Reminder: Reward Yourself!

[mjmsprt40]

I don't use TA/Petro that much, but that's by pure chance as much as anything else. It so happens that when I do need to pull in to a truckstop, the FlyingJ/Pilot stops are more likely to be there than the others. Simple frequency makes the difference as often as not. I do stop in the TA in Sawyer, Michigan on my trips to Battlecreek on a regular basis, usually for gas, and so far haven't been treated badly but then I haven't stayed there longer than it takes to get gas and use the restroom before vamoosing, and I use a credit card at the pump so I don't have the problems that using the "loyalty cards" seem to bring out on these forums.

My comment above is based on other comments here as much as anything, and based on those comments I'd say getting an Ultra card would be a bad idea unless you're really into frustration. Strange thing, that. Get the TA/Petro "loyalty card" and get treated badly.... Yep, sounds like a plan to me.

 

[Rocketman]

Everyone had the chance to join the call. I did and I addressed issues I had with them. How will they know if you don't tell them. Everyone wants to gripe but no one wants to offer criticism.

The hitch in that is....it's not our problem. We are the customer and if they want our business, they will need to find a way to get it. Pilot/Flying J wanted to do business with the company I'm leased to and we have great loyalty card benefits. If TA/Petro wants some of that business, it's their job to figure out how to step up to the plate. I have no problem with the conference call, but to suggest that I somehow had a duty to participate is wrong. My little road show goes on just fine without them.

 

[zorry]

TA/Petro wants our business enough to offer us discounts large enough to make your heads spin.
Pilot will give a discount of only a few cents per gallon.
Pilots have improved, but years ago, were like going to a Chinese Flea Market.Loaded up non essential overpriced garbage.
I may be wrong but it seems the people most disappointed with TA are the van crowd. They go in for twenty gallons of gas, go over to Checkers to eat,may pee next to their vans or look like their waiting for a Grateful Dead reunion,
Not really the market TA is aiming for. Pilot is more designed for your splash & dash.
Looks like TA is building a TRUCK stop chain.
And they seem to be doing a pretty good job !
Notice any improvement to the J's since Pilot took over ? Are they as cost effective for ya ?

 

[Rocketman]

TA/Petro wants our business enough to offer us discounts large enough to make your heads spin.
Pilot will give a discount of only a few cents per gallon.
Pilots have improved, but years ago, were like going to a Chinese Flea Market.Loaded up non essential overpriced garbage.
I may be wrong but it seems the people most disappointed with TA are the van crowd. They go in for twenty gallons of gas, go over to Checkers to eat,may pee next to their vans or look like their waiting for a Grateful Dead reunion,
Not really the market TA is aiming for. Pilot is more designed for your splash & dash.
Looks like TA is building a TRUCK stop chain.
And they seem to be doing a pretty good job !
Notice any improvement to the J's since Pilot took over ? Are they as cost effective for ya ?

I dont pee next to my van...but I'll be happy to pee on your truck if I see ya

 

[OntarioVanMan]

A few months back, the head honcho at TA/Petro did a conference call to see why we didn't use TA/Petro as our primary truck stop. To the head honcho: See this thread for further details.

Ultra card too hard to use, disappearing points-- if you can get them at all-- and in general what any of us out here would call poor customer service-- that kind of thing gets around you know, and it's not exactly good press.

I think the call was more or less a "look what we are doing thingee'.....TA can read...ALL the grips are right here in print for all to see....TA can contact each gripper by PM IF they were more serious to satisfy vans.... OR they could just tell the truth...they have NO real interest in the CV market....and that would explain the shoddy pizz poor run program to this point....The program they have out right now, the executives should be embarrassed....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

TA/Petro wants our business enough to offer us discounts large enough to make your heads spin.
Pilot will give a discount of only a few cents per gallon.
Pilots have improved, but years ago, were like going to a Chinese Flea Market.Loaded up non essential overpriced garbage.
I may be wrong but it seems the people most disappointed with TA are the van crowd. They go in for twenty gallons of gas, go over to Checkers to eat,may pee next to their vans or look like their waiting for a Grateful Dead reunion,
Not really the market TA is aiming for. Pilot is more designed for your splash & dash.
Looks like TA is building a TRUCK stop chain.
And they seem to be doing a pretty good job !
Notice any improvement to the J's since Pilot took over ? Are they as cost effective for ya ?

