Fuel Tanker Driver Here

[GoldDot40]

I drive a fuel/gasoline tanker for a living. Been a visitor of this site for years and thought I'd go ahead and create a profile today. Just by browsing through the forums, seems to be a bit of misunderstanding about gasolines and where/how they end up as the final retail product. I'm open for questions if anybody has any.

 

[VQ35DE]

Glad you are here now.

 

[ECUpirate]

"The same truck delivers fuel to all the stations in my area." Or something to that effect. Many claim they see the trucks deliver fuel to a brand name station and then to an off brand station from the same truck (Who really has time to follow the fuel truck around on a run and report back to this website?). Any truth to that?

 

[NormanBuntz]

Welcome to the forum. I admire you for working such a hazardous profession.

 

[GoldDot40]

@ ECUPirate None whatsoever. Example, my trailer has 5 compartments. I can legally haul 8850 gallons of gasoline to keep my total weight < 80,000 lbs. I have been dispatched to deliver 5000 gallons of Marathon to one store and 3850 gallons of ExxonMobil to another. At the time of loading, I decide how to split up the 5000 gal of Marathon to load it. Usually takes up 3 compartments. When that product is loaded...I log out of the loading system and log back in to start a new transaction for the different brand. The other 2 compartments is where I split up the 3850 gal of EM gas. I mark the compartments on my paperwork so I don't forget what product is loaded where. When I get to the Marathon destination, I know that I need to unload just those 3 specific compartments at that store. The other brand product goes to the other store. State agencies are very strict about selling whatever brand is displayed on the sign or canopy above the pumps. If they get audited, and the delivery manifest shows a different brand than what the store is advertising....it's BIG trouble for the store owner AS WELL AS the fuel carrier.

 

[ECUpirate]

Fantastic information. Thank you very much. People love to claim every station gets the same fuel, you're paying for the name, etc. Even the "it's all the same fuel that gets pumped from the truck but each station adds its own additives at the tank" stuff. Not that it matters all that much, but no need for misinformation. Good to get some insight from someone in the business.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Thanks for the info.What about the smaller brands. Can they take delivery of some of that Marathon or Exxon Mobil gasoline?

 

[Chris142]

A huge percentage of the independent stations in my area are owned by one of our 2 suppliers. One supplier is a shell supplier and the other is a chevron supplier. The suppliers lease the independent stations to the lesees and supply them with fuel. I have personally seen the shell truck @ the Sinclair and orchard stations.

 

[GoldDot40]

I get quizzed several times a month at stores...I know all about people claiming what they think they know. Additives are injected during the loading process...not by the retailer. Just FYI. Also to add to my previous post, the ONLY time you might get a different brand than what's advertised is during rare situations when pipeline supply is interrupted due to whatever...storms, accidents, etc. Only then is it permitted to get whatever we can get and get it to those in need. We are only allocated to load XXXX gallons in a day. So when disaster strikes and people start panic purchasing, we struggle to keep up with demand. We can go through our allocation pretty quick. Not that the reservoir tanks at the loading terminal are empty...we just aren't allowed to get more than our allowance. Allocation starts over at midnight every day. You can blame the gas companies for that headache...well and the news media for sparking the hysteria.

 

[GoldDot40]

Not sure what you're asking. What smaller brands?

 

[GoldDot40]

Just because the wrap on the truck says SHELL on it, doesn't necessarily mean it's hauling SHELL product. No regulations/laws about that. But you can bet, if the owners are playing by the rules...if the marquee sign at the store says Chevron...that's what they're selling. As I said, an audit can get them a HUGE fine if there's a discrepancy.

 

[double vanos]

Welcome aboard sir, and thank you for your insight.

 

[bbhero]

Unless the rules have changed.... Which they may very well have... And add in the fact the Yorktown refinery closed down in 2010. Things were different in my area... My step father worked at the local Amoco refinery from 1978-2007. Here in eastern Va and Maryland Eastern shore Amoco oil refinery made all the gasoline for all the stations on the eastern shore Delmarva. No matter what the signs were outside those stations... Exxon, BP Citgo... All that gas was actually Amoco gasoline made at that refinery. Amoco did not give the stations their Ultimate 93 gasoline. The refinery made a different 93 for those stations. My step father told me that the Amoco refinery made the gas has close has they could to be similar like Exxon or whoever they maybe if it was the premium gasoline. But the 87 regular gasoline was Amoco otherwise put in the tanker trucks or barges. This dove tails with what Chris142 has stated already. In his area Shell and Chevron are out in his area... The colonial pipeline has a spur that goes to the Amoco docks. The plantation pipeline. Now that pipeline supplies my area and others obviously. The old refinery site now is a storage area for transportation father up the east coast.

