Pjjjj,
Some time ago there was a discussion about the margins on the price of fuel, most thought it was 2 or 3 cents but these places are making more like 15 to 20 cents a gallon if I remember right.
I did find something regarding the profit on gasoline.. but couldn't find the same type of summary for diesel. The one I found is from the State of Michigan in June 2008, and gas at that time was around $4.00/gal. It shows $0.02 profit, or .5%. I have read that one of the taxes on deisel is more than the same one on gas. Anyway, the chart is here:
AG - Gas Prices
Also note that the $0.02 'profit' per gallon, is not profit at all, but only the retailer's take on the whole amount of the price of gas. From that amount, he will pay his overhead and operating expenses.
greg334 said:
Their mark up alone on the food items is like 60%, slimjims are a perfect example, I can go to my local grocery supply place, pick up a case and sell them at a buck and double my money.
With their main operation being fuel, the retail side is another venue to keep them profitable. It's like a convenience store, not like a grocery store.
greg334 said:
The station around the corner from me makes 11 cents per gallon on diesel and 14 cents on gas, he leases the station from one of the big guys. He told me that he was interviewed by WDIV and he said exactly what he has said to me and the reporterette stopped the camera and told him to prove it, calling him a lair.
First, you can't believe everything people say, right? I would be more inclined to believe a published government report than a business owner's statement about his or anyone else's business. But that's just me. But even if it were $0.11 he was making on each gallon, deduct from that all the overhead and operating costs and staffing. On 300 gallons, it's only $33.00 out of the $1200 it would've cost the trucker when fuel was at $4/gal. I can't imagine how much it must cost to maintain, operate and staff one of those truckstops.
greg334 said:
The bigger problem I find is that these companies can't help but hire anyone who is breathing. I have had problems with managers who stood there talking to their friends while there is one girl on the fuel desk, no one at the front watching what goes out the door while we, who are paying $400 to $1000 for fuel wait 45 minutes. This goes for the people at the subway counters, and even the buffets - you get what you pay for.
But to top this all off, these companies know that they have us ... well you know what I mean. We are so used to poor service and poor everything that they just won't ever change for us. Some of the better Truck Stops are the ones who actaully cater to the RV crowd, and much of the buisiness has shifted to "Family Travel Center" type of buisiness.
The rest I won't even speak to, since I find it's like that everywhere nowadays. Hard to find good people who give a crap, and especially who will work for their money, especially on the lower paying jobs.
Also, I would imagine they have to put up with a lot of attitude from truckers in general. After laying out twelve hundred bucks, in the trucker's mind, the place is making a killing at his expense, and he should therefore be entitled to getting some nice perks thrown in there and maybe a handshake or something. Apparently it's the oil companies who should be bowing down to the truckers.
If some of the better truck stops are shifting their focus to family RVers, I wonder if there is a reason for that?
