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Old 11-13-2019, 10:52 AM   #1
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Save on diesel

I posted this without searching to see if it has been mentioned before... So, I'm just passing along this: a company called TSD Logistics can hook you up with a EFS card and you will get huge savings on diesel. About 10%. Mention friends of mine calling themselves "Changing Lanes" and they get a tiny monetary benefit at no cost to you. Here's the info. BTW, I am posting this for the exclusive benefit of fellow airstreamers, I don't even have a diesel vehicle and am not affiliated in any way. Here you go.

https://www.tsdlogistics.com/services/fuel-program/

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Old 11-13-2019, 12:16 PM   #2
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(The next day the money is drafted from your bank account and you receive an email showing you the details of the transaction and our fees.)

I'm not comfortable with that.
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Old 11-13-2019, 12:24 PM   #3
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Problem is that most of those large truck stops also are marked up higher than the next gas station. We end up using gas buddy app to save what we can. This program sounds great in theory. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 11-14-2019, 05:52 AM   #4
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You’re welcome
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Old 11-14-2019, 06:01 AM   #5
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Some are not (comfortable) using credit or debit cards either, I get it. Saving 30 - 40 cents / gallon plus the convenience of not trying to pull in and out of auto pumps might be more Appealing to big rigs owners. If some use it fine and if no one does, I don’t care either way.
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Old 01-07-2020, 06:45 PM   #6
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On the road several days ago I was filling up at a Loves truck stop. A gentleman with a fifth wheel was also filling up in the next lane. We got to talking and he asked me if I’ve heard of the EFS card. He explained how it’s used and said he saves him about $10 per fill up.

I asked if there is a downside. He said if there is he hasn’t seen it yet. He also explained that a side benefit is the pumps at truck stops take the card. Eliminates the need to prepay and saves a walk (sometimes a long one) to the fuel desk.

Has anyone else been using it?
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Old 01-08-2020, 07:58 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hans627 View Post
On the road several days ago I was filling up at a Loves truck stop. A gentleman with a fifth wheel was also filling up in the next lane. We got to talking and he asked me if I’ve heard of the EFS card. He explained how it’s used and said he saves him about $10 per fill up.



I asked if there is a downside. He said if there is he hasn’t seen it yet. He also explained that a side benefit is the pumps at truck stops take the card. Eliminates the need to prepay and saves a walk (sometimes a long one) to the fuel desk.



Has anyone else been using it?


No - but I may just give it a try....
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Old 01-08-2020, 09:38 AM   #8
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Subscribed as I hate getting fuel in smaller gas stations. That's one reason I added a titan tank to my truck. 99% of the time I can make it to the campground before I need to get fuel. I have about a 450+ mile range now. That being said, I may be interested in this program.
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Old 01-08-2020, 08:45 PM   #9
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I received my TSD/EFS fueling card and used it on a trip over the holidays from the Bay Area to Las Vegas. I tried the main companies listed by TSD to see how they compared. Loves, FJ, TA



First time to use the card was Loves on I 5 at Lost Hills. Discount on posted price was 52 cents for a cost of 3.32. Valero across the street was posted 25 cents less than Loves. With my cash back credit card it would have been 3.45 per gallon. With the holiday traffic it would have been tough to navigate the Valero lot as cars were backed up at the pumps. Loves had plenty of open lanes.


FJ in Primm discounted their posted price 49 cents to 2.91. The car gas lanes were stacked 2-3 deep with holiday traffic. Truck lanes were wide open.


TA in LV also discounted 49 cents to 2.87. They also added a 65 cent surcharge to the cost, cutting into the discount.


Between Primm and LV, TSD saved me about 5-10 cents per gallon as the local smaller stations were running about 2.96 to 3.02 after factoring in my credit card cash back.


Loves in Tehachapi was little to no discount over my cash back card. Main benefit there was access. The gas islands were jammed with traffic, plenty of room in the truck lanes.


Last stop was Loves in Ripon. Discount was 55 cents or 3.28 gallon. All other stations in the area had posted prices comparable to Loves posted price, making for a solid discount.



Don't forget you must use the truck lanes and not the car lanes to get the discount. I did not see any gasoline offered in the truck lanes.


In the past I had avoided truck stops due to higher prices and no pay at the pump. The TSD card offers some good prices and convenience and easier access.
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Old 02-29-2020, 03:07 PM   #10
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I used this for the first time today because the closest station is about 30 miles away and our vehicle we mainly drive that is a diesel will not accept the high-flow nozzles. I put in 16 and a half gallons and saved $16. This thing is awesome and thank you very much to the original poster for sharing this knowledge.
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Old 02-29-2020, 08:30 PM   #11
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How to save on diesel fuel

First, why buy a diesel? About $10k higher purchase price, several hundred pounds reduction in cargo capacity (checking that 4 wheel drive box takes another hunk out of the cargo capacity), higher maintenance costs, higher repair cost when it breaks (it will break), higher fuel costs unless you really search out cheaper fuel at every fill up, added cost of DEF, a bunch more weight over the front axle making it very front heavy when not towing.

The gas powered trucks that can be purchased today, especially with the new 7.3 ford Super Duty offering, make for some real soul searching before checking the box for a diesel. The towing/cargo capacity of the 3/4 and 1 ton rated trucks, if ordered correctly, can offer a large $$$$$ savings over the life of the truck.

Now, if you just have to have the diesel, $$$$ is not a concern, go for it.

