Have Fuel Prices Changed How You Run?

[ATeam]

Earlier this evening, we fueled up and paid $455 to fill our tanks. That is a "bit" higher than usual, but with oil approaching $100 per barrel, I fear that $500 fuel stops will become the norm.

For those of us with a carrier that provides a fuel surcharge, the pain is dulled a bit by the extra fuel money that comes our way. But the surcharge does not apply to miles that take you home or miles that take you to a busier express center that you decided to move to on your own. Good loads going out west are still there but high fuel prices bring the long distances in the western states to mind, along with the deadheading you may have to do when you are out there.

With fuel over $3.00 a gallon, are you changing your run strategy? Are you going home less? Are you willing to sit and wait for a load longer before deadheading someplace else? Just curious about what is changing out there as fuel prices change.

Diane and I have made no changes yet. Except for Christmas, we do not go home unless the freight takes us close. This week, we did deadhead 140 miles to visit friends. That is something we would have done before. Fuel was not a consideration for that. Deadheading home (Minnesota) for Christmas is still the plan. Better to do it from say Chicago than Los Angeles or Miami, but if it is from there that we must go, we will.

How about others? Have fuel prices changed how you run?

 

[rollnthunder]

What with the higher priced fuel your getting more fuel surcharge...No way....to bad we are not....

 

[arkjarhead]

Yeah if the fsc programs worked the way they are supposed to it shouldn't really matter. When fuel prices went high right after Katrina I was talking to a husband and wife O/O team who said they hoped the price didn't do down because they where getting .50 per mile fsc and it was paying for all of their fuel and then some becuase they were averaging 8 mpg. I can't remember what outfit they with now.

 

[fastman_1]

I'm being a little more Picky on the Loads I accept, Not taking loads going into a slow or Dead area, Trying to go south where it's warmer so I don't have to Idle for heat.






































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones
Home is Wherever you Park.
The Price of Freedom is Written on the Wall.

 

[ATeam]

I forgot above, we are raising the minimum pay per mile at which we will accept a load.

 

[mrgoodtude]

>I forgot above, we are raising the minimum pay per mile at
>which we will accept a load.
On topic response..
Yes we are and we have raised the acceptance threshold.
We calculate our run per mile rate off of gross for profitability including FSC.
Paying $3.80 a mile this week has raised an eyebrow and as a consequence have turned down a record of load offers today.
Sad to say but the best paying runs were going to dead zones for our carrier where we would lose not only rate should we have to dead head out but time lost in a period where there is freight.
Perhaps there is a line wherein you become "Overly Cautious".
Mike

 

[fastrod]

Fuel prices have not changed how I run. I just raise the fsc as needed and keep on running.

 

[pelicn]

We run for an owner, and he pays for the fuel but we are changing the way we look at the runs because of fuel costs. Just because the money for fuel isn't coming directly out of our pocket, it still effects us as drivers. If we don't help with minimizing the costs of running this truck, then we could find ourselves out of a job. Our owner hasn't said anything about tightening the belts, we take that responsibility for ourselves.
We refused the same load 3 times because it wasn't going to pay the costs of running it. They finally gave us the amount we asked for and we accepted it. In the recent past, we would not have haggled like that, but times being what they are, we had to.

 

[JoeMP2]

Yes, I am making a deliberate effort to drive a little slower. Perhaps 62mph-65 mph on the interstate. Also, I buy discounted diesel at the Wal Mart in my hometown..The wal mart shopping card gives a 7 cent per gallon discount. This morning I bought diesel for $2.98 per gallon and considered it a bargain. I am puzzled why Wal Mart(actually Murphy USA) has not raised their price to keep it in line with several nearby stations. Who knows, it may jump 30 cents this afternoon.
By the way, while I was fueling my van a large U-Haul truck w/24 ft box pulled in beside me and fueled up. I wonder if any straight truck operators buy diesel at Wal Mart?

 

[whitey1]

My in service percentage is up, acceptance rate is down as I scrutinize loads very closely for profitibility and relocation after the load while still trying to be reasonable as to the carrier needs. Obviously, I still need to make a profit.
The fuel price increases are forcing me to do a better job of what I should have been doing a better job of before, which is making sound business decisions.
Said another way, it is helping me fine tune my business decisions.
I will still deadhead to a hopefully better area rather than sit behind a bunch of trucks. It paid off this week, $50 in fuel got me a 300 mile run almost immediately after I arrived.
Keep in mind that I am running solo and am aware that I am mostly snatching at the crumbs that fall off the "teams" table.
Good tip on the Wal-Mart fuel, I will take a look in my area.

