IFTA and Profit Based Fueling Practices
- Thread starter Electric Chicken
- Start date
- california fuel tax fueling ifta profit
Nobody wants to be JB Hunt. Hell, JB Hunt doesn't even want to be JB Hunt.
Rigjockey
In Gord we trust!
ironpony
Professional Pot-Stirrer
Each to his own... I can certainly understand your point of view. There's a trade-off between profitability and hassle. At some point you can place a monetary value on hassle - and whether it's worth it.
Every day being a big shot truck owner is better than one second being a jerk steering wheel holder wage slave. I call the shots... even if it's a two week vacation during a $30k engine rebuild.
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Exactly. I've been in an assessment period since June 30 of last year. I'm making plenty of money doing what I am, so that's not the issue. There are things far more valuable (than a couple hundred dollars a week) that I am missing. There is no amount of money that can replace time not spent with people who will not be around forever.
You can't rewind an hourglass.
Rigjockey
In Gord we trust!
$30,000 is an expensive vacation, Plus airfare.
Electric Chicken
Well-Known Member
Curiosity got the best of me to see how this mess turned out.
I'm not a selfish idiot like some people want to make me out to be. I never once said I run out of route just for Pilot Points. That would be the exact opposite of efficient. I will simply fuel where it makes the most sense logistically speaking rather than pump price speaking.
I'm making a lot of money for myself and the company as a result, and the company plans me very well and trusts my judgement as a result.
Thanks to the folks who backed me up and had the pre-tax prices to post (I didn't have that information) showing even further that I'm not costing the company anything significant, if at all.
We run generally equal amounts of PA, MD, VA and usually pass through WV's tiny panhandle.
The 90 gallon tank only lasts so long, and we fuel wherever the routes basically let us. Fuel stations on our routes are generally clustered together where going to one is a matter of passing by the other, so if I can get my Pilot rewards and grab a coffee, that's what I'm going to do. Or if it's an easier access truck stop for whatever reason, that's the one I'll use.
I'm in and out of these places so often, it's not long before you get a feel for which ones are going to delay you at all and which ones aren't. Heck sometimes it's worth avoiding certain ones just because the staff are slow.
Heck, Greencastle TA is worth avoiding because the driveway is rough as hell, beating you up. If you're stopping for a 10 it's not a big deal but when you're in a day cab and need to get as many loads in as possible and get back in 12 for your slipseater or 14 to avoid running out of hours, you're gonna save time when you can. Greencastle TA also notorious for drivers screwing up on the exit with the boulders, blocking the roads and delaying you even more, whether it's just to get in or back out, while they figure out what they did wrong and how to fix it.
I don't know if I'll come back for good or not but I find all this petty argument from completely different viewpoints and business models unnecessarily irritating.
I'm not a selfish idiot like some people want to make me out to be. I never once said I run out of route just for Pilot Points. That would be the exact opposite of efficient. I will simply fuel where it makes the most sense logistically speaking rather than pump price speaking.
I'm making a lot of money for myself and the company as a result, and the company plans me very well and trusts my judgement as a result.
Thanks to the folks who backed me up and had the pre-tax prices to post (I didn't have that information) showing even further that I'm not costing the company anything significant, if at all.
We run generally equal amounts of PA, MD, VA and usually pass through WV's tiny panhandle.
The 90 gallon tank only lasts so long, and we fuel wherever the routes basically let us. Fuel stations on our routes are generally clustered together where going to one is a matter of passing by the other, so if I can get my Pilot rewards and grab a coffee, that's what I'm going to do. Or if it's an easier access truck stop for whatever reason, that's the one I'll use.
I'm in and out of these places so often, it's not long before you get a feel for which ones are going to delay you at all and which ones aren't. Heck sometimes it's worth avoiding certain ones just because the staff are slow.
Heck, Greencastle TA is worth avoiding because the driveway is rough as hell, beating you up. If you're stopping for a 10 it's not a big deal but when you're in a day cab and need to get as many loads in as possible and get back in 12 for your slipseater or 14 to avoid running out of hours, you're gonna save time when you can. Greencastle TA also notorious for drivers screwing up on the exit with the boulders, blocking the roads and delaying you even more, whether it's just to get in or back out, while they figure out what they did wrong and how to fix it.