 

[CharBaby]

Can you deliver across state lines? How does the ethanol get added to the gasoline? Is what you're saying in regards to brand specific gas being delivered to those stations, vary from state to state? Do the cleaning additives in gasolines, get added at the station from different delivery systems or is it in the gas that you deliver? Do the stations get their cleaning additives delivered from your tanker or from another supplier?

 

[RayCJ]

I'm dying to know... Is Mid-Grade gas mixed when the tanker picks it up or do the local stations mix regular and premium at the pump? Much thanks for answering the questions we all want to know! Ray

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted by GoldDot40

Not sure what you're asking. What smaller brands?

The small independents that do not own oil refineries.

 

[Audios]

So you be hauling around 3k gallons of no name cheapo regular, and also 3k gallons of the better EM regular product? Can you shed any light as to the rumors that the no name stations can only sell fuel older than 30 days or do they just have less additives? Also, any clarification to rumors to additives in diesel? Ive been seeing a good jump with Sunoco, but cant find any answers as to their blends.

 

[eljefino]

Talk "spot" deliveries... if you head out with 3500 gallons but the station only "takes" 2600 do you have a friendly place to get rid of the rest? Or are logistics so good now that this almost never happens?

 

[GoldDot40]

Originally Posted by bbhero

Unless the rules have changed.... Which they may very well have... And add in the fact the Yorktown refinery closed down in 2010. Things were different in my area... My step father worked at the local Amoco refinery from 1978-2007. Here in eastern Va and Maryland Eastern shore Amoco oil refinery made all the gasoline for all the stations on the eastern shore Delmarva. No matter what the signs were outside those stations... Exxon, BP Citgo... All that gas was actually Amoco gasoline made at that refinery. Amoco did not give the stations their Ultimate 93 gasoline. The refinery made a different 93 for those stations. My step father told me that the Amoco refinery made the gas has close has they could to be similar like Exxon or whoever they maybe if it was the premium gasoline. But the 87 regular gasoline was Amoco otherwise put in the tanker trucks or barges. This dove tails with what Chris142 has stated already. In his area Shell and Chevron are out in his area... The colonial pipeline has a spur that goes to the Amoco docks. The plantation pipeline. Now that pipeline supplies my area and others obviously. The old refinery site now is a storage area for transportation father up the east coast.

The only thing that makes gasoline brands different is when it is loaded on the truck. All base gasoline that comes out of the refinery and into the pipeline is the same. The additive package that is injected during the loaded process is what makes Amoco, Amoco or Shell, Shell, or BP, BP, etc etc.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by GoldDot40

@ ECUPirate None whatsoever. Example, my trailer has 5 compartments. I can legally haul 8850 gallons of gasoline to keep my total weight < 80,000 lbs. I have been dispatched to deliver 5000 gallons of Marathon to one store and 3850 gallons of ExxonMobil to another. At the time of loading, I decide how to split up the 5000 gal of Marathon to load it. Usually takes up 3 compartments. When that product is loaded...I log out of the loading system and log back in to start a new transaction for the different brand. The other 2 compartments is where I split up the 3850 gal of EM gas. I mark the compartments on my paperwork so I don't forget what product is loaded where. When I get to the Marathon destination, I know that I need to unload just those 3 specific compartments at that store. The other brand product goes to the other store. State agencies are very strict about selling whatever brand is displayed on the sign or canopy above the pumps. If they get audited, and the delivery manifest shows a different brand than what the store is advertising....it's BIG trouble for the store owner AS WELL AS the fuel carrier.

Just so I fully understand this, is the gas where your tanker is filled coming from different tanks, for those different stations you are delivering to? Not every brand refines their own fuel, some buy it from others and put their own labeling on it. In other words XOM might be selling fuel to the no name mom pop station down the road. Very interesting, thanks.