...just stepped up from a 25 foot tt behind a tundra to a 39 foot fiver behind a 3500 duramax. ......a little freaked out about negotiating diesel pumps. ..familiar with flying j rv islands. ..but what about the possibility and etiquette of using semi diesel lanes. ..thx..,bo

The nozzle on the pumps in the semi truck lanes is larger than the auto diesel pumps. You can pump fuel, but it's a PITA. We just got home from pulling back from Florida and sometimes found at the diesel islands (those usually in the back or sides of the larger stations) that the first or second lanes closest to the store are auto diesel pumps with the smaller nozzles.

If you are in Arizona, the pickups do not need to pay a 40 cent per gallon road tax, so you are better off fueling in the gas station section made for cars.The truck stops normally have a 1.25" diameter fuel filler, designed to put out a minimum of 15 gallons per minute. If you have a pair of 150 gallon tanks, you don't want to wait for it to fill at the car rate of 8 gallons per minute, but instead fill up at 15 GPM per filler nozzle! Twin nozzles are the normal for truck filling stations! They can take on about 300 gallons in 10 minutes! Your truck probably does not have the ability to insert a 1.25" diameter filler. It probably also has a bend in the filler line, and would not be able to accept 12 GPM or more! So you might be able to use some fillers, but not most.I hear your pain! I was thinking of getting a F-450 as a retirement fifth wheel puller! Then in addition to the standard 40 gallon rear tank, I wanted to install a under the cab 53 gallon tank, so I could tow for about 900 miles without ever towing the trailer into the gas station! I could fill while the trailer is in a campground, or when the price is REALLY reasonable! Depending on your tank size, you might consider a replacement tank?? Some 50 gallon in the bed fuel tanks can be filled at 15 GMP in the truck stops. IF that is enough fuel for you, then just fill the in the bed tank, as you leave the station, it will fill your main tank as you drive! I would rather have my bed open to store whatever. . . Good luck,Fred.

This topic has been bantied about often. I've been using the truck lanes for the past 8 years with no problems. All the truckers seem to accept us wherever we go. That said, there is etiquette to follow. Here's what we do.We are Good Sam life members since 1983, and have the Flying J pump start card.We pull into an empty lane and up to the pump.My wife starts the pump and goes inside.I fuel the coach, text her the amount so she can verify at the register.I then pull the coach forward so the trucker behind me can pull up and use the pump.Wife comes out with the receipt and off we go.If we decide to weigh the rig, which I do regularly, she pays for that while at the register. I then pull the rig onto the scale, and she goes inside to get the ticket.Pretty easy....just remember the truckers are WORKING. For every minute they have to wait for you, they are losing MONEY. Put yourself in their shoes. Most truckers get paid by the mile, so when they're waiting for you their clock has stopped....Dennis

I always use semi lanes and have no issue fueling

We never use anything else when we have the trailer on.Most truck islands have a marked entrance side and exit side. Going through the wrong way causes problems. When entering correctly, the pump on the left is the master and the one on the right is the slave. You want to use only the master. Over the road trucks can use both since they have tanks hung on both sides of the frame.Pull up to the pump. Most still do not have card readers on the pump. Some will read transport company cards but not bank credit cards. Take your credit/debit card (or cash) inside and tell the fuel desk (usually separate from the convenience store cashier) that you are "Private user on pump number ??). On a card, they may ask for a limit. Tell them $200. That just sets a pump limit. They will run the correct amount onto the card after you cut the pump off.Go out and pump your fuel. As soon as you finish, immediately pull forward so your trailer is clear of the pump island far enough so the next guy can pull in and get set up.I have never had a problem with the larger nozzles on the truck pumps (on an 06 Chevy). You cannot accept fuel at the maximum rate that the pump can deliver, but it is still faster than an auto island pump when you hold it about half speed.Go back inside and get your card and receipt (or change and receipt).Go move to a parking area if you have other business (food, restroom, etc) in the store. Otherwise hit the road.I have never had a trucker object to my using the diesel lanes. They understand having a trailer hung on the back far better than the meathead auto traffic out front does. I have had people in a compact car give me far more of a hard time than any commercial driver ever would.