I don't know if I'll come back for good or not but I find all this petty argument from completely different viewpoints and business models unnecessarily irritating.
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ironpony
Professional Pot-Stirrer
Depends on your view of affordability -
Electric Chicken
Well-Known Member
BTW as day cabbies some run out of hours and two drivers need to run a truck up to get him and his truck. I've been one of those rescuing drivers probably a dozen times between US Xpress and Schneider and I have almost two years in.
Not once have I been the rescued one. I've never cost the company money on running two people and a truck.
Fueling for time instead of pennies and generally not screwing around helps that happen.
Not once have I been the rescued one. I've never cost the company money on running two people and a truck.
Fueling for time instead of pennies and generally not screwing around helps that happen.
Rigjockey
In Gord we trust!
No Idea bro. I work a sched and when my day is done, My day is done. If the truck catches fire I walk away. I don't feast or famine i have a steady wage. unlike real truckers and owners.
Please clue me into why the owner op gave up his truck to run a company truck doing the same job?
Your comodity is time, like me.
Our discounts are off of cash price of either 5 or 6 cents at t/a.
PFJ fluctuates due to profit margin. It changes every two weeks. Might be 10 cents, might be 50 cents.
99.9% of the time, the cheaper option is going to be at PFJ when using Schneider's fuel card. I don't use their card, don't want to do business with PFJ.
Electric Chicken
Well-Known Member
So I've gotten my one year evaluation. Went through process, procedures, performance metrics, logbook errors/violations, etc.
All good on every count, no mention of fuel other than being at about 107% of the expected mpg target. In other words, my selection of easy on and off, minimal wait, idle, stop and go fuel stops has contributed to being 7% above their expectations. That's equivalent to getting 8mpg with a 7.5 expectation, over the course of a year, while also doing above average capacity.
I think I've absorbed the price difference, if there is any. I earned that free bonus points squeegee.
All good on every count, no mention of fuel other than being at about 107% of the expected mpg target. In other words, my selection of easy on and off, minimal wait, idle, stop and go fuel stops has contributed to being 7% above their expectations. That's equivalent to getting 8mpg with a 7.5 expectation, over the course of a year, while also doing above average capacity.
I think I've absorbed the price difference, if there is any. I earned that free bonus points squeegee.
Hillbilly Canuck
Well-Known Member
We run on floats of Canadian and American money instead of reimbursement of our own money for incidentals besides fuel (tolls not covered by EZ Pass, truck washes etc). As much of a gong show as truck stops can be even paying at the pump with a card I doubt it would be much fun waiting for God knows how long to hand them cash inside then again for change and a receipt. You know they aren't turning that pump on without a prepay. Not a question of COULD you do it but how much hassle would it be nowadays?
Electric Chicken
Well-Known Member
Your fuel stop would be 39 and a half minutes long. Give or take, depending how fast you waddle.
Blood
Driveler Emeritus
Tazz
Infidel
Not everyone can brew their own diesel at home.You FM's ought to start hanging with a higher class of riff-raff.
Hillbilly Canuck
Well-Known Member
You FM's ought to start hanging with a higher class of riff-raff.
Electric Chicken
Well-Known Member
So 2 and a half years in as an O/O and I'm still fueling for time even though I don't work nearly as hard as I used to. All the busy cheap stops are full of Amazons and biodiesel.
I find it more prudent to fuel at the smaller preferably non-bio places regardless of rewards. In and out, mostly with the independents who also prefer easy in and out.
Running a comdata card. Discounts are pretty good but it doesn't matter. I'm net 0 on most IFTA quarters and not going broke yet. Working what most would consider a part time schedule for a trucker.
I may not be doing it right but it's working so far. Not living or dying by fuel discounts or IFTA balances.
I find it more prudent to fuel at the smaller preferably non-bio places regardless of rewards. In and out, mostly with the independents who also prefer easy in and out.
Running a comdata card. Discounts are pretty good but it doesn't matter. I'm net 0 on most IFTA quarters and not going broke yet. Working what most would consider a part time schedule for a trucker.
I may not be doing it right but it's working so far. Not living or dying by fuel discounts or IFTA balances.
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