GoodSam Pilot Flying J RV charge card

[BobGed]

I realize this gets a bit confusing depending on which cards and which pumps we're talking about, but hopefully the following will help, but of course if I have something wrong I would certainly expect to be corrected.

Fueling at a PFJ truck pump as a GS member using a Pilot RV Plus Debit Card:

• Swipe the RV Plus card to start and pay at the pump.
  Receive at least a .08¢ discount off of the cash price.
  Record the transaction and leave, or go inside if you want a receipt.
  Receive an invoice at the end of the month

Fueling at a PFJ truck pump as a GS member using a credit card (Visa, Master Card, etc)

• Swipe the GS membership card to start the pump.
  Receive a discount based on your GS membership level.
  When finished pumping go inside and pay with your credit card (you probably will not receive a swipe-at-the pump discount).

Fueling at a PFJ RV pump as a GS member using a Pilot RV Plus Debit Card:

• Swipe the RV Plus card to start and pay at the pump.
  Receive at least a .08¢ discount off of the cash price.
  Difference from the truck pump is you can also get a receipt.

Fueling at a PFJ RV pump as a GS member using a credit card (Visa, Master Card, etc):

• Swipe your credit card.
  Swipe your GS membership card.
  Receive a discount based on your GS membership level.
  If you have a swipe at the pump discount credit card like the 5% PenFed card, you will receive that discount from your credit card company as well.
  You can get a receipt.

Okay you seasoned PFJ users, what did I miss?

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by BobGed

Okay you seasoned PFJ users, what did I miss?

What, no mention of the truck stop ambiance?

Take care,
Stu

[Butte64]

Excellent summary.

[Saltydog44]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Emerson, I am confused..... even using the GS card, you don’t get the discount..... are you using something other than the RV-Plus card?

An effort on my part to confuse everyone - I get the GS discount at any pump but NOT the cc discount. As I think you or someone said, you can go inside and present both cards and then get two discounts.
Sorry for the poor wording.

[cj11363]

We had to have the entire fuel system replaced on our Sprinter because of contaminated diesel fuel, to the tune of $12,000. Freightliner tech suggested that I get my diesel fuel at the same pumps that the truckers use. Said that it's fresher fuel and less likely to have any water in it.

Bottom line seems to be that (a) modern diesel engines are relatively fragile, (b) diesel fuel does not age well and (c) the ill effects of fueling with contaminated diesel fuel are cumulative.


--Charlie Jordan
middle TN

[Gary.Jones]

Charlie

A very frequent contributor to this forum says that one of the few (maybe 2) times that he has gotten poor fuel and had to change the filter down the road was fueling at a truck stop that just took new fuel from the tanker truck. His guess is that the tanker truck dropping in a couple thousand gallons of new fuel stirs up all the crap at the bottom of the tank. So, moral of the story is sometimes truck stop is good fuel.... sometimes the station is 15 years old and they have 600 gallons of accumulated water in their tanks plus hundreds of pounds of sludge and gunk.... You pays your money and takes your chances.

I personally have tried to be careful about where I buy diesel and I assume that my fuel filters (primary and secondary) will do their jobs.

Gary

[02trader]

BobGed
I don't think you missed anything in your great explanation of the mechanics of dealing with various cards and Pilot Flying J locations EXCEPT that you should advise folks to always check the posted price for fuel before pulling into a Pilot Flying J location and assuming that their fuel prices are at least reasonably competitive with other fuel locations even after any discount with an RVPlus card or some other Pilot Flying J discount card.

On a recent trip from our ski town where gas/fuel prices are typically high to Moab, Utah for some Jeeping, we found fuel at $.30-$.40 cents higher at the only Pilot/Flying J on our route than fuel prices either at home or in Moab. I admit that Pilot/Flying J regularly provides us with some conveniences like overnight parking so I'm more than willing to pay a bit of a fuel price premium via my RVPlus card. But a $.30-$.40 net premium after the RVPlus card discount when you need 75-100 gallons of fuel is a bit more of a premium than I'm willing to pay.

I'll keep my RVPlus card for now but I will always double-check other fuel options on my route before I automatically pull into a Pilot Flying J.

[Saltydog44]

In Indiana - Beware. Posted prices are NOT what you will be charged unless you have commercial/trucker codes. And they also add sales tax.

[DeeGee]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

His guess is that the tanker truck dropping in a couple thousand gallons of new fuel stirs up all the crap at the bottom of the tank.

Oh, yeah. I wouldn't ever fuel right after a truck has been there, if I knew. The same goes for gasoline - never fuel right after the truck. You get all the stirred-up crap.

