filling the refer tank

I'm just curious. When these drivers weren't hanging up the nozzle while they pulled forward to fill the reefer, where were they putting it?

 

The only problem with your method #2 is that a lot of companies using T-check have a restriction on the card to only be used so often. For examples, you can only swipe the card once every 2 hours.

 

Companies that run reefers on a regular basis, don't lock them down if they utilize Flying J.

Fueling the truck and reefer takes only one swipe at the majority of major fuel stops.

Flying J always has to be a pain in the ###. It's in their business model. See how others do it, then #### it up completely.

 

On the ground...

 

Yeah, well, since I've pulled exactly 1 reefer in my career, and the load wasn't refrigerated, I actually didn't know how to fuel a reefer either

And my company has almost totally stopped fueling at FJ. Although we did get a fuel stop there last week for some reason...

 

I was trained to put it on the turn the pump off, wait about 3 seconds, then turn it back on and set the nozzle on the ground before pulling up. I've since figured out that you don't have to do that and re-trained my trainer to do it the 'newfangled' way. Apparently, back when my co-driver started driving, that was how you had to do it because if you hung up the nozzle, then pulled up and picked it up and tried to fuel the reefer, it would have already closed out your ticket and you wouldn't be able to fuel the reefer because of the 2 or 3 hour cutoff (depending on which card you used). That is why Flying J had their pumps set up to re-swipe the card before fueling the reefer - so you could hang up the pump in between then re-swiping the card told them to add the fuel to the ticket. It only shows as one transaction at TCH even though you swiped the card twice -- so you won't have a problem with the cutoff time. Being able to pick Tractor, Reefer or Both before you pump is a fairly recent innovation -- or so I was told by my seasoned (a nice way of saying old) business partner. Now that I've completely bored you with the history of fueling a refrigerated trailer, have a great day

 

Forgive me for my naivety but two questions come to mind as someone who has yet to fuel a truck.

1) Is it not possible to park the truck real close to the pump so the pump is centered between the tanks and then take the hose directly from the tractor to the reefer? That would seem to be the obvious solution as an outsider looking in.

2) All this talk of putting the nozzle on the ground! Is that why the ground around diesel pumps is so friggin nasty! I've never understood that. Now it seems like everytime a reefer refuels it spills an oz or two of oil on the ground? Crazy!

 

1) No,the hoses are not long enough
2) a few drops of fuel from several hundred trucks a day will leave
a mess.Its the TS responsibility to keep them cleaned up,some do and
some never.
2b) A call to the local Fire Station has gotten more then a few
fuel islands cleaned up.