Newbies finding diesel fuel

I'm a planner, so I plan out my stops ahead of time. Looking online for places to get diesel, where I have a bit more confidence in what I am getting (BP, Shell, etc.).

Once I decide on a place to fuel, I double check it online, getting down to google street view to try and get an idea of the layout of the station. It helped a lot during my last 4800 mile trip.

Also helps to have a 38 gallon tank. Gives me lots of leeway.

BTW, I detest Pilot/Flying J. 80% of the time, my card doesn't work or prices at the truck pumps are higher than the car pumps. Lousy kept stations and brain dead help. But, sometimes they are still the best option (and isn't that sad).

Oh and don't just rely on the Major stations websites to tell you of what stations they have out there. The Pilot book missed several stations (not even online) and the BP online was a total joke. Must have gone by 20 BP stations in the UP of Michigan that were not listed. Gasbuddy is your best bet.

Especially to those who worry about space getting in & out of stations, did you ever consider that the trucks that supply the fuel to the stations are a whole lot bigger than anything that we drive?

They seem to make out alright.

My biggest concern is, where is the diesel pump located & can I get to it without causing problems to myself or anyone else BEFORE I enter the station?

En route we use Gas Buddy app on the iPhone to plane the next fuel stop. The we use Google Maps (and/or Google Earth) to determine whether we can get in and out of the proposed fuel stop. Gas Buddy also helps to keep you from getting gouged.

The all we have to worry about is whether the fuel has an acceptable level of bio in it. Vehicle manufacturers have different specs on what biofuel you an use in them. Some truck stops are pumping B20 from what I have heard. Check your manual.

Here is some info on what the vehicle manufacturers say about bio in their vehicles.

We use gasbuddy.com when doing our route planning so we can easily make it from one fuel stop to the next to get diesel. More than half the towns we pass through in the Western USA do not sell diesel. The truck stops like Flying J and Loves are the best in general though we do have one that is currently a Valdero in our area that has truck bays and a special lane for RV's. Mavericks in the west also has good prices and large fuel areas.

We will fillup earlier than necessary to avoid dealing with small gas stations in small towns that are usually very difficult to get into and impossible to get into if there are lots of cars at the pumps. In mid-morning it is easier to find the pumps vacant and not have to deal with vehicles and brain dead drivers. I have been at pumps many times and had vehicles pull up in front of me to wait for me to finish at the pump with their German cars with the fill cap on the passenger side and there was nowhere for me to go.

Truck stops as mentioned are your best bet. Easier to get in and out and they have much higher flow rates at their pumps. Takes a fraction of the time to fillup.

On a side note if I was buying a pickup for towing a trailer I would definitely get a long bed. The fuel capacity is usually higher from the factory and the aftermarket tanks from Titan and Aero Tanks are more common and larger as well than those for short bed trucks. Having a 60 gallon or more fuel tank is great for diesels.

kernewek wrote:
In all the miles I have travelled over the Western US and Canada during the last 6 or 7 years I have never had a problem finding Diesel.I agree that truck stops and travel plazas are nice, but most of my travels are away from the main highways and I have never come across a station that I could not use. Finding fuel and accessibility of pumps is not something I ever worry about.

From everything I've read, traveling in the Eastern U.S. is a big hassle compared to everywhere else. I come from Mass., and would never consider traveling up that way except to go west through PA, north to NY, and across via the Mass. Pike and then down to southern Mass.,my home. Probably never do it though, something is always under major construction! Driving through the Tristate area is a nightmare right now, without a trailer.

All advice given so far is very helpful, the book tips too....we will use all resources!

AHHHH, Delaware. Not that many truck stops there but there are a few. Use a combination of all of the advice above. Fill when the beast is not behind you. Fill way before that little light comes on warning that things are about to go silent. Try to see a way out of the station before you go in.

We have never had to go to the extreme of unhitching but we have had to do some shuffling & annoying some car drivers in some of the smaller older stations that have attracted us with a good price & the beast has been behind us.

I asked this same question just recently, click on this link for even more info. http://forums.trailerlife.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27060185.cfm

If you travel a lot off the interstate, stop at a truck stop and get a little book called truckstop buddy or some such. It is small, about fit in a shirt pocket. Lists most truck stops, on all roads. Will be in the truckers section, where the log books and such are. VERY handy.

Tells how big the truck stop is. Address. How much parking. Scale. ANY of these will be able to handle the biggest RV, as they handle the semis.

From an over the road trucker.

We have been into some tight stations, Even once had to back out into the city trafic in Seattle. Sucks. That was the last time of thinking just one more exit. And believeing a sign that said "Big rigs welcome" Guess it meant we were welcome, just not easy to use. Also had a Pilot that the car section was worse than you could immagine. So do not just go by name plate. Their truck area out bak was great. Just not allowed out there.
We also look just entering or leaving a city. And we once tried to use a OTR lane in oregon and were told it would be extra. Also those pumps are big, lots of air in the diesel in your small tank.
Diesel is not hard to find anymore. Watch the trucks, or farmers, maybe even get a CB and ask the people in the area.

get the app "gasbudy" for your (cough cough) smart phone.
it is a free one ( why i have it) it uses the gps/ cell towers to find you and the stations close to you it even lists the prices other users do the posting of the fuel prices.