Zorry see my post...you are probably more correct...about the CV market......

Yes Pilots have improved alot in the last year....very much more efficient ...as for cost of fuel....besides needing a shower credit....I don't fuel up there. Most know fuel can be had for .10 -.20 cents a Gal cheaper elsewhere...
cept the pee thingee.....remember WE park out front for all to see where you big guys park in the shadows to make outdoor peeing easier...haha

 

[zorry]

I didn't say everyone pee's by their van. I said there are some that may.
There are some very professional van drivers.
As a percentage of all vans, not as high as professional straight or T/T's.
Since I don't pee on my tires,I'd prefer you don't pee on my tires. Personal choice.

 

[xiggi]

Everyone had the chance to join the call. I did and I addressed issues I had with them. How will they know if you don't tell them. Everyone wants to gripe but no one wants to offer criticism.

No everyone did not have a real chance. What were we supposed to do wake up from much needed sleep to attend a call or tell a shipper sorry I can't load your freight right now got to be on a call about a crappy rewards program. All the guy had to do was read the thread happening at that time.

Actually kind of surprises me Lawrence continues to post about it when it just opens take petro up to much deserved critisism each time he does.

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[OntarioVanMan]

No everyone did not have a real chance. What were we supposed to do wake up from much needed sleep to attend a call or tell a shipper sorry I can't load your freight right now got to be on a call about a crappy rewards program. All the guy had to do was read the thread happening at that time.

Actually kind of surprises me Lawrence continues to post about it when it just opens take petro up to much deserved critisism each time he does.

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Maybe Lawrence should just add a disclaimer....like....Cargo vans no need to apply? Most of the critism is from the CV crowd...

 

[zorry]

I was delivering during the time of the call. I e-mailed a few improvements I'd like to see to Tom later that evening.
I had an e-mail response by 08:00 the next day.
I worked in management at Pepsi in Chicago area.
It's amazing what a project small changes are in a large corporation.

 

[xiggi]

TA/Petro wants our business enough to offer us discounts large enough to make your heads spin.
Pilot will give a discount of only a few cents per gallon.
Pilots have improved, but years ago, were like going to a Chinese Flea Market.Loaded up non essential overpriced garbage.
I may be wrong but it seems the people most disappointed with TA are the van crowd. They go in for twenty gallons of gas, go over to Checkers to eat,may pee next to their vans or look like their waiting for a Grateful Dead reunion,
Not really the market TA is aiming for. Pilot is more designed for your splash & dash.
Looks like TA is building a TRUCK stop chain.
And they seem to be doing a pretty good job !
Notice any improvement to the J's since Pilot took over ? Are they as cost effective for ya ?

I would put the van crowd up against the big truck crowd any day when it comes to being professional. Compare the trash thrown out in the truck lot to the front lot. I have never seen a vanner get out and pee at the pumps. Can't say the same for the big truck crowd.

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[Rocketman]

I didn't say everyone pee's by their van. I said there are some that may.
There are some very professional van drivers.
As a percentage of all vans, not as high as professional straight or T/T's.
Since I don't pee on my tires,I'd prefer you don't pee on my tires. Personal choice.

good, I wasnt real interested in it myself. But, you chose to belittle the vanners, so I chose to let ya know you might want to belittle a different one than me

Im not sure what some of you truck guys think you are, but when I drove a truck, I never tried to belittle van drivers. The "my truck is bigger than your truck" mentality is pretty childish and stupid in my opinion.