diesel lanes | Good Sam Community

Reng8d
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
My deciding factor is the height of the awning and ease of getting in and out at the car island, if I clear it then I use the car island, if not, then I roll around to the truck lanes.
Toolguy5
Explorer III
Apr 04, 2015
I go up front if I can otherwise I go in the back. Some places up front are just to difficult to get in and out.
Never had a problem in the truck area with nozzle not fitting.
bfast54
Explorer
Apr 03, 2015
Agree on basically all the post so far ---when I'm pulling the trailer wether its commercial for delivery or my own
I always use the truck stop pumps .
Now if I'm not pull the trailer and I'm just driving the truck sometimes I have gone to the quote car islands and like they say you won't believe the idiots who pull up to the pump that has diesel ,and leave the other ones sitting open ---and they got to the pump ---they go inside they do all of their grocery shopping then they come out to the pump ----fuel ---get back into the vehicle and then sit there for 5 or 10 minutes while they're doing-- lord knows what ????
one time after I SAT for 15 minutes after all this going on -

I finally dumped my air horns on the car in front of me---- I'm sure they had to clean their seat-- but they did move.
Coach-man
Explorer
Apr 03, 2015
Contrary to some comments I prefer the truck lanes. No guessing the height of the overhead, no idiots who pull up in front of you to use the gas pump at the only auto diesel pump when there are six other gas pumps available ! And it is a lot easier to manuver at the truck pumps. No problems with the Ram using the big boys nozzle!
ependydad
Explorer
Apr 03, 2015
Roger10378 wrote:
The only problem I have ever had is when the trucker ahead assumes that it will be another truck next so he thinks he has 15 minutes before he needs to clear the pump. I have had to wait several minutes after I have finished fueling before I can leave. One time I even had the trucker behind me come up to see why I hadn't moved, only when he got most of the way up to my truck could he see that I was blocked by the truck in front. He then offered to back out of the way so I could back out.

X2. I've never had a trucker approach me, but I did walk back and talk to the lady trucker behind me after I sat for a couple of minutes. She laughed and said, "Yeah, those XYZ co drivers are $#@$#@$#@ heads." And then I learned a few more words.

Another time, I got behind a trucker who came back to MY window. He said the guy in front of him was a complete jack hole and had disappeared for quite a while. He asked if I minded backing up so that he could back out of the pump.

Otherwise, I've gotten compliments and questions on the truck. I've never had even a hint of issues being out there.
rjsurfer
Explorer
Apr 03, 2015
Cant stand truck stop stop fueling, you pay more, dirty smelly and doing the credit card dance inside is a royal pain.

We look for the best price at regular old gas stations looking for pumps that are angled to the road for easy entry, exit. The diesel pumps are usually on the outside lanes making for easy peezy fueling. Sure sometimes I have to slow way down and scope out the lay of the land at these stations but if the guys behind me get impatient screw them.

I say no to truck stops....

Ron W.
gkainz
Explorer
Apr 03, 2015
Yep to the above! The way to find the diesel pumps on those multi-fuel pumps is they're the ones with the subarus stacked 3 deep waiting to gas up, while the other 5 gas only pumps are empty.

I think they do it on purpose.
Veebyes
Explorer II
Apr 03, 2015
We fill wherever the best price is. If that means a regular fuel station, then so be it.

Never a problem at truck stops other than us having an out of country credit card & no zip code attatched to it. Long story, but it means that somebody has to go inside first to get authorisation. This takes time at a busy place.

There will more likey be a problem at a regular fuel station where the diesel is on an island shared with a gas pump & you can't get to the island because a car is there even though there are plenty gas only islands which could have been used.

The usual story. Nobody thinks past their own little world. No better than the ones who pump gas then trot off to the bathroom or get some food leaving their car at the pump.
laknox
Nomad
Apr 03, 2015
Golden_HVAC wrote:
If you are in Arizona, the pickups do not need to pay a 40 cent per gallon road tax, so you are better off fueling in the gas station section made for cars. (snipped)

Since you most often have to pre-pay inside, they usually have the ability to deduct the tax OR they will hand-calc the difference and net the total out. When we were buying road fuel for our farm tractors, we'd get a certified receipt from the state, send them in every couple months and get a check back from the State, rebating the road tax. Was cheaper than buying a truckload from any of the local vendors most times.

Lyle
Hvyhauler
Explorer
Apr 03, 2015
I use both,whichever pump is easiest to get to and available.I prefer to swipe my card at an auto lane rather than go in the building and leave a credit card with the attendant which is required at some truck pumps I've fueled at in the past.

Another thing I look for is a clean fuel island/lane which doesn't have diesel fuel slopped all over the place... seen this all too often.Nothing smells better (worse) than diesel fuel on the bottom of ones shoes tracked into truck.

Forum Discussion

diesel lanes

About Fifth Wheel Group

Related Content

Flying J / RV Lanes

Beech Lane/Anderson levelers

Beech Lane Levelers

HOV Lanes in Atlanta GA

"Use Both Lanes Until Merge Point"