 

[TeamCaffee]

I looked at our fsc we receive and I just looked at a short time but our fuel is costing us about 1.00. We have slowed down and done everything in our power to stay above 9 mpg so that our fuel will cost us less with the fsc FedEx Custom Critical gives us. We also watch where we fuel and with the e-stop fueling info that T-Chek has you can plot where you buy fuel on a load. Our fuel is our number one cost and we do a lot to control that but I know we can do more.

We do watch though what our layover choices we are given and try to pick the one closest to us. If we know that is a bad area and not going to work we bite the bullet and move further away. Then the next load will have to pay a little better to cover the dead head to layover.

 

[rollnthunder]

Wow its no wonder im going broke.You say your fuel is costing you about $1.00 mine is at $2.00 i wont name any names but im not to happy right now.I have talked to 4 people all from different companies and they are all getting decent fs.I have asked my company why is ours so low.They tell me they dont know how all the other companies are paying the $1.20 plus a nice fs.I think these are just one of the reasons you find people looking at other carriers.I know for a fact i have pulled loads from the same place as my brother in law who got $1.20 plus .23 cents fs and i got $1.04 plus .14 do this over and over with the rising cost of fuel and its no wonder people are loosing there trucks and homes.I just figured out my average and its at a .98 cents and i talked to a friend at tri state his average this past month was a $1.86.I might as well sit at home for that.I will be home on monday and maybe its time to go into the office for a chat.I for one might be having a sticker peeling party your all invited.

 

[davekc]

I would question your source at Tri-State. Those numbers sound very questionable. $1.86.Ummm??? They pay $1.20 per mile so their FSC would be .66 cents average. "That dog don't hunt"
Their company site says $1.10 to 1.20 per mile, plus .20 to .30 cents FSC.








Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[rollnthunder]

Some was hazmat pay....and he got some higher fsc then they advertise.

 

[Moot]

>We run for an owner, and he pays for the fuel but we are
>changing the way we look at the runs because of fuel costs.
>Just because the money for fuel isn't coming directly out of
>our pocket, it still effects us as drivers. If we don't
>help with minimizing the costs of running this truck, then
>we could find ourselves out of a job.

Pelicn, it is refreshing to see that someone who doesn't pay directly for fuel understands how minimizing costs for the owner will pay them off in the long run. If the owner is profitable, then the drivers should also be profitable.

 

[poison]

believe what you want..but you are buying some nasty fuel.I have a very reliable source that told me that the reason Walmart(Murphy)fuel is so
cheap they are buying the bottom of the barrel so to speak in other words when the suppliers tank is getting close to the bottom with all the trash and sediments they get the fuel at a cheaper rate.like I said
believe what you want but my source hauls fuel for murphy and has been doing so for as long as I can remember.he tells me that even though as cheap as it might be he would never put it in his trucks and he own 12 of them and hauls for murphy.

 

[greg334]

Moot,
I agree with you, Pelicn is an exception to the rule.

 

[LDB]

I am being more diligent about monitoring the fuel tax credits when buying fuel and delaying purchases at times to get to a more favorable state to buy in.

I am looking more at destination locations as potential follow up job locations without excess unpaid deadhead to get more freight.

I am requiring an acceptable fsc before rolling.

I am factoring in toll costs.

I put the starting and ending addresses into Streets and Trips and get the true miles and won't run for significantly shorter miles without bonus or other compensation.

When fuel was below $2.50 a gallon I didn't pay as much attention to paid miles or empty moves or tolls as I do now. I always wanted an acceptable fsc and usually planned fuel purchases based on fuel taxes. I calculate my own acceptable fsc based on the pump price wherever I'm sitting minus $1.25 then divided by 8. At $3.539 that makes the minimum fsc 28cpm.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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[JoeMP2]

Poison... I only have my own experience to go on. For the past seven years I have been buying diesel at Wal Mart(Murphy USA) because it is cheaper than nearly all others. Never had a single problem with the quality of their fuel. Never. Not one problem. My Diesel van runs beautifully w/Wal Mart fuel. Sounds like your friend may have a personal agenda against Wal Mart. Their fuel is fine.

 

[Streakn1]

WOW!!! $455 to fill up? Thats already been the norm for us (and then some) to fuel our super sleeper! Oh, and that's when we are half full.
I'd hate to see the bill if I let it get any lower! LOL Having 300 gallon fuel capacity doesn't help.

Lord help us when diesel really gets expensive. Wanna trade fuel receipts?