Fuel Stops - Trip Planning

          When I send in my Depart Shipper macro (aka Loaded Call) it triggers the fuel solutions program which calculates the fuel stops for the load.  The program is an algorithm that takes into consideration how much fuel is in the truck, MPG’s, fuel prices and IFTA taxes; it then creates a fuel solution based on those factors.

I teach my trainees that it’s their responsibility to know where their fuel stops are.  They’ve all accused me of being a walking truck stop guide and maybe I am.  I tell them in time they will be, too.  I can predict my fuel stops on regular routes with respectable accuracy.  Until they get to that point, I teach them to use a dry erase marker and write their fuel stops up in the corner of the windshield.

         

Contrary to popular belief, our fuel solutions are not merely suggestive, nor are they in place to make our lives difficult.  They are in place to help keep Freymiller running “in the black.”  A company that runs “in the red” cannot stay in business.  Fuel is a major expense for any trucking company.  At a national average price of $2.55 a gallon and a fleet average MPG of 6.89, it costs $0.37 a mile in fuel to run a truck.  That adds up quickly.  That cost can be reduced by fueling where we get the best prices.  A $0.30 discount on the price of fuel brings the cost down to $0.32 a mile.  It makes sense to go where the discounts are.

          I teach my trainees that since Freymiller is paying for the truck, the fuel and us, it’s important to fuel the way we are told to fuel.  Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.  If I am loaded so heavy that filling my tanks all the way will put me over gross, then adjustments must be made.  But, overall…