Practice, practice, practice. I like driving at night so if I goof, I generally can back up and get into position without having to deal with some impatient cretin behind laying on the horn.
To me, the best fuel stations are the ones that have the pump aisles parallel to the road. However, these are not as common since they require more highway frontal space.
Don't forget cardlock stations. I'd recommend getting a Pacific Pride card, because getting in and out of an unmanned pump is a lot easier than having to deal with the crowds at most gas stations.
