BE ALERT AT THE PUMP

Went to my local Flying J the other day to get fuel and since the RV pumps were filled up I went to the truck side. I had to go to the fuel desk to have the have the pump turned on (hate the new Pilot procedures)and the girl said I should use the RV side. It turns out that when the truck pumps are used the RV card is not accepted. Therefore the price paid is the credit price which is several cents higher than the cash price and the 3 cents a gallon discount is not honored. It would have cost 9 cents a gallon more to use the fast pumps on the truck side versus using the slower RV side.

I moved to the RV side which had now cleared out and allowed Flying J/Pilot to pay me 9 cents a gallon to buy their fuel.

I tangled with Pilot a couple of years ago about their policy of having to go inside to get the pump started. This was before they owned Flying J.

I got nowhere with the manager, but started a letter writing campaign with the corporate offices since they are based here in Knoxville. The end result is I got a Pilot credit card. It will turn on any pump at any Pilot and I get cash price. I get a bill once a month on the first. I don't bother with the RV card because if you read the procedures to get the $.03 you still have to walk inside. Even if I take on 200 gallons which is average for me it is worth the $6.00 to not have to stand in line.

Bottom line I am happy with using a credit card to get the cash price. If the RV savings was set up so I did not have to go inside I would go for that also. The less time I spend in and around truck stops the happier I am.

I just put about 4500 miles on and did NOT have to use the RV pumps to get either the discount or start the pump at either Pilot or Flying J. My card was registered on the web site as the instructions indicated and once that is done, you get pump start. The pain is, some places let you pump, but you still have to go in to pay. Some take your credit card at the pump...but if you want a receipt you still have to go in.

Many of the stations I have been at don't have room for me to use the RV islands without backing out, which I can't do with the toad, so I always use the truck islands. They usually have faster pumps too...