It's a Team's Life

Are you a Business Owner or a Driver?

How often do we see a fuel stop display anything talking about their low fuel prices?  Do we pay more for fuel to get better rewards or to get into another tier? How insane is it to a business owner to pay more for fuel to get a free shower? Does it make sense for a driver to buy the cheapest fuel for the owner of the truck and then have to purchase a shower?

Finding the exact amount paid for fuel can be a challenge if leased to a carrier that receives fuel discounts.  The discount is not displayed on the receipt.  The other factor is how much does the actual fuel cost?  Each state has fuel taxes and they are not created equal.  The federal tax stays the same in all states so is not a consideration.  In our situation, we want the most fuel for our money so we look at the cost of fuel without the state tax.  Other owners do not want to pay the IFTA tax and their fuel buying strategy is different. 

Fuel is one of our biggest expenses and reward programs offering more showers, free drinks, or other perks are not worth paying more for fuel. Compare the cost of having to pay for a shower or soda against fuel savings.  Plan accordingly if you have to pay to park unless you buy so many gallons of fuel.  Is it cheaper to pay to park or pay more per gallon to fuel? Again is free parking going to offset the cost of that location's fuel?

The cost of a gallon of fuel right now is skyrocketing.   Driving a fuel-efficient truck or driving a truck for fuel mileage keeps more money in the owner's pocket.  This is also not a rule set in stone and needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.  When a load can be delivered early or another load can be picked up if you drive the speed limit it might be worth the loss of fuel mileage to drive the speed limit. 

As a driver, the choices of fuel stops are often dictated by the owner of the truck.  As an owner-operator it gets complicated weighing out the actual price of the fuel, the cost of amenities and the many different fuel stops, all with different discounts.  Hopefully, your carrier has an app for that. 

The bottom line is that reward programs for buying fuel should be looked at second after considering the cost of fuel.  Not being in the top tier of a rewards program for an owner-operator is a good thing.  Being in the top tier of a rewards program for a driver can be a good thing. 

Take the time to do a little research as the fuel stops are not advertising fuel savings they are advertising their reward programs. 

Bob & Linda Caffee

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO

Expediters since January 2005

[email protected]

 

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;

Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;

Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;

Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.