Reminder: Reward Yourself!

[OntarioVanMan]

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.

We think pretty good of you big guys as well....

 

[zorry]

The pee comment came from a recent post about a vanner peeing out his side door.
Respect goes to anyone that earns it, regardless of what they drive.

 

[paullud]

remember WE park out front for all to see where you big guys park in the shadows to make outdoor peeing easier...haha

There are still a lot of van drivers peeing out front, just as there are a lot of TT drivers peeing out back. I think the TT and CV crowd are pretty much the same, we drop several steps down on the evolutionary chart due to a lack of women. Over all the ST drivers are the most professional in the industry and I believe it is due to the amount of H/W teams.

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[scottm4211]

I'm peeing right now.

 

[Turtle]

TA/Petro wants our business enough to offer us discounts large enough to make your heads spin.

That's true. At some carriers, like FedEx and Panther, the discounts are mind boggling, some are just giggity giggly. However, when fueling with a Comdata card there is generally a per-transaction fee, most often $1, but sometimes more or less, depending on the carrier. At one dollar a pop, gor fifty, one hundred gallons, that's not an issue, but filling up with 20 gallons, the discount can be effectively wiped out, especially since in a van you need usually a minimum of three transactions to accumulate 50 gallons over 5 days in order to claim a free shower (can you imagine the outrage from truckers if they had to pay a $3 transaction fee forr every 50 gallons of fuel they got?) Generally, the total savings for a van works out to be just about what you'd pay outright for a shower, so there's not really any savings there at all, unless you don't take shower.

Pilot will give a discount of only a few cents per gallon.

True. Usually only 5 cents per gallon. However, at my carrier, instead of the standard program where buying 14 gallons of fuel gets you ½ shower credit, where you need two such purchases within 7 days totaling at least 28 gallons to claim a free shower, all it takes for a free shower is one 15 gallon purchase. So, 15 gallons at 5 cents off plus a $12 shower becomes a pretty significant discount in its own right.

I may be wrong but it seems the people most disappointed with TA are the van crowd.

That's true. Here's the thing, though... if you are in a van, and use diesel, and get fuel with a Comdata or other accepted fleet card, you know, everything the same as a big truck, then the TA/Petro is just fine and the van crowd will have no complaints. Everything, including restaurant and convenience store sales, stems from the speed and ease of getting fuel with the loyalty card. If you're in a van and don't use a payment method that can be swiped at the fuel island, or you get gasoline, then the speed and ease of getting fuel and earning loyalty points becomes a tour de force in tedium.

The quick service restaurants at the TA/Petro, with very few exceptions, close up at 10PM instead of staying open 24 hours like at the PilotFlyingJ (which is a truly retarded name borne from ego rather than intelligence - it should be the Flying Pilot). In addition, redeeming points at the TA is a PITA, comparatively speaking versus the PFJ. At the TA you print reward certificates, at the PFJ you use the card at the register like a debit card. The other day I bought 2 bananas and 2 apples at a Pilot. "Do you want to use your points to pay for them?" Sure. Try that at the TA.

The thing is, I really like the TAs and Petros. But, I haven't gotten fuel there once since I changed carriers and no longer fuel with a Comdata card. If I want to pay with a debit card or cash, the hoops that I have to jump through at the TA/Petro become more trouble than their worth, especially considering I don't get those monster fuel discounts anymore.

 

[mjmsprt40]

I'm going to have to check my Speedway card to see if it's any good, truth is except maybe for coffee I haven't done much in redeeming it.

Beyond that, from the way this thread runs I might be talked into a Pilot/Flying J card. I can't honestly say I'd recommend even stopping at TA/Petro if this thread is any example of what one could expect, and since I'm a gas-vanner there is no reason for me to get their card. Actually, the way the card is handled reinforces the idea that they really don't want my business anyway and would rather that I go somewhere else. At Speedway, I use their card at the pump and points are added right there. Why can't TA/Petro do that?

 

[cheri1122]

Not only must you swipe your card at the kiosk to use reward points at TA [good luck if the kiosk is down], you must choose increments of $5.00, and any leftover points [take $10, spend $8.50] are lost.
It's just nowhere near as convenient as the PFJ rewards card. Same as the shop, where you need to provide all the specs for your truck every time you go [their computers don't keep records or communicate with each other], which is pretty annoying - especially when you just need some little thing done.
It's like they designed it to be as inconvenient as possible.

PS I made the same complaints to TA years ago, but as far as I know, nothing has changed. And I stick with PFJ, where using the reward card is faster [no kiosk to wait for/at] and easier, and I never have to give up any points.

 

[paullud]

Same as the shop, where you need to provide all the specs for your truck every time you go [their computers don't keep records or communicate with each other], which is pretty annoying - especially when you just need some little thing done.

I'm not sure why you are having that problem, as soon as I swipe the card they know what truck I have and just confirm I have the same one.

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[cheri1122]

I don't even have a card any more. I only use TA when it's something minor, like a few weeks ago, I needed a quick fuel filter change [had a load onboard] at midnight. Luckily they had the time and I had a spare filter [cause they didn't] and I made delivery on time - but still had to recite engine make, size, mileage, VIN, etc. Like Turtle said: PITA. It's hard to believe their computers don't store or share basic info, so if all you want is a wiper blade changed, it's the same routine.
Seriously: request a wiper blade and they want to know what size your engine is!

 

[billg27]

Also at Pilot/Flying J, if you don't use their showers because you shower at a health club, you can get the RV card and it gives you. 2 cent per gallon discount right at the pump. I use the Professional Driver card until I earn a shower, then use the RV card the next few tanks of gas to get the fuel discount. They let you register and use both cards and they both work right at the pump. (the fuel discount doesn't work in every state, but it works in 45 states).

If Petro/TA wants to talk to me about why I don't use them more, they are welcome to pm me and I will give them my phone number and try to explain the problems CV's have with their travel centers.

 

[Hightech_Hobo]

Been out of the business for six months...I left with a bad taste for pretty much all of the loyalty card programs and had gone the YMCA route...(still a good option...they are everywhere...)

Since my return...pilot flying j has been my choice...lotsa locations...no prob building shower credits...and a marked improvement in shower facilities....


Also, keep an eye on Sheetz...they are up and coming in truck stops...great fast food...and extremely liberal shower policy...basically just buy "some" fuel

Petro/ TA kick butt for food/amenities ...but being a vanner it's not hard to move around to what ever suits your need on any given day...plus throw in cracker barrels, panara's or whatever retailer floats your boat....

 

[bobwg]

With my Sprinter diesel engine I have a Comdata card thru Landstar and I fuel at the truck pumps at TA/Petro and Pilot /FLying Hook. I get my showers at both and points also use the Ultra one at the fast food and sit down food. other truck stop chains I use Quicktrip midwest and south also Kwiktrip Iowa,Minnesota, Wisconsin.