Open Road Fuel Discount??

[Parafango]

Originally Posted by GW4607

Well if you drove in the western states this summer and added 110 gallons to your tank you would have….

I forgot to mention that My truck tank ( see sig) only holds 50 gallons. That's why I haven't seen the higher pump price yet.

I'm going to look into the CFN card for RV's. They need you to have a minimum of 900 gallons / year.

CFN for RV Link

When the fuel prices are advertised, which is rare, they are the cheapest in the in the area. I found a station that accepted CFN in So Cal near Corona that was .30 cheaper (less than $5.00) than many others in the area.

[alank]

by Parafango:

"I'm going to look into the CFN card for RV's. They need you to have a minimum of 900 gallons / year."

My understanding of this is that there is a $20 annual fee for less than 900 gal. and a $10 annual fee if purchases are over 900 gal. per year.

I don't have a discount card, don't travel a lot compared to some but have had good success in finding Sams Club which normally has the low prices in the area, and put the purchase on my Bank America Card which gives a 3% cash back on fuel purchases. On $5 diesel, that around $0.15 cents discount that you can't get on the discount fuel cards that debit a bank acct.

[evofxdwg]

We have been using it for nearly a year now and at least 10K miles.

Pro:
-easy in/out thru the truck lanes
-sometimes it is the lowest cost diesel within many miles, but access for a big rig at the cheaper non open road stations is usually prohibitive or difficult.
-you can see a record of the fill and pricing in your email, usually within 2 business days.(but it doesn't list gallons dispensed)
-the app works OK to find stations

Con:
-You have to give them personal info (SS number, bank account and routing number). I have a separate account I dont put much money in and use that one for open roads.
-The user interface at the pump is different at different places. It took me a few times to figure out how to do it.
-Some places, like Casey's out west, required going in and giving them the info before pumping. Some of the clerks didn't know how to enter the data. They ask irrelevant questions that may apply to truckers/commercial but not RVers They ask for a code (which is part of your SS #) in public, etc.
-Loves is very prevalent on the app map and their prices are always higher. You have to zoom in to find the non-Loves places in a cluster.
-Out west this summer, locations were few and far between in some states.
-Sometimes there is diesel spill you have to track thru.
-you must remember to have money in your bank account to cover the debit.
-The cost per gallon shown on the app doesn't include fees. So you never really get the app-displayed price, but it is close.
-The transaction email from open roads does not show gallons.
-I have yet to figure out if/how I can purchase bulk DEF on the same stop. Indeed, I gave up and decided to just pick up a jug in WalMart when needed.

Although there are more cons than pros above, I think the pricing/access outweighs the cons and will continue to use it.

[dons2346]

Originally Posted by bevandtomH

The only con would be FMCA getting a cut of our discounted savings.
Been using the program just fine for three years without FMCA involvement.

FMCA does not get one penny "cut" of the discounted savings. Even if they did get a cut, why would it be a "con"?

[MarylandRich]

It is another tool in the toolbox. Great to have not the best in ever situation, but sometimes it is. Wife likes the ez in and out truck stops provide.

[Mighty_J]

Originally Posted by Rev. Roy

I am not sure how it works with Canadians but the biggest con I have seen is that they want your SSN and access to a bank account. I, along with many others, opened a separate account for fuel that I transfer money into when we're going to stop and refuel. I love the convenience of tracking fuel cost in one account.

For Canadians…I needed to get a US bank account specifically for it. Not a US dollar account. Most of our banks have US affiliates so it was pretty easy. Instead of SSN, they ask for your SIN.

[BBelanger]

Originally Posted by evofxdwg

We have been using it for nearly a year now and at least 10K miles.

Pro:
-easy in/out thru the truck lanes
-sometimes it is the lowest cost diesel within many miles, but access for a big rig at the cheaper non open road stations is usually prohibitive or difficult.
-you can see a record of the fill and pricing in your email, usually within 2 business days.(but it doesn't list gallons dispensed)
-the app works OK to find stations

