Top Tier Gas a scam?

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It's unclear to me how top tier gas can keep DI valves clean. I wonder if that claim is from the marketing department.
One example might be MB engines have 4-5 fuel injections per combustion cycle. I would bet there are other makes of engines that do the same. Some fuel just might get on the intake valves with one of those injections. MB has never had IVD problems. Now I can't speak to their 4 cylinder engines.
 
Just a simple question:

Why would a terminal or refiner do that?

Added complexity. Added billing issues. Different pricing. Added equipment failures. Added inventory problems. Added errors from the driver perspective. What if an unbranded station wanted TT level detergent in an unbranded fuel? What is the driver supposed to hit at the terminal then? What card is he supposed to use?

Why… would they just not sell a single product and use economy of scale?

Think about things when you’re moving billions of gallons. When you’re moving millions of gallons a day. Things have to be simple at large volumes. It’s already complex enough with a gas station having 5+ products at times. Even if they’re in line blended at the pump sometimes.

Complexity adds cost. Now add that to the literal hundreds of millions of gallons a day of product sold all across America. From hundreds of terminals, at thousands of gas stations, hauled by a thousands of different companies.


Again, am I saying top tier is a scam? Well, it depends on your definition of a scam.

Top tier is marketing. If you think marketing is a scam, then it is. Otherwise, it’s just marketing.
I've always wondered why Costco decided to spend the money to add additives on site. Each station has a computerized additive system. It adds it when the tanker is dumping. The amount of each load is put into the computer and the system adds the proper amount of additive. They contract with Lubrizol for the recipe and additive.
 
From a business point of view, a TopTier designation is primarily of value to gasoline marketers who have no reputation for quality fuel. Companies like Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, inspire confidence whether or not they have the label. But if you are selling a private label fuel not well known, the label lets the customer know the fuel is Kosher.
 
I don’t care if it’s TT gas.

I go to stations with high volume of gas sales regardless of price or brand.

RaceTrac, WaWa and Shell are my go to stations for gas.
 
I also use gas stations with high volume regardless of price or brand. I have old cars, with just throttle bodies. No turbos or GDI's. 87 octane works fine. Chuck some Chevron Techron in the tank every so often to keep things running smooth. Been doing this for years, and no problems.
 
Just a simple question:

Why would a terminal or refiner do that?

Added complexity. Added billing issues. Different pricing. Added equipment failures. Added inventory problems. Added errors from the driver perspective. What if an unbranded station wanted TT level detergent in an unbranded fuel? What is the driver supposed to hit at the terminal then? What card is he supposed to use?

Why… would they just not sell a single product and use economy of scale?

Think about things when you’re moving billions of gallons. When you’re moving millions of gallons a day. Things have to be simple at large volumes. It’s already complex enough with a gas station having 5+ products at times. Even if they’re in line blended at the pump sometimes.

Complexity adds cost. Now add that to the literal hundreds of millions of gallons a day of product sold all across America. From hundreds of terminals, at thousands of gas stations, hauled by a thousands of different companies.


Again, am I saying top tier is a scam? Well, it depends on your definition of a scam.

Top tier is marketing. If you think marketing is a scam, then it is. Otherwise, it’s just marketing.

They've invested all the money in automated equipment to provide specific proprietary additives depending on the customer. It's all baked into the business model for the pipeline companies and other terminal operators. A few fuel haulers said they would arrive with a designated load coming and by swiping a card everything was done for them. Every terminal has a generic additive available that meets EPA requirements, but it's not that difficult to have on-site tanks for each fuel marketer's proprietary additive.

Additive Services ​

Colonial Pipeline Terminals offers several additive options for gasoline and distillates, which give our customers a wide range of marketing and performance options at retail or commercial accounts. We also have the ability to install proprietary additive systems at our terminals for branded and unbranded fuels.​

It's certainly a given that the majority of fuel is a fungible commidity where the big players don't care as much about where the base fuel comes from as many consumers do. It's the additive package that brands the fuel.
 
They've invested all the money in automated equipment to provide specific proprietary additives depending on the customer. It's all baked into the business model for the pipeline companies and other terminal operators. A few fuel haulers said they would arrive with a designated load coming and by swiping a card everything was done for them. Every terminal has a generic additive available that meets EPA requirements, but it's not that difficult to have on-site tanks for each fuel marketer's proprietary additive.

Additive Services ​

Colonial Pipeline Terminals offers several additive options for gasoline and distillates, which give our customers a wide range of marketing and performance options at retail or commercial accounts. We also have the ability to install proprietary additive systems at our terminals for branded and unbranded fuels.​

It's certainly a given that the majority of fuel is a fungible commidity where the big players don't care as much about where the base fuel comes from as many consumers do. It's the additive package that brands the fuel.


I know that very well.

But stop and think about the logistics for a second.

ABC co buys 123 TT additive package.
DEF co buys 234 TT additive package.
XYZ co buys 687 non tt additive package.
Add in all the “branded” fuels out there. And their premium additive package. And then to have every separate additive, at every terminal. At all times.