This comes from a professional driver with almost 2 million miles driving Class 8 trucks. Diesels are great for hauling 80,000 LBS down the road. Not really needed for the average TT, or even a large 5th wheel. A gasser will generally get the job done for a bunch less $$$$$.

Ford offers an F150 in the XL/XLT trim level with a HDPP (Heavy Duty Payload Package) that moves the cargo capacity into the 2500/3000 LB range depending on how it is ordered. Worth checking out if your on the fence whether to get a F150 or head into the F250/F350 territory.

Just food for thought. The response to this should be interesting. Watching.
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Old 03-01-2020, 05:33 AM   #12
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This has absolutely nothing to do with the topic and should be in a separate post.
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Old 03-01-2020, 05:38 AM   #13
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Nice thread hijack —

I did go with a diesel. Longevity is what I was looking for. Seemed like when I was looking, the gas guys were near maxed out of towing capacity for our classic where the diesel had plenty more to play with. Not to mention I got a smoking deal on the 2017 diesel fully loaded at $55k. Could I have spent $45k for the gas model? Maybe but I am also certain that the 2018 gas model was listed for something similar to my diesel.

I may be the exception to your statement though?
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Old 03-01-2020, 06:27 AM   #14
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This was a very informative thread that can save people money until someone tried to hijack it and change the topic. Please open a new topic for that or this thread will be unusable. Many people have opinions on diesels and there are numerous threads offering those opinions on this form or on the internet. I have no interest getting into a debate about this topic as most people already have their minds made up and you cannot change that no matter what facts you present. However this thread saved me $16 yesterday on a third of a tank fill-up and can do the same for others if it remains a useful thread.
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Old 03-01-2020, 08:22 AM   #15
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Lol...another one wanting your money, there are no bargains out there, you get what you pay for .. truck stops are higher priced...I will use Costco when it is close..
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Old 03-01-2020, 08:48 AM   #16
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Lol...another one wanting your money, there are no bargains out there, you get what you pay for .. truck stops are higher-priced...I will use Costco when it is close..
Well, I seldom can fit in a Cosco while traveling. I guess those of you that have shorter trailers just don't think that you need a truck stop. In my case, I have to look for truck stops. I'm a total of 53 feet long (with TV), maybe more. Swinging that into a BP station is just plain asking for trouble. So the price of fuel difference at regular gas stations and truckstops is irrelevant.

Also, when buying fuel at a truck stop, the process is a bit cumbersome. With no fuel card, you have to go inside and tell them how much you want. So you never really get a fillup. If you guess over what will go into the tank, they say the amount will be refunded in a couple of days. You need to track that also. Pumping diesel into your truck only takes a minute (really!) and probably makes up for the inconvenience of walking inside.

My concern about the fuel card is how safe is my bank account. TDS may be a fine trucking outfit, but do I want to trust their computers with my bank account information? Most likely they are not handling the transaction portion of the purchase, and probably use software (online) from a company specializing in trucking transactions for all the trucking companies. Respectfully, that company is probably using a virtual server provided by Microsoft or Amazon with quite a bit of protection which would ease my mind.

A second approach would be to open a second checking account and fund it with money (smaller amount than the main checking) and submit that account to TDS. You have to monitor that account so it doesn't dry up and trigger a fee that wipes out all the fuel savings.

For those who have this fuel card, does your bank charge any fees for the transaction?

I may try this. We are on the road now 7 months out of the year and we do buy a lot of diesel.
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Old 03-01-2020, 09:32 AM   #17
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I've been using this card for a few months now...
I just paid 2.22 a gallon at Loves in lake Wales Florida with a posted price of 2.69 a gallon...I can pay at the pump..not have to go inside...so far I've saved about 10 buck per tank....I have a app on my phone that tells me within seconds of filling up all info on price...my buddy who came into town drives a big rig(owns a boat hauling business) and I was telling him about this card....he was very skeptical until we filled up his rig (117 gallon) and saved him $68.88 on the total !... I'm sold and will continue to use it along with moderating my account.....
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Old 03-01-2020, 10:09 AM   #18
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No doubt, the best approach to credit card usage at multiple locations is to isolate those transactions with a dedicated bank account. Giving that serious consideration.

The common objection to the TDS service is that it is possible to purchase fuel at lower price outlets. Costco is not one I have ever used. Always jammed in the fuel lanes as well as their parking lot. Gas Buddy shows our local Costco Diesel at $3.55. A 76 has it at $3.75, Chevron at $3.95, and the Pilot/Flying J in Lodi is $3.60 ........ - now, would you rather fight to buy at Costco or use the Truck Stop convenience and discount? Caution, price comparisons in other areas may vary considerably more.

Not recommending the service. Primary concern is the risk to your bank account. An oil company credit card isolates your bank account and is a poor target for theft as it has restrictive purchase limits. Not no risk, but less than a bank credit card. But those oil company credit cards do not provide a discount and that is the draw for the TDS card. Maybe some day we'll buy enough fuel. For now, we'll see if the alternatives are good enough. Buying fuel from a local station passes revenue to those businesses. Not a bad way to redistribute wealth (or your minimal discretionary travel budget).

Being adverse to internet transactions has a downside. But the practice of limiting your exposure does not add to the traffic and train noise that can keep you awake when you would rather be sleeping.

Please, post your experience with TDS, lower priced fuel sources and real world savings. We appreciate your contribution to the discussion.

Hope to see your smile down the road. Pat
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