Fuel price gouging on the Alaska Highway
With fuel prices plummeting in many places, this is an FYI that it isn't falling everywhere. I just drove from Whitehorse to Vancouver and got gouged in a few places, some expected, one very surprisin...
Forum Discussion
I would agree with Bill, Trackrig, to check around for different, lower, prices. Most summers, I remember being able to save up to a dime a liter on fuel in Whitehorse, by going downtown to the gas bar by Super Foods or whatever the name of the super market is, instead of buying up on the hill along the Alaska Hwy.
Another place is Haines Junction. At the intersection where you turn right to head for Beaver Creek and Alaska, avoid the gas station on the inside of that turn. They have at times been up to $.20cnd a liter higher than other places in town. Location, location, location.
Over the years, I have run into some real gougers on fuel prices. On one trip north, probably in the early 70s, I was flying a Piper aircraft up to Alaska from the Lower 48 for a friend, just for expenses. Had some bad weather chasing me so stayed in the air longer than I normally would have. Landed in Watson Lake and called the local fuel supplier. At most I had about 3 to 5 gallons of av gas remaining in my tanks. The supplier, over the radio told me he would deliver the fuel to me at the airport and he charged $5 a gal for it. The last fill up I had paid about half that much in southern Canada. I had to have fuel so told him to bring it out to the airport.
He showed up in a pickup with a 55 gal sealed drum of 80/87 av gas. He told me it was $325cdn cash. The Canadian dollar was worth about $1.25usd at the time so we were talking serious money.
Told him I only wanted 10 gal at that price and was informed, that was fine but the cost was still $325cdn for the drum. Said he only sold it by the full sealed drum. Quickly realized the situation was like dropping your soap in the shower room of a men's prison and bending over to pick it up.
I paid him the $325. Took about 30 gal to fill both 18 gal tanks on the plane. He then asked me what I wanted to do with the remaining fuel in the drum.
Told him to enjoy it and never again stopped there for av gas again. I got reimbursed for the cost by the plane owner but he didn't grumble much since I was flying for free, just expenses. LOL
Many things in the north country are cheaper now than in the past, especially out in the rural areas. About $8 a gal for av gas was the most I ever paid, in the village of Stoney River. Freight charges could double the prices on items, or more.
Another place is Haines Junction. At the intersection where you turn right to head for Beaver Creek and Alaska, avoid the gas station on the inside of that turn. They have at times been up to $.20cnd a liter higher than other places in town. Location, location, location.
Over the years, I have run into some real gougers on fuel prices. On one trip north, probably in the early 70s, I was flying a Piper aircraft up to Alaska from the Lower 48 for a friend, just for expenses. Had some bad weather chasing me so stayed in the air longer than I normally would have. Landed in Watson Lake and called the local fuel supplier. At most I had about 3 to 5 gallons of av gas remaining in my tanks. The supplier, over the radio told me he would deliver the fuel to me at the airport and he charged $5 a gal for it. The last fill up I had paid about half that much in southern Canada. I had to have fuel so told him to bring it out to the airport.
He showed up in a pickup with a 55 gal sealed drum of 80/87 av gas. He told me it was $325cdn cash. The Canadian dollar was worth about $1.25usd at the time so we were talking serious money.
Told him I only wanted 10 gal at that price and was informed, that was fine but the cost was still $325cdn for the drum. Said he only sold it by the full sealed drum. Quickly realized the situation was like dropping your soap in the shower room of a men's prison and bending over to pick it up.
I paid him the $325. Took about 30 gal to fill both 18 gal tanks on the plane. He then asked me what I wanted to do with the remaining fuel in the drum.
Told him to enjoy it and never again stopped there for av gas again. I got reimbursed for the cost by the plane owner but he didn't grumble much since I was flying for free, just expenses. LOL
Many things in the north country are cheaper now than in the past, especially out in the rural areas. About $8 a gal for av gas was the most I ever paid, in the village of Stoney River. Freight charges could double the prices on items, or more.
