Trucking companies use certain gas stations

It is common for the trucking company to pick which chain truck stops you can use to fuel the truck. Some of the companies that hire newbie drivers even dictate YOU WILL FUEL at this location on this trip. That is commonly called "forced fuel" meaning the company pick where you fuel and it's not optional. Those companies also frequently pick the route "forced route" and the load assignments are not discretionary, "forced dispatch." Like eveyrthing thing else in trucking it varies from company to company. If you have strong preferences about such things, make sure you only interview work at companies that meet your preferneces. YOU WILL NOT change the procedures at a trucking company, you will either work the way they want or leave.

 

Every large size company has some sort of fuel cost strategy.

Their 'approved' fuel stops form a network for them and some penalize for fueling off route without a good reason.

My last termial for Matlack was a DuPont plant where they got rid of Conoco's tranportation at a time when they were a DuPont subsiderary.

A plant guy who had jumped to the tranportation management stayed with DuPont and he finally understood why his drivers always managed to fuel, off route, at the little independent stop near the plant.

He over heard my owner operators talking about the cash rebate per galion to the driver and he was paying a penalty to his fuel card supplier...

 

Trucking companies fuel where they get the best deal.

 

Companies want you to fuel at the truck stop chains where they have discount contracts. Back when I was with Covenant almost 20 year ago they used T/A.

 

Depending on the lanes/areas you run.....and the chain(s) the carrier has partnered with....this arrangement can make your life as a driver AB-SO-LUTE-LY MISERABLE.

At my last driving job pulling boxes--the carrier wanted us to refuel only at Love's locations.

But most of my deliveries/destinations were way up in the northeast.

Next time you get really bored....look at a map of the Love's locations up in that part of the world.

Needless to say--sooner or later, this caused problems.

-- Lual

 

I’m grateful that my company has discount arrangements with Love’s, Pilot/Flying J, TA, and Petro. I generally go to the Love’s (it’s where I have the most points, and I’m a sucker for the roller dogs), but it’s nice to have choices when I’m running low on fuel.

 

Most carriers have designated fuel vendors based on how much of a discount they receive.

 

Its common for carriers to do that, they fuel wherever gives them the best fuel discounts.