Flying J/Pilot fuel stations

senior-cit wrote:
Are there gas pumps at the truck islands at these stations and if not, why not install them?

Probably because the of the expense to install a gsoline tank, pump, etc.. Plus, it would not generate enough profit and, they don't want passenger cars around the truck pumps. JMO

Many of the Flying J's have RV lanes that have both gas and diesel. Not so many Pilots. Get a directory at one of the stations and it list the stations that have RV Lanes.

Especially when any gas sta is busy I try to drive between the pumps and building and pull into the pumps facing toward the street. Seems much easier to get in and out. I have made that a practice when I had a 5ver, my TT, and now my MH. I figured that one out several years ago when I got blocked in by a motorist that left his vehicle at the pump and went to lunch.

I avoid all the big rig truck stops. Normally they are crowded, noisy, dirty, and more expensive.

Thank you for the info, and we do use the RV pumps, but at times the line is very long. I also had a car parked in the fuel line and we waited for about 20 min. and I went into the store and asked who owns the car, and no one knew. I went to the restaurant and asked, and a bunch of young adults were eating at the table by the window and knew they were blocking the pump. When they came to move, they showed their age with the "finger".

We also avoid the truck stops. We find cheaper fuel using gas buddy, and find many stations we can get in and out of with no problem. With our coach and trailer, we are 48' long.

senior-cit wrote:
Thank you for the info, and we do use the RV pumps, but at times the line is very long. I also had a car parked in the fuel line and we waited for about 20 min. and I went into the store and asked who owns the car, and no one knew. I went to the restaurant and asked, and a bunch of young adults were eating at the table by the window and knew they were blocking the pump. When they came to move, they showed their age with the "finger".

They may have been young but they weren't ADULTS......:B:B....Dennis

Some are easier to use than others. Some have stickers that say 495 limit on cards but don't work. Some are so tight and problems with paying like I75 south of Atlanta Pilot that we don't stop any more.
Some like the Flyin J at Ky border is fairly easy to manuever but you still end up conflicting with autos in front of store many times. They should make the entrances/ exits go past the buildings into the truck area or something, maybe. Several times at many of them the problem is like others have seen people blocking pumps while paying, which may take a half hour, or cars and pick ups getting a bed full of propane canisters filled, like Ky and Fla. The curbs are too tall and too tight so we take several minutes pulling into the lanes and exiting, like North Ga and Atlanta and many many others. A seventy foot or longer rig takes just as much room as a semi.
It should be simpler and uniform: pull into use cards fill, all the way without restarting, pull out and into lot for shopping eating etc. Sometimes it may take an hour to complete a stop or more.

I filled my fuel tanks the other day at Pilot in Arizona ( I-40 @ Hwy. #95) there was 2 designated RV Fuel Islands out in front of this Pilot Station for Motorhomes and Diesel Pick Ups towing trailers! All the semi truck and trailers fuel in the rear of this Pilot Station. Cars also fueled out in front of this station away from the RV's. I did not have a Pilot Loyalty Card and I was charged $3.29 per gallon (gasoline) that was the cheapest price I paid for gas on my trip down to Lake Havasu City, AZ. on this trip! WA. $3.42 gal. OR. $3.56 gal. CA. $3.85 gal. Not all Pilot Stations are the same! Just wanted you to know and this was a easy in and out from the Hwy. Rooster

senior-cit wrote:
We use the Flying J and Pilot for fueling our gas MH, but during peak travel times it is difficult to fuel up do to the limited fuel pumps for gas rigs. Pilot stations are very hard to get in and out unless you have a diesel and can go to the truck fuel pumps. I have seen rv's pull away and either attempt to fuel in auto island's or pull out and leave. Are there gas pumps at the truck islands at these stations and if not, why not install them?

Not to be rude but truck lanes are for trucks. They have a schedule to keep and they are the bread and butter to the truck stop. While truck stops over the last 20 years have tried to grab RV business, the trucks in back pay the bills. The pumps run at 40 gpm and with average daily fuel bill of $400-600 per truck, they "keep the lights on". A company like Schneider National (orange trucks) will consume 1 million gallons of fuel a day on average. Companies like Schneider actually negotiate their fuel price with Pilot through contracts of cost plus delivery or pump fees. There is an unwritten set of rules in back to help keep things moving.

Bottom line while Pilot wants your business, it is a side line to the truck in back. That is why RV and cars are separated and check out counters are also separated. Why there are trucker only areas in a truck stop.

In a way, its like a softball team trying to play in a major league park and being upset when the major's need the field. It's simply a fact of life that one groups work space, is another group play space. If you were trying to work and someone was trying to play in the same area would it upset you or cause an issue for you?