… Do you really think they have a tank for every separate additive? Can you think of that logistics? Let alone the shear cost of getting it there, storing it, all the lines for injection?

Like seriously. Stop and think about the logistics of this for a moment.

Again, not to be a smart ass. But you’re trying to explain something to me that I know better than you. Because we are a massive fuel hauler, a massive fuel seller both wholesale and retail.
 
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For the few who mention that they only want gas from a high volume station, why?

Do you think it really matters, if a station gets a load twice a day, twice a week, or twice a month?

Gas doesn't go bad that quickly, so you are worrying about nothing. Let's say a station has very very very low turn over, and gets gas just once a month, which is so low, I have to wonder why they are even in business.
But lets use it for this example, so they get gas once a month, and you're a driver, who barely drives their car, so a tank of gas lasts you 2 months, that gas is still only 3 months old, even if you bought the gas on the last day, before the next truck came.

Go grab a gas can, and fill it up, and then leave it in your garage for 4 months. At the 4 month mark, grab another gas can, and go fill it up with fresh gas.
When you get home, compare them, smell, color, look, dump some out into a clear glass, put some of each into two tin cans and light them on fire out in the driveway, etc. Get back to me on the difference.
I have done this, testing the gas in the gas can once a month, for 8 months. I found absolutely no difference between gas an hour old, or 8 months old, from the same station. People are under some sort of spell, that gas has the same life expectancy, as a steak left out in the garage during a hot summer. But hey, if you for some reason feel better about buying gas that was only delivered to the station 8 hours ago, then that is your choice. May I also suggest that you don't fill up, that gas will be getting old in your tank. If you on average burn a gallon per day, stop every day, and put in just a gallon to. I wonder how long that gas sat in a storage tank, at the tank farm, before the truck loaded it???
 
BP used to be Top Tier. Not sure if they reduced the detergent levels or just quit paying for certification.

For the few who mention that they only want gas from a high volume station, why?

Do you think it really matters, if a station gets a load twice a day, twice a week, or twice a month?

Gas doesn't go bad that quickly, so you are worrying about nothing. Let's say a station has very very very low turn over, and gets gas just once a month, which is so low, I have to wonder why they are even in business.
But lets use it for this example, so they get gas once a month, and you're a driver, who barely drives their car, so a tank of gas lasts you 2 months, that gas is still only 3 months old, even if you bought the gas on the last day, before the next truck came.

Go grab a gas can, and fill it up, and then leave it in your garage for 4 months. At the 4 month mark, grab another gas can, and go fill it up with fresh gas.
When you get home, compare them, smell, color, look, dump some out into a clear glass, put some of each into two tin cans and light them on fire out in the driveway, etc. Get back to me on the difference.
I have done this, testing the gas in the gas can once a month, for 8 months. I found absolutely no difference between gas an hour old, or 8 months old, from the same station. People are under some sort of spell, that gas has the same life expectancy, as a steak left out in the garage during a hot summer. But hey, if you for some reason feel better about buying gas that was only delivered to the station 8 hours ago, then that is your choice. May I also suggest that you don't fill up, that gas will be getting old in your tank. If you on average burn a gallon per day, stop every day, and put in just a gallon to. I wonder how long that gas sat in a storage tank, at the tank farm, before the truck loaded it???
Why was Stabil invented?
 
Hi,

Is Top Teir Gas just a marketing scam?? I see BP is NOT listed as a Top Teir and I have been using them for many years with no issues at all.

Thoughts?
Yours first, Is it or not? Do you want facts or thoughts?
Top tier also does not apply to E0 gasoline - so if you use non-ethanol gasoline, it just doesn’t apply. The new 88 octane, E 15? Also doesn’t apply. E85? Also, doesn’t apply. And anything else besides E10 gas.
Keeping what you said about it's all different depending on where in mind. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you're saying about 88 e15, E85, & E0 octane. One local station I know for a fact sells all of those octanes as Top Tier fuel. Just curious what you mean.
 
I know that very well.

But stop and think about the logistics for a second.

ABC co buys 123 TT additive package.
DEF co buys 234 TT additive package.
XYZ co buys 687 non tt additive package.
Add in all the “branded” fuels out there. And their premium additive package. And then to have every separate additive, at every terminal. At all times.

… Do you really think they have a tank for every separate additive? Can you think of that logistics? Let alone the shear cost of getting it there, storing it, all the lines for injection?

Like seriously. Stop and think about the logistics of this for a moment.

Again, not to be a smart ass. But you’re trying to explain something to me that I know better than you. Because we are a massive fuel hauler, a massive fuel seller both wholesale and retail.

Actually, yes they do. If I am hauling fuel for Chevron, Esso, Petro Canada, Shell, they actually turn a key, in a special bank of switches, and a light comes on showing that pump is activated. Then that specific companies additives are injected along with the gas, as the truck fills up at the refinery. Last week, I saw a Chevron truck, at the Husky refinery in PG BC, with barrels of Techron, pumping the barrels, into the tank, for the Chevron gas being hauled from there.
 
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