Fuel Cash Discounts

[alandaudrey]

With the cost of diesel increasing almost every day I was wondering if anyone uses the cash discounts at Flying J's/Pilots,T/A's and other stations.

I inquired last year at a Pilot station if I could get the cash discount by using a "Debit" card and the cashier told me that cash meant cash only. I usually don't want to carry enough cash to fund my fuel for an entire trip.

What tricks and tips can you all offer me or am I just out of luck?

Thank you.

[CmdrDewey]

Go to a Pilot or Flying J and ask the clerk for an RV Frequent Fueler Card. there should be a kiosk near the counter where you can activate your card. Sometimes the clerk will activate it for you. When you go through the RV lanes you can pay at the pump and you will receive the cash price plus an additional 3 cents off per gal. You also get 10 cents a gallon off on propane and 1/2 price for dumping. There are some variations from location to location. In some places you can do it at the truck lanes and some not. Go to http://www.pilotflyingj.com/rv-home for more information.

You use your Frequent Fueler card first, then your credit or debit card, then sometimes your frequent fueler card again. The process gets easier after you have done it a few times.

For awhile I noticed that Pilot/Flying J was more expensive than other places but my observations recently have been that they are quite competitive.

[dieselguy]

Flying J discounts wouldn't be much help here in Kansas/Missouri as their cash fuel prices are about 10 cents a gallon higher than another brand station right down the road. Dunno what gives here as Flying J used to be about the cheapest.

[c214dick]

While in Florida we noticed some stations were adding and extra 5 cents for credit cards not associated with the station. However, we did find stations that still sold the advertised price with a credit card. With that said, we were very disappointed with Flying J. We have the RV card and even with the discount they were still considerably higher for diesel than most other stations.

[ols1932]

I find that I can't carry enough cash while traveling to take advantage of the cash price for fuel. At over $100 per fill and moving almost every day when going from point to point, I'd need a small safe to carry the money in. I'm still in a quandary about Pilot/Flying J fuel prices. The other day a Flying J pump was turned on from inside and I didn't get a discount until I asked for it. Then the clerk gave me one-cent/gal back. Amounted to 34 cents.

Orv

[bw2]

Flying J was purchased by Pilot. They have now begun the same pricing scheme as Pilot. Cash and credit. On our trip back from Florida and recently Alabama, Flying J & Pilot are more expensive. As an example, at exit 2 in Kentucky, a brand new Marathon across the street from the Flying J was 4 cents cheaper. They also have the diesel pumps behind the station, two reserved for RVs and the rest for the truckers. New, clean and easy in and easy out.

[akf15e]

I have used a BP Chase credit card for several years. I get 5% back on all fuel purchases at BP. Now that I see BP is at most TA truck stops, it's really easy. BP tends to be a nickel or two more than some other stations, but at $4 per gallon I'm really paying twenty cents less, so I come out way ahead. I made almost $1000 in BP fuel, merchandise, and other rebates last year. I didn't pay them 1 cent for the card or in interest. I highly recommend it.

[Just148]

Beware of the posted prices, Some stations post is for TRUCKERS..Three stations posted price was 3.83 cash, 3.87 credit, When I got to the pump it was 4.08 a .21 cent different. I asked the attendant why the different, and was told that the posted price is for DOT drivers..

[c214dick]

It does pay to look before you buy. A good example was in Goshen, Indiana during the rally last year. I can't remember the station but the diesel price at the front pump was non exempt and the truck pumps were tax exempt. The funny thing is that they allowed any one at the exempt pump. There was also another station farther down the road that charged the lower price on only one pump.

[8e3k0]

Over the last 5 months we have travelled through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and now Missouri and have found that you have to get away from the truck stops and interstates to obtain a better diesel price. We have found a differential of 20 cents on the gallon in some places. I use gasbuddy.com to find my prices and that has worked well. As a Canadian, our dollar has been running about 4 cents higher than the U.S. dollar so it gives us another few cents off that ever raising cost of fuel. Way better than when our Canadian dollar was at 65 cents in 2006. Our cost for fuel is averaging about 34 cents per mile since we left and approximately 9600 miles travelled to date.

[alandaudrey]

Thank you for all of your replies.

I like most of you prefer not to pay the higher prices at the truck stops and if I don't have the Monty on the back I will price shop but as we all know that sometimes the other stations in the area are constructed so it is difficult to maneuver an RV near the pumps. More and more the stations are allowing more room for maneuvering but sometimes it just is easier to stop at a Pilot/Flying J or a T/A.

I'll look into the "Frequent Fueler Card". It sounds like it can offer some relief from the high prices.

[jpkelpe]

This winter we tried to use our frequent fueler card at a Pilot and they looked at me like I was dumb thinking that the card would give me a discount

[CmdrDewey]

quote:Originally posted by jpkelpe

This winter we tried to use our frequent fueler card at a Pilot and they looked at me like I was dumb thinking that the card would give me a discount

There is an open letter posted on the Pilot/Flying J website that addresses this issue. They acknowledge that they had some difficulty this winter in some stores and they are working to address this.

FWIW I too, noticed this winter that they were higher than other truck stops but we have been on the road for the last two weeks and that seems to have changed. I am talking only Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Maybe just a local thing. It does pay to look around. For example I just checked Lordsburg NM. Valero is $4.05 Pilot and Flying J are both $4.09, Loves is $4.13,Texaco says $3.99 but it hasn't been updated for two days. With the extra $.03 cents it all comes out pretty close.