NASTC Membership - What's The Story?

I'd prefer to keep the TCH when Pilot is convenient or the only option at all,which in my case unfortunately does happen. Having access to whatever info they provide on current best prices is a plus I would utilize that for sure.

 

Yeah. If you haven't taken the seminar yet, it's explained rather quickly why 15cpg is the average (or, I guess now they're adjusting to the current years' prices). Company drivers filling 'in network', but not at the best stops.

Yes, they are very serious at in-network fueling. In fact, I would recommend keeping another fuel card if someone needs to fuel out-of-network. As their sales pitch goes, they can only get these great discounts by selling something to the members of the network, and that is guaranteed sales. And based on the price, why wouldn't you? And if you were the owner of the company, I would seriously look into DQing any driving willfully fueling out-of-network for no reason. They're costing you money, and eventually might get the boot for QPN.



Also, for the emails/texts about the prices changing. They're pretty accurate. Although, just because it's going up 4c everywhere, doesn't mean that one area can't go down a 2c while another goes up 6c, which happened to me. But, it gives you an idea. The thing is, the price is set in stone for the next day (after 1AM eastern) sometime in early afternoon the day before for every fuel stop in the country. So, there is no surprise. And it's not a rebate, so there's no calculated, etc. That's the price getting charged to the card.

And, one last thing. The 'best stops' aren't just "cost+plus", they're "cost+plus or better". Right now, that factor isn't that important, but it was the first month I was with NASTC.

For instance, the fuel stop that gave me my best price was $3.87 NASTC price and was $3.899 cash on the pump. That stop has a 'discount price' of $0.04 for that day. So, no matter what, I will pay no more than 4 cents below cash price regardless what the NASTC printout showed. So, instead of beingn charged $3.87, I was charged $3.859. This is really important on the weekends when the price is dropping. NASTC sets the price in stone on Friday afternoon from the weekend. The price won't change again for you until Tuesday at 1AM Eastern. So, from Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the quoted price won't change. But, if the pumps drop significantly and the margin was already slim, you're guaranteed to not pay more than cash price, and get a few cents off it.

David Owen explained that in previous years, this happened twice. It now was happening regularly due to the volatile prices of diesel and some stations running at or near cost. The price set on Friday afternoon might be 10-15c more than the cash price come Monday afternoon. But, you'll always get the "better' price. Which if you've seen the NASTC printout, is the column before the price. Most stops are 0.02 to 0.04. Those prices, also, do change. One stop might be 0.04 one day and 0.02 the next.

According to NASTC, the QPN is the largest purchaser of OTR fuel in the nation, and bigger than the three next largest OTR purchases (this isn't counting terminal fueling). So, NASTC can throw their weight around. The reason their price isn't as good as LANDSTAR's price is because LANDSTAR has a closed network and can guarantee a certain number of gallons sold to TA/Petro and get an extra 1.5c off the cost+plus. NASTC can't mandate where you fuel. They just give you the network and let you fuel where you want. I thought I'd be fueling exclusively at TA/Petro, but as I said, an AMBEST gives me the best price, by far. So, I fuel there. And, I use the free shower at another AMBEST I stop at. But, I can plan for that.

 

I accutally don't pay attention to them because I plan my fuel stops for the best price less taxes that is the neat thing about their pricing online shows that number. Fuel might be more per gallon in one state at the pump but maybe several cents per gallon cheaper when you take away the fuel tax that in my first quarter I got a rebate of those taxes that made the overall purchase of the fuel even cheaper in the long run.

Plus my fuel mileage is so good I can get by with only fueling every 4 days, but don't like to let tanks get that empty when the fuel is recirculated to cool injectors with the more fuel in the tanks the cooler the fuel stays the better the mpg during the hot summer months, so I fuel between 100 to 150 gallons every other day roughly to keep tanks full most of the time.

 

Lease O/Os or those that send them a copy of a signature page of a lease don't have to take seminar.

 

Is it safe to assume they have west coast fuel suppliers as well? It seems most of what I'm reading about in this thread is midwest or east coast lanes. I'd be looking at NV, CA, AZ, and possibly UT.

 

NASTC Fuel book.

 

First, great run down. That was as good but briefer than David's discussion.

I wanted to point this out because when I mentioned to NASTC that we where discussing with LS about using their card exclusively they said the same thing. Kinda selling me away from their program. But when I compared fueling and I could save more at some TA/Petros with LS the savings at other locations was much bigger overall. I don't know why they say this and not follow it with more favorable facts. I appreciate the under promise/over deliver. Just didn't run to them as fast as I should have because they made it sound like a ho hum program.

 

When you set up your account you can fix it to where you can only use the card in network. Then you need not worry about getting booted out of the program.

 

Just got back from a West coast trip and posted the fuel price difference at TA in Barstow that was $0.46 per gallon cheaper than pump cash price. Plenty of fuel stops out west.

 

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering if anyone knows if nastc has a page that shows what their current discount/price is at their in network fuel stops. Or do you not find out until you get your statement? Starting with a new company that is running on the nastc fleet one card. Thanks much.