[Gary.Jones]

Jim

The scenario that you describe is not an abberation.... it is the way that it is almost always in any state that I have traveled. You can depend on the Pilot/FJ,Petro,TA stations to list their prices 30 to 40 cents higher than the station with diesel right across the street and then they want to upcharge you an additional 6 cents a gallon for the use of a credit card. That is why I started this thread. If I can get my rig and toad into the station across the street and out again without having to disconnect for 35-40 cents a gallon less, I will always use a non-truckstop station that looks reasonably new and doing a brisk business. I would be willing to pay a few cents more for the convenience of the truck fill pumps, but 25 to 40 cents a gallon when I am buying ~ 120 gallons is a luxury I can't justify. I can have a steak and drinks that night for the money blown by that convenience. Throw in the fact that virtually none of the trucks are paying either of those prices, but instead are buying fuel at a "fleet volume discount" negotiated by their company just makes it worse. Only a few groups like motorcoach owners actually pay the prices they advertise. So, I wanted to know under what desperate circumstances I needed to be in on fuel before I give in and pull into a truck stop and pay their prices.

A few years ago, and maybe still, if you pull into the car diesel pumps (be careful, sometimes you cannot fit or get in and get out) or the "RV fuel slots" in the front of the PFJ station, you could buy the same diesel from the more competitive "car" diesel pumps for 25-40 cents less and pay no upcharge for using a credit card.

The explanation of all the differences in where you stick the card, or the side of your mouth your tongue happens to be in when you turn on the pump is helpful, and probably explains why I have never gotten the discount that I thought I was going to get based on the explanation that I got with the PFJ+ card. Thanks....

Gary

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by DeeGee

Oh, yeah. I wouldn't ever fuel right after a truck has been there, if I knew. The same goes for gasoline - never fuel right after the truck. You get all the stirred-up crap.

Not really.
The technology is beyond that. There’s a filter on the pump, often two. I don’t expect crap to make it to my tank, let alone my fuel filters.
The truckers don’t get flustered when a fuel truck dumps a load!

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Jim

The scenario that you describe is not an abberation.... it is the way that it is almost always in any state that I have traveled. You can depend on the Pilot/FJ,Petro,TA stations to list their prices 30 to 40 cents higher than the station with diesel right across the street and then they want to upcharge you an additional 6 cents a gallon for the use of a credit card. That is why I started this thread. If I can get my rig and toad into the station across the street and out again without having to disconnect for 35-40 cents a gallon less, I will always use a non-truckstop station that looks reasonably new and doing a brisk business. I would be willing to pay a few cents more for the convenience of the truck fill pumps, but 25 to 40 cents a gallon when I am buying ~ 120 gallons is a luxury I can't justify. I can have a steak and drinks that night for the money blown by that convenience. Throw in the fact that virtually none of the trucks are paying either of those prices, but instead are buying fuel at a "fleet volume discount" negotiated by their company just makes it worse. Only a few groups like motorcoach owners actually pay the prices they advertise. So, I wanted to know under what desperate circumstances I needed to be in on fuel before I give in and pull into a truck stop and pay their prices.

A few years ago, and maybe still, if you pull into the car diesel pumps (be careful, sometimes you cannot fit or get in and get out) or the "RV fuel slots" in the front of the PFJ station, you could buy the same diesel from the more competitive "car" diesel pumps for 25-40 cents less and pay no upcharge for using a credit card.

The explanation of all the differences in where you stick the card, or the side of your mouth your tongue happens to be in when you turn on the pump [emoji782] is helpful, and probably explains why I have never gotten the discount that I thought I was going to get based on the explanation that I got with the PFJ+ card. Thanks....

Gary

Gary,
That’s a superb post. BRAVO!

It is truly frustrating that some folks will pass on doing financially sound things by using the “convenience” card.

I sense there is a fear in some folks, and a lack of confidence in maneuvering. And they opt to not face it. RV driver training is very beneficial.

It does bother me that some folks willingly pay the high price and then also have a meal there, which is actually a double-hit on them. At a 40c higher price, I take that advantage, maneuver in to fill up, and make a sandwich before hitting the road, I’m AHEAD by double!

Okay, I’d only be a max of $80 ahead, but I don’t consider it chump change.
Some have deeper pockets. Nice!

Thanks again!
Dave

[Flanz]

Originally Posted by Victory Blue

The $1000 limit goes up to $2500 if you let them automatically deduct your payment each month. Always happens on the same day and you get an email notice days in advance. Of course, you can always go online to check your balance at any time.

I don't go anywhere but Pilot/Flying J except when I’m in a geographical area where they don’t have stations. I have had few problems waiting in line and, frequently, I am able to pull right up to a pump.

X2 - Never understood folks who pay a ton of money for a coach and try to squeeze it into a fuel station to save a few penny’s and possibly cause a boat load of damage. Should have bought something of less dollars to help pay for fuel......just say’n.

[Gary.Jones]

I have never understood someone who willingly pays an additional $40 to $60 for the same fuel that can probably be found at the station across the street for the convenience of pulling up to a truck pump every time they need to fuel. To each his own. I didn't buy stocks that would go down in value (most of the time), I never bought a house that i didn't make a bundle on by selling, and except for every coach that I have ever bought and owned which decreased in value at an amazingly fast pace and I lost a bundle of money on, and I don't throw away a couple hundred dollars on even a small trip unnecessarily just to be able to use truck pumps. Its your money and you can waste it any way you want.

Gary