First road trip with a diesel; best fuel sources?

[johnmyster]

Ditto on open roads card. It brings the cost at Loves and other convenient truck stops (with trusted scales, and easy to navigate with RV attached) in-line with lower price options. Recently they added the ability to pay by CC, but there's a surcharge. IIRC, the surcharge is less than the 5% fuel rewards CC I have it linked to.

I can highly recommend Sheetz truck stops, as their truck lanes are usually priced competitively with the OR discounts at other places, and then you get to use your CC rewards on top of that. I've never had issues with the DEF pumps at any of them.

Just be courteous to the truckers. Know what you're doing, start fuel, pitch trash, wash windshield, air tires if needed, and pull forward when done to go get your receipt and potty.

Most of the truck stops have CC at the pump these days, but if you're not towing and not using a fleet card you can just as easily fuel at the pumps in the front.

Use Gas Buddy to compare pricing to other stations, use Upside app if needed at local convenience stores.

Carry a set of fuel filters just in case.

 

[sstoner911]

are there any monthly service fees etc with Open roads? ive always wanted a fleet card to avoid going inside to pay at truck stops, but every card I find has a monthly minimum or a monthly service fee.

Open Roads is not a true "fleet card" per se, it is linked to your checking account so the purchases are withdrawn a couple days after the purchase vs getting a bill every month for fuel.. There is a transaction fee for each purchase and he discounts vary depending on the fuel station. You can use the Open Road App to see what stations are close and what discounts they offer.

 

[ShadowJ]

Mudflap is what I use.

 

[regal2800]

Open Roads is not a true "fleet card" per se, it is linked to your checking account so the purchases are withdrawn a couple days after the purchase vs getting a bill every month for fuel.. There is a transaction fee for each purchase and he discounts vary depending on the fuel station. You can use the Open Road App to see what stations are close and what discounts they offer.

got it, thanks! but the card allows me to pay at the truck stop pump right? so tiring having to walk inside, wait in line etc to pay.

 

[sstoner911]

got it, thanks! but the card allows me to pay at the truck stop pump right? so tiring having to walk inside, wait in line etc to pay.

Yes, you can pay at the Semi pumps. The LOVES pumps were asking for a "auth code" or something like that and all that really means is enter the 4 digit pin that you create for the Open Rods card...that threw me off the first time I used it. Why it just didn't say enter your "PIN" I dont know. LOL.

 

[wrvond]

Once when I was out west I purchased 50 gallons of Sinclair diesel and the truck ran noticeably better on it. Power was up and mileage also went up dramatically. On this side of the country I used BP primarily because I got a discount but so many of their stations closed that I switched to Exxon. The fuel from Exxon seems to burn cleaner than the stuff from BP. I also use Archoil 6500 at every fill up which has reduced my regens in a major way.
Driving empty, you aren't likely to go through a lot of DEF and Walmart is in every town with a population greater than three. I'd just make sure the tank is full prior to leaving home and refill as necessary. I use an app from Allstays called ONP Walmart. It's intended to locate Walmarts that you can overnight park at but it identifies all Walmarts and will give you directions to get there. I also use another Allstays app called Rest Stops Plus. I let my wife track those so she can tell me when she's ready for my to pull in to a rest stop.

 

[Trash Panda]

Generally not true, or you would see diesel pickups, delivery trucks, and school buses gelled up on the side of the road all winter long.

Stations treat their fuel for the local weather, so you shouldn’t have to. Most diesel owners never add anything to their fuel, even in the cold north.

Stations treat their fuel, but underground tanks aren’t subject to wind chill, and pumps aren’t as sensitive to fuel consistency as a 3 micron fuel filter on a HPCR.

Our crews in North Dakota & Minnesota fight gelled trucks all winter long. And some of spring. Let’s not forget fall.

North Dakota is brutal.

 

[flan]

Stations treat their fuel, but underground tanks aren’t subject to wind chill, and pumps aren’t as sensitive to fuel consistency as a 3 micron fuel filter on a HPCR.

Our crews in North Dakota & Minnesota fight gelled trucks all winter long. And some of spring. Let’s not forget fall.

North Dakota is brutal.

Wind chill does not affect diesel fuel.

 

[Trash Panda]

Wind chill does not affect diesel fuel.

It speeds up the rate at which the fuel loses “heat” as it cools toward the actual air temperature.

You are correct. Wind doesn’t cool fuel to the “feels like” wind chill temperate. That would be ridiculous lol

 

[wrvond]

<snip>el.

Most of the trip will also be in freezing temps, so wondering if there are any additives I should be using as well.
<snip>

There was always that transitional time of year where I would leave a warm part of the country and head into a cold part, or the weather itself would change drastically overnight. For those times when I had a tank of "summer" fuel I would add an anti gel to the tank until I was sure the stations had caught up to the weather with their additives.
One time the temperature dropped overnight here at home. When I started the truck in the morning I got a low fuel pressure warning. I added anti gel to the tank (it's what I had on hand) and I was gratified to see it clear up quickly. Diesel fuel generally doesn't start to cloud until you get into 20°F territory and anti gel won't hurt anything while potentially relieving that "back of the mind" stress.

 

[RichM752]

On the west coast, I look for the Indian Casinos for fuel.

 

[AH64ID]

There was always that transitional time of year where I would leave a warm part of the country and head into a cold part, or the weather itself would change drastically overnight. For those times when I had a tank of "summer" fuel I would add an anti gel to the tank until I was sure the stations had caught up to the weather with their additives.
One time the temperature dropped overnight here at home. When I started the truck in the morning I got a low fuel pressure warning. I added anti gel to the tank (it's what I had on hand) and I was gratified to see it clear up quickly. Diesel fuel generally doesn't start to cloud until you get into 20°F territory and anti gel won't hurt anything while potentially relieving that "back of the mind" stress.

Did you install an aftermarket fuel psi light?

Just to point out for those that may not know, anti-gel generally won’t do anything once you’ve gelled. It prevents it, not reverses it. To reverse gelling with an additive it has to be a de-gel.

 

[DontSlamMyRam]

Costco moves a boat load of diesel so its always fresh. Never had a slow pump so I assume they service the pump filters regularly. A good portion of their stations are newer so their in ground tanks aren't rusty & crusty. Their price is always one of the lowest in area. I tend to stick with them when possible.

 

[wrvond]

Did you install an aftermarket fuel psi light?

Just to point out for those that may not know, anti-gel generally won’t do anything once you’ve gelled. It prevents it, not reverses it. To reverse gelling with an additive it has to be a de-gel.

No, this was on a Ford which has a low fuel flow warning indicator.
Perhaps I wasn't clear, so your warning concerning the anti-gel versus de-gel additive is on point. I would say in my case the temperature had reached the point where the fuel was between cloudy and gelled. In other words, the paraffin was just starting to precipitate. Adding the anti-gel was enough to return the paraffin to solution and unclog the filter in this particular instance.
De-gel is a rescue operation which, if anti-gel is used appropriately, should not be necessary. Many de-gel additives contain alcohol which can be deadly for a CP4 fuel pump.