Tips when Fueling at truck stops

mdamerell wrote:
Just be aware many credit cards stop at $75 or $100 when fueling.

So what. Just re-card and finish filling up. I had to do that the other day. Have done it many time. Sometimes I've carded three times to get a full fill up. Doesn't take that much longer.

mdamerell wrote:
May not always be the cheapest but it is convenient for me (local station has nice new RV Island) and these days I'm all about what makes my life easier.

My local Pilot/Flying J is 72 miles away, so I go elsewhere.

The discounts you can get with various cards at the big truck stops will bring the price down to what is normal everywhere else. Just like when something at Camping World is on "sale" that means it's down to a normal price.

As mentioned several times here, the access and maneuvering always gives me the jitters. I have been in some tight places with our 40' Revolution and have never been able to head off the jitters. I suppose it goes back to our first Motor home, a class "C" Jayco Granite Ridge. It was two years old and it was the first time I had drove a RV. I was not offered any instructions by the dealer and was dumb enough to not ask. On the way home, a 50 mile trip, I decided I needed fuel. I pulled into a gas station and the only lane open was the inside lane. I went for it and was looking at the rear end of the RV and it was swinging in dangeriously close to the pump. I stopped, backed and tried again. I was still too close for comfort. The third try, I backed way back and went straight in. After accessing the damage to the driver's side seat, I almost drove back to the dealer to ask for a refund on repairs to the seat. I have had a case of jitters since. You should see the entrance to our drive way at home. Off a narrow country road I have to make a left turn onto our driveway. the turn is on a steep hill with a 30' gully/ravine on the passenger's side. The drive requires a slight "V" shape with one leg slanting slightly back to the left. It gets hairy at times. Grandson will not ride with me, he gets out until I am straightened out. There is still 3/4 mile to our parking beside the Brick and stick Home.DW gets edgy as she says she can look down into the ravine from her side. I would never try it in bad weather or in the dark.

We got the Flying J charge card last year and it made life much simpler since we can pay at the pump with nice discounts. If there are any stations that don't give the discounts or allow pay at the pump, we haven't yet found them.

We can also use the RV lanes and get the same discount but by and large the access to the RV lanes tend to be pretty poor and many RV'er tend to leave their rig at the pump when they go inside.

Truck lanes are so convenient who cares if they are noisy and most are reasonably clean.

Also, with a DP you have a range of close to 1,000 miles so with a bit of advance planning you can be selective about which station you use and even skip whole states if so desired. Wandering around through a town looking for cheaper fuel is not my idea of fun since you may not have access once you find it. Hit the truck stop, fill up, and back on the road is sooooo nice.

Y'all made very fine comments,but you need to PAY AT THE PUMP to get
your discount (cash back)from the card company.You don't get the CASH BACK when paying inside.
Siggy

MARKW8 wrote:
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I have no idea what a PenFed card is.

Mark

It is a Visa Platinum Rewards Signature Credit card issued by Pentagon Federal Credit Union. It currently offers 5 points for every dollar spent on gas. Or with the Platinum Cash Rewards, 5% cash back on every dollar spent at the pumps.

But you need to have a military, or some type of military affiliation to be eligible for the card. And you have to have a account beyond the CC and share account.

A lot depends upon the individual P/FJ location. Some appear to be 'franchisee' locations that don't honor some parts of the P/FJ programs.

For Example this one in Montana has RV lanes, but only gives RV rewards in the truck lanes. - http://www.pilotflyingj.com/view-location?id=0968

There is a 'franchisee' called Town Pump that apparently doesn't honor discounts at all.

Some in Ohio appear to not honor anything related to discounts or rewards.

The Bosselman group in Missouri and Nebraska appears to have their own rewards card system separate from P/FJ.

The printed P/FJ directory makes it easier to see locations that don't honor the programs than the on-line search.

Get a Chase United Visa and use it. You get Frequent Flyer miles and it pays better than any discount. We buy everything on it and pay it off within 30 days.

Executive wrote:

MARKW8 wrote:
The couple of times I've swiped my card at the truck pumps, it would ask me tractor or reefer. I've never tried going further. When I've then gone inside, I've been told only commercial cards at the truck pumps.

Mark

Mark! Never, ever put reefer fuel in your tank....if you're dipped, your fine will be astronomical....:E.

We fuel up at the truck pumps all the time. Swipe RV Rewards/Loyalty card for "pump start", fill up, then go inside and pay with PenFed Card. Get the "CASH" price less 3 cents, plus rewards from PenFed...Dennis

Let me say first, I KNOW what reefer fuel is, didn't say I filled up. Now not sure how to say it any clearer. On two occasions at Pilot truck fuel stations, I've swiped my Pilot/FJ RV card. On the readout it asks me Tractor or Reefer. I think on the second time I pushed Tractor. It asked me for info unrelated to me purchasing fuel for my private truck. When I went inside I was told I couldn't use the card at the pump. Only truck company issued cards. I could use it inside but they aren't set up there to apply discounts. I've been ok usuing the card on the front side, but some of the Pilots can be pretty tite.
I have no idea what a PenFed card is.

Mark

I save .08/gal (plus the cash price) by being a life GS member and using the PFJ charge card. There are many options.
However, we tend to fuel at other locations than PFJ since they seem to have the highest prices, even after all the available discounts. Indian casinos and local stations usually beat PFJ to death. It's just a matter of find these that will also accommodate your RV and towed.