Picking my own freight baby! My journey to & of being on Schneider choice, the Adventure & Numbers!

Home_on_wheels · Jun 26, 2015

freightwipper said: ↑

sigh*

Perhaps you didn't read my posts..
I was talking about fuel costs.. costs to operate etc etc. There's more to that than just pump price.

Simple question..
Where does it cost more to operate a truck?
The Mid-west or Northeast?
Beyond pump price what about MPG?
Flat land out out in the mid-west vs all the hills and Appalachian mountains out in the Northeast.
Especially pulling a heavy load out there will wreak your MPGs.
What about IFTA taxes?
As far as I know what you're charged isn't exactly the same everywhere you run.
Click to expand...

In a number of your posts, you stated the high price of fuel in PA. All I did was demonstrate that PA fuel is not high. Their fuel tax is. But you have to pay it whether you buy fuel or not. The IFTA tax is the state fuel tax, and yes nearly every state is different. But to get the cheapest fuel, take the pump price subtract the fuel tax and you get the net price. All I was doing was trying to help but apparently you have it all figured out in the 4-6 months that you've been doing Choice. Best of luck to you.

freightwipper · Jun 27, 2015

RT-express said: ↑

In a number of your posts, you stated the high price of fuel in PA. All I did was demonstrate that PA fuel is not high. Their fuel tax is. But you have to pay it whether you buy fuel or not. The IFTA tax is the state fuel tax, and yes nearly every state is different. But to get the cheapest fuel, take the pump price subtract the fuel tax and you get the net price. All I was doing was trying to help but apparently you have it all figured out in the 4-6 months that you've been doing Choice. Best of luck to you.
Click to expand...

wow there's no need to be rude, I didn't say you were wrong about subtracting the whole tax thing.
I was in Western PA the other day and fuel ranged between $3.40-$3.50 so even after $.64 it's still more than Ohio which ranges between $2.70-$2.90 when I drove through there.
Isn't Ohio $.28? So at worst that's $2.62 vs $2.76
So how is that PA being not high?
Pittsburgh area has higher fuel prices than around Carlisle, that's another thing..
I have been in Pittsburgh area once per week at least since I've been back out. This week will be two times. Then I go back west. So that's something for me to think about that's all.

The whole IFTA thing is vast which I was intending to expand upon.
This guy broke it down pretty cool:

Evilcapitalist said: ↑

Yeah, it means International Fuel Tax Agreement - it's a new system that was designed so that you don't have to buy a certain number of gallons of fuel in each state like the old truckers used to. In other words, you buy 200 gallons of fuel in one state, and your company reports this, and the number of miles you drove in that state, and every subsequent state thereafter, and divy up the fuel tax money based on the miles per gallon that you got (or sometimes what the fleet gets) between the states that you drove through. Since you asked, I will give you a real life example:

Let's assume that you buy 100 gallons of fuel in Florida, at the TA # mm329 and that you're headed north on I-95. Let's say that the fuel in Florida is $2.25 just for fun. The fuel isn't $2.25 - the fuel is $1.6953, the federal tax is $.244 and the florida fuel tax is $.3107 per gallon.

So, you paid Florida $31.07 on the spot for fuel tax, the federal government $24.40, and you actually spent $169.53 on the fuel itself. Now, you're not going to get the federal tax money back, but guess what? You're driving through Georgia and South Carolina who have lesser fuel taxes than Florida: Let's break it down: Let's say you're getting 6 mpg, just for fun: remember you paid Florida $31.07 - you'll either get a refund or owe money - let's see

Florida (rate is $.3107 per gallon)- miles 51 - gallons used 8.5 - fuel tax owed $2.64
Georgia (rate is $.167 per gallon)- miles 111 - gallons used 18.5 - fuel tax owed $3.08
South Carolina (rate is $.16 per gallon) - miles 199 - gallons used 33.17 - fuel tax owed $5.31
North Carolina (rate is $.299 per gallon) - miles 187 - gallons used 31.16 - fuel tax owed $9.31
Virginia (rate is $.175 per gallon) - miles 52 - gallons used 8.66 - fuel tax owed $1.52

The total is 600 miles for 100 gallons (6 mpg) and you're total tax due to each of those states is: $21.86 - but you paid $31.07 # the pump - therefore you are due a refund of $9.21 for that tank of fuel: doesn't seem like much, but there is money to be made(or lost) at this little game and let me tell you why:

Let's say that you were listening to the CB and all the truckers told you that fuel was $2.18 # the Pilot in Brunswick, GA. Dang - that's $.07 cheaper per gallon - we should fuel there right? WRONG !!!

