Twice, the first time I was in the rolling hills on I-81, I wanted to stop in Wytheville and I thought I could make it. Stupid maxxfarce just drank fuel in the hills and left me stranded 20 miles to go thanks to the wopping 4mpg. Second time same truck, just winter cold had frozen the cross over line, fuel gauge was reading 3/4 tank, but the one tank was empty. Figures Novicestar would put the fuel level sensor in the opposite tank it draws from...

 

I've also twice pulled away from a drop with the lines still hooked.
Tough phone calls to make.

 

That reminds me, I ran out on the R model also under bulk cement when dispatch tried to make me run 6 loads on that same tank of fuel. I had done 5, blowing off a hour with each one on the engine turbo feeding that tanker. Then here I am loading for the 6th wondering if I will make it and not enough time to go 9 miles north into frederick for fuel, the evolution at that pump would have taken a hour that I did not have to deliver into the arlington Pentagon cement silos during the height of rush hour.

She ran dry northbound on I-270 right about the red line Shady Grove Subway Junction, I was already in the extreme right lane ready for her to run dry north of DC. What I should have done that day was to swipe fuel from the other 4 company trucks, a bit here some more there and a dallop yonder. But nooo inexperience and lack of balls caused me to fail to find a remedy for a known problem before it really became a problem.

5 hours later the company fuel truck showed up. threw 5 gallons into my tank and said that's all you get. Now it's 36 more miles to go on 5 gallons. Some of which is unuseable due to technical reasons inside that tank.

I made it. If you consider running out again on arrival at the company yard in newmarket. What a day. Home at 10PM with a call out for 2 am the next day. Forget it.

 

In my earlier years of driving, I had the pleasure of steering & gearing in trucks that had a wooden stick in the side box that doubled as a stick and a fuel guage. Got very low a couple times in the hills to where it sucked a blubber of air. Didn't have diesel at every little fuel stop then, thank goodness for Kerosene and ATF. Be safe out there.