Last time at Flying J

I know that several here recommend Flying J for a fuel stop.  I never saw it, but thought today, give them another chance.  I stopped at Flying J in Brunswick, GA just off I-95.  The RV lanes were stacked two deep so I went to the truck line.  Got out and their card readers won't read my simple Visa or the Flying J Rewards card.  So I have to go in.  I should have looked at the pump number but didn't.  I tell the attendant that I am on the 4th row of the truck lanes.  She didn't know the number from that so I had to go back out to check.  I come back in and give her the credit card and Flying J card.  She asks how much.  So I had to guess how much I needed and add a little to it so I could fill up.  She said the fuel would be $2.889 per gallon.  Filled up and it cost $2.959.  I go back in to get my receipt and asked about the price.  She said that since I wasn't using the busy RV pumps there was no discount and something to the effect that it was Pilots fault.  I left and found that the fuel across the street was lower in price and probably the pump would have done the transaction without the help of the attendant.  I have totally written off Flying J and Pilot unless I am about out of fuel and they were the only ones available.  It's not so much the $4 or $5 difference, just the inconvenience of that place.  I'll stick to Murphy Oil at the Walmarts for cost savings and ease of the transaction.

End of Rant---NNNN

Everytime we use Flying J, we're sorry we did it.

Flying J is a hassle.

Every time.

Amen to going else where.
In the Tyson Rd, I65 J you have to be a business to use the truck pumps. The attendants knew absolutely nothing about how to reset the pumps. Finally, after three trips out to verify pump # and that I really did have a motorhome, the pump was reset for $200 hoping that was enough. It cut me off at $75 but still charged my card $200. I got it fixed but not without finding out just how little I know about how fuel islands work. Also no discount. Guess it's the area but one bad apple really has spoiled the barrel. No more J's for me.

We have never had any major problems fueling at any Flying J, but a few minor incidences, like unreadable pump displays.  I'm inclined to cut them some slack as they go through the merger into Pilot and the people get trained on the new software and procedures.  We've never been refused at the truck islands either.  And it's only at Pilot recently that we have had to go inside and estimate our fuel needs, but that was a minor inconvenience and it was handled properly each time.  I'll give them until the end of the year to get squared away.  We'll be using some FJ stops on our western trip in January and I'll see what happens then.

Avoid the "hook" like the plague.

Right now they are still ironing out the wrinkles in the Flying-J/Pilot merger

One thing though folks:  IN many states the legislature has gotten "Tax the businessman feaver"

The thinking (Which alas is actually valid, to a point) is that if they vote higher taxes on the people, the people will likely vote for the "Other guy" next election (If, that is they can remember what they had for breakfast)... So instead they soak the businessman with higher and higher taxes.

Of course... Those of us who know.. Know that the businessman pays those taxes with, what else, his CUSTOMER's MONEY.. That is you raise the taxes.. he has to raise his prices, and it ends up costing you the consumer more than if you paid the taxes yourself.. Meanwhile Mr. Businessman. Makes a profit on the tax.

Well, what this means to you the RVer is this... IN many states (Arizona is one that I"m sure of) you use the commercial (Truck) pump.. You pay excess tax.

Some stations will do the record keeping and "Discount" your fuel tax.. BUT THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO THAT...  You used the wrong pump.  You pay the higher tax.  YOU have to file with the state for a refund.

I for one will not abandon FJ. They have been my favorite fuel stop for the past 6 byears.  I can only think of one bad experience with them. 
Pilot was my no 2 so now I  have the best of both worlds. 

This post interests me for a couple of reasons. The first reason is we are researching the RV lifestyle and notice a large number of RVs at the various truck stops. Which leads me to the second reason -- I am a truck driver who works for a company which receives a fleet rate from the flying hook. That means we are now "allowed" to purchase fuel at both Pilot and Flying J. Sometimes I become frustrated beyond measure with the equipment or even the employees at some stops. Yet most times I'm happy with the employees. Did you notice I didn't mention equipment?

Anyway, there was only one truck stop chain at which I became so upset that I did send a letter to their headquarters. (It was neither a Flying J nor a Pilot by the way.) The form letter I received back from them was so stupid that I've refused to set foot on their property since that time -- much less pay them for anything they may be selling.

Like some others here, I think it will be interesting to see if the merger makes a better business of Flying J.

I don't think the merger will make Flying J a better business, I just hope it doesn't make it worse.  FJ was the only major truck stop that actively solicited the RV business and offered incentives to the RVer.

I would much rather go to Flyin J and use the RV pumps out front than to go to another truck stop and have to wait in line with the trucks. It is also more dangerous there when the kids want to get out and go inside. The RV pumps are very convenient for us for those reasons. Not to mention that it takes a lot of looking and maneuvering to get our 39' diesel into a regular gas station that sells diesel. I have seen that location in Brunswick this year and it seemed to be one of their less desirable locations.

I fail to see the difference between a "regular gas station" and the FJ RV pumps. You get mixed in with the cars & store/restaurant traffic and have to pull forward towards the store and across the other pump traffic to get out again.

I make a point of only using Flying J.  They are well designed to get in and get out of the RV islands.  I try to avoid Pilot.  They seem to "shoe horn" the RV islands and if anybody parks nearby, you can be blocked.  I just hope Pilot doesn't screw up the Flying J stations.

Gary [RV Roamer] said:

I fail to see the difference between a "regular gas station" and the FJ RV pumps. You get mixed in with the cars & store/restaurant traffic and have to pull forward towards the store and across the other pump traffic to get out again.

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Gary,

Here's the difference. The gas station fuel is usually cheaper. I've been on the road for a couple of months now and have found the FJ/Pilot/, etc truck stops more expensive than the local stations. I usually have no problem getting in and out with my truck and 5th wheel, even in the Wally World stations (the best diesel fuel price most of the time). If it's too tight I'll unhitch but have only had to do that once in the last five years. Flyin J can take a flyin ---- if you get my drift.

I gotta agree, Bruce. The local stations are generally cheaper these days. It's 8-12 cents/gal less around my area (we are at our home base near Ocala now). 

Several chains of gas stations selling diesel have been improving their access for RVs including Sam's Club, some Murphys, Raceway, Kangaroo and the newer BP stations. I also find many have separate diesel pumps but you never know until you get there.

Right now here in northern SC Raceway and Murphy USA are 2.679 and FJ is 2.829

My first and last experience with Flying J (which was on purpose after reading some of the older threads on this topic) will be Texarkana a month ago in the RV lanes. Too tight with the curbs, an impossible turn out, including a concrete barrier and cowboy Cadillac blocking the lane, and not worth a few bucks versus bending my equipment.

Far too many more choices, and I have learned to watch for them carefully, and to another poster's point, most of the newer convenience stations are well equipped to manage a 38 footer.

Just sayin'...we all have our thresholds of customer satisfaction.

Jeff said:

Right now here in northern SC Raceway and Murphy USA are 2.679 and FJ is 2.829

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Just for comparison, diesel here is $2.999 everywhere even Flying J which is usually higher than anyone else in the area.  Long story, it is a franchise owned by the local fuel distributor and all of the distributor stations are high.  The Town Pump stations are usually the cheapest along with the Cenex ones.

Jim, that Cenex station at Rocky Mountain supply is easy to get in and out. I fueled there many times, in Belgrade, Mt
Ernie- Youngstown, Oh

We contiunue to use Flying J as a fuel stop.  Mostly because they are conveniently located along the interstates we travel and we can predict their location  allowing us to judge our fuel stops. We NEVER use the RV pump lanes as we just can't navigate around and through all their  barriers so we use the truck lanes.

Since there are two of us we have a routine. We use FRS RAdios.  I check the  pump number and go into Flying J with credit cards and Flying J Card to tell them to  " fill er up."  Only recently have we had to give them  an estimate of the amount of $ we will be spending. So,  since I have the  radio,  I call to Terry,  how much will we need?  We usually estimate high so that they don't cut us off and have to redo that entire process.  When Terry has completed fueling  he radios me , informs me of the gallons we took on annd the price. I  get back into the line to pay for it, sign the card and get the receipt. I compare receipt price with what he radioed me. He then pulls forward so he no longer blocks fueling lanes.

It works well as a routine for  2.  Saves lots of back and forth walking to pumps. My gripe is how many people I have to wait for who are getting a slice of pizza or a bottle of pop or a pack of cigarettes when I want to make my $400 purchase!  I have also found MANY of the employees behind the counter are still in need of training on how to run  machines, reset pumps, run credit cards