Remember the fuel tax in Georgia is only $.167, so the actual price of fuel in Georgia is $1.769 after you subtract state and federal tax. Remember the actual price of the fuel in Florida was $1.6953 - therefore the actual price of the fuel was $.0737 cheaper in Florida, yet the line to fuel in Georgia can extend well out into the road, simply b/c drivers don't understand fuel taxes. Remeber you got a refund buying the fuel in Florida - but if you would have bought the fuel in Georgia you would have paid $7.37 more for the fuel and you would have only paid $16.70 in fuel tax. Remember for the 600 miles you ran you owed $21.86, so not only did you pay more for the fuel, you owe money on your fuel taxes - $5.16 to be specific.

It doesn't seem like a whole lot of money, but when you run 150,000 miles or more in a year, that is 25,000 gallons # 6 mpg, and what looked like a $12.53 mistake on 100 gallons would end up being a $3132.50 mistake at the end of the year. Now, I don't know about y'all, but the truck stops and the government already take too much of my money now, and I don't want to give them more.

The best thing to do is when you have some downtime, look online at the fuel prices, and get a chart with each state's fuel tax and figure out which truck stops are giving you the best price, and then the best price minues fuel tax. The example that I gave above is one of the best. Another is buying fuel in Gary, IN as opposed to Michigan or Illinois. NEVER BUY FUEL IN INDIANA - their fuel tax is only $.16, but they charge you more than this at the pump and you don't get credit for it. NEVER BUY FUEL IN KENTUCKY - they do the same thing, plus Kentucky is charging you $.02 for every mile that you drive in their state (that explains your other question). NEVER BUY FUEL IN OREGON - NEVER !!!!!!!!! Oregon doesn't have a fuel tax, but they will sell fuel at almost the same price as Washington or California. Oregon is at the top of the list on ripping off drivers, plus they're charging you a weight-distance tax for every mile you drive in OR. NM is also charging you a weight-distance tax for all your miles. New York is charging you $.04 for every mile that you don't drive on the toll roads.

A lot of this doesn't mean a hill of beans to a company driver, but if you're an owner operator, this knowledge is as crucial as anything on the road. That's not to say that you're always going to win at this game, because right now, I have a fuel problem and I can't fuel strategically. And when the wind is blowing at you in Wyoming # 50 mph, then you're not going to get 6 mpg no matter what. And when you go up north you need to keep the tanks over 1/2 full if it is going to be -20. In these cases you're just doing your best. But, if it's a sunny day in Florida and you've got the choice to fuel there or in Georgia, why not save a few dollars.

Hope that answers the question.
Click to expand...

I don't know it all, none of us do.
We're here to share and learn from each other hopefully and with that still being respectful.

rickybobby · Jun 27, 2015

So, far this year I paid $293.94 in Fuel Tax. I fuel when I'm low. lol

Ougigoug · Jun 27, 2015

Is there lot's of load on the board that goes to Canada and also loads from Canada back in the US??? If there is some how's the rate?
Thx

sadwar · Jun 27, 2015

Ougigoug said: ↑

Is there lot's of load on the board that goes to Canada and also loads from Canada back in the US??? If there is some how's the rate?
Thx
Click to expand...

Zero loads for Choice to and from Canada.

Ougigoug · Jun 27, 2015

Weird because they do offer the program in Canada and there is Schneider truck everywhere in Canada?!?

freightwipper · Jun 27, 2015

I just drove past T-Trucker about two hours ago...

Lucky guy, he was escaping PA while I was getting lured back in.

Home_on_wheels · Jun 27, 2015

Ougigoug said: ↑

Weird because they do offer the program in Canada and there is Schneider truck everywhere in Canada?!?
Click to expand...

Schneider has an OC in Canada and everything is done out there. We can't see their board.

freightwipper · Jun 27, 2015

RT-express said: ↑

Schneider has an OC in Canada and everything is done out there. We can't see their board.
Click to expand...

There's no Canada loads.
Schneider has a lot of dedicated accounts so if anything those trucks might be the ones up there.

freightwipper · Jun 27, 2015

are my eyes working?
I see a light drop and hook load from CA to GA for $1.68

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