Con:
-You have to give them personal info (SS number, bank account and routing number). I have a separate account I dont put much money in and use that one for open roads.
-The user interface at the pump is different at different places. It took me a few times to figure out how to do it.
-Some places, like Casey's out west, required going in and giving them the info before pumping. Some of the clerks didn't know how to enter the data. They ask irrelevant questions that may apply to truckers/commercial but not RVers They ask for a code (which is part of your SS #) in public, etc.
-Loves is very prevalent on the app map and their prices are always higher. You have to zoom in to find the non-Loves places in a cluster.
-Out west this summer, locations were few and far between in some states.
-Sometimes there is diesel spill you have to track thru.
-you must remember to have money in your bank account to cover the debit.
-The cost per gallon shown on the app doesn't include fees. So you never really get the app-displayed price, but it is close.
-The transaction email from open roads does not show gallons.
-I have yet to figure out if/how I can purchase bulk DEF on the same stop. Indeed, I gave up and decided to just pick up a jug in WalMart when needed.

Although there are more cons than pros above, I think the pricing/access outweighs the cons and will continue to use it.

Buying DEF is as simple as choosing it in the list of menu items when you go through the list. You pump your fuel, hang up the nozzle, then pull out the DEF hose (I have to pull ahead first but that's not a problem) then you choose the DEF button on the pump and get your DEF. Couldn't be easier.
I've been using this program for 4 years and 80,000 miles and it's a real money saver.

Bill

[KenZ71]

I've heard some say they simply declined to give SSN and the app still went through. Not really a big deal either way.

Open Roads / TSD whatever you want to call it is very helpful and costs nothing to have as an option

[CINPHIL]

Open Roads will definitely give you a discount at the stations that accept it. We have found however, that these stations typically have the most expensive fuel around. The biggest advantage is that most of the stations that accept Open Roads are truck stops and you can get in-and-out with a large RV easily. They also sell DEF fluid at the pump.

[Memphis]

Originally Posted by Agilitydog

I apologize if this has been discussed on the forum but.........I received an email from FMCA regarding signing up for Open Road Fuel Discount Program, for diesel fuel. Would folks be able to cite pros/cons re: this program? In review of the info I found there seem to be pros and cons. In January '23 we will be back on the road and as we all know fuel isn't cheap. I am looking at any advantage to continue to be on the road, especially since being on a "fixed" income. Thank you in advance.




John/Mo and the 2 Schnauzers & 2 Miniature Dachshund
2020 Ventana 4037
'19 Jeep Cherokee

We just did a 1900mi trip and almost exclusively used this card (except on the obligatory stops at Buccee's) and saved between one and two hundred dollars on about a thousand dollars of purchased fuel compared to what we would have spent using our other methods. If you go to smaller stations, you can obviously find better deals, but if we're talking Loves, T/A, Racetrack, Speedway with big diesel islands for big rigs, this is a no-brainer. My only 'cons' would be that you have to use the app to know what station you need to use to get the best rate and there's a bit of a process into finding the rate, planning your route, etc. and that they directly debit it from your bank account. Outside of these, I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

[DKRITTER]

TSD/Open Roads has been around for RV's for several years and overwhelmingly has been a hit. If you'll do a simple search you'll find about 4 Gabillion threads.

One consistent misnomers is this is like a credit card, it is not. It is setup to draft a bank account of your choice within a couple of days of purchase. The complaint is they ask for your bank account info (so they can draft the account) and your social security (incase there isn't any money in the account) is so they can report you to the credit bureau. I have no idea why anyone has a issue giving their draft account info and social security when every time you have asked for credit you have given the same information.

My RV is well over 60' long with toad, I can't just pull into any gas station and fuel up. TSD offers me 98% of the time a better deal than I can get where I can get my RV in.

This has been used forever in the trucking industry, TSD was clever enough to open this up to RV'rs .

[Clemson]

Giving TSD a fake SSN will result in your application being rejected. They run your SSN to ensure you are who you say you are. This information is the only way they have to protect themselves from the thieves we have living in our midst.

[BayRunner]

Originally Posted by Clemson

Giving TSD a fake SSN will result in your application being rejected. They run your SSN to ensure you are who you say you are. This information is the only way they have to protect themselves from the thieves we have living in our midst.

In my younger years, I used to get all worked up over things like this; “what do you mean you want my SSN or phone number”. Yea, you still need to be on the look out for obvious thieves, but legit programs such as the TDS fuel card is nothing to get work up over. It’s legit and works well. We’re not promised another day so enjoy life with the benefits we have.

[heather67]

I am Canadian and tried applying. I needed a US address. How do you get around that?