 

[zorry]

Would it be fair to say, in general, vanners really want/ need a gas station with showers ?

 

[xiggi]

Would it be fair to say, in general, vanners really want/ need a gas station with showers ?

No not at all.

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[OntarioVanMan]

vanners just want to be respected as professional drivers as much as anyone.....just because we don't log or scale....doesn't take away the fact we literally do the same work as the big trucks and share the same roads....and all want to get home safely.

 

[tenntrucker]

vanners just want to be respected as professional drivers as much as anyone........... . Sorry could help myself.

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[mjmsprt40]

We don't take as much fuel. Maybe that's the problem. It's hard to put in 25 gallons in a Sprinter, they just don't take that much. My gas van would take more fuel, but it's rare that I'll get more than 22 gallons because it's just stupid to run your tank that dry. The big trucks can take 100 gallons per tank in some cases, so maybe it just pays TA to cater to the big trucks and not so much to the van crowd.

Special note, since it's come up: I DO NOT pee alongside my van at a truck stop. They have restrooms, fer cryin' out loud. I've never seen anybody else pee alongside their vans either. Where that notion came from, I'd not be knowing.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

We don't take as much fuel. Maybe that's the problem. It's hard to put in 25 gallons in a Sprinter, they just don't take that much. My gas van would take more fuel, but it's rare that I'll get more than 22 gallons because it's just stupid to run your tank that dry. The big trucks can take 100 gallons per tank in some cases, so maybe it just pays TA to cater to the big trucks and not so much to the van crowd.

Special note, since it's come up: I DO NOT pee alongside my van at a truck stop. They have restrooms, fer cryin' out loud. I've never seen anybody else pee alongside their vans either. Where that notion came from, I'd not be knowing.

For those who get them great fuel discounts....I'll not support the giveaway by paying the highest priced diesel in the land...without discounts TA/Petro are pretty much the most expensive chain out there.....the poor guys without a discount plan are subsidizing the ones that do...IMO

 

[zorry]

I think the professional ones are respected.
You'll see more bad big truck drivers because their are more big truck drivers.
Since they made trucks so easy to drive, the industry has changed. The steering wheel holders have taken over. Too lazy to park properly, too lazy to walk to a garbage can.
It's sad and depressing. I don't dwell on it. I spend my time focusing on my business.
I pick on vans more to get a reaction than a lack of repect for them. I've talked to a few. Very few. Some are very professional. Some are not.
I'm sad to say the most unprofessional behavior I have seen from any expeditor was a fleet owners team from my own company that was coming out of orientation.
I'm not a snitch,so I didn't drop a dime on them. I probably should have.
Life goes on.

 

[Rocketman]

We don't take as much fuel. Maybe that's the problem. It's hard to put in 25 gallons in a Sprinter, they just don't take that much. My gas van would take more fuel, but it's rare that I'll get more than 22 gallons because it's just stupid to run your tank that dry. The big trucks can take 100 gallons per tank in some cases, so maybe it just pays TA to cater to the big trucks and not so much to the van crowd.

Special note, since it's come up: I DO NOT pee alongside my van at a truck stop. They have restrooms, fer cryin' out loud. I've never seen anybody else pee alongside their vans either. Where that notion came from, I'd not be knowing.

I'm not sure if they want van business or not...doesnt really matter to me. They did go to the trouble of marking off parking spots for us though? It would be interesting to see a comparison to how much fuel is actually sold to the entire expedite van fleet compared to the entire expedite straight truck fleet. I dont think there would be as much dicference as you might think. My st would hold 200 gallons pretty easy, but I only had to fill it up once a week or maybe 3 times in 2 weeks. The number of vans compared to straights would figure into it as well.

His pee comment was just a jab...nothing more, nothing less. Im guessing momma musta bent him over the sink this morning...he's feelin a little violated, that's all