West Coast Fuel Surcharge

We run Bloomington (Fontana) to St. Louis and back and last week (before our truck went in the shop) we got the message that we weren't getting the WCS "because of the contract"......any ideas what that means?

 

I can never figure it, pick up loads in Washington and Oregon going to Idaho and Utah, never get west coast pay. Take a load from Sacramento to Minnesota and get it. I have also gotten west coast pay from load originating in Alberta but denied Utah and Idaho in the same week. Called payroll and they rattle off a list of states and jurisdictions where the west coast applies, for instance Corinne Utah gets west coast pay, but the whole rest of Utah is east coast lol. Canada doesn't count Minnesota doesn't count. So I guess it evens out.

 

The difference between the national average and west coast average is only a penny and doesn't qualify for the any surcharge ...

 

http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/

It's our life blood ... it drives the FSC for the industry. It's why simply getting a discount at the pump may or may not be a good thing. Your real fuel price goal should be keeping your PPG below the national average ... Last year I was $.20 below the national average.

 

I would strongly recommend getting the Fuelbook app for your smartphone. You can check fuel prices by route and filter with or without IFTA as well as by price, distance. Any O/O without it or a similar app is not truly controlling their business; going with the flow is a flawed business plan.
Frank

 

What A21 said .. I use Fuel Book along with Trucker Tools on my phone and I use Fuel Stops and Truck Load Rate on my PC.

You will also want to have this http://www.iftach.org/taxmatrix3/choose_tableq2.php

Don't drive yourself too crazy over the IFTA. Just look for the best net price on your routes. Also being out of Sacramento, try to get in and get out through the southern route ... Cheap fuel on the 99 and you can kill it at Buckeye AZ on the 10 and fill up at Speedys on the 40 at Lupton AZ.

 

Also in many areas, the Quick Trips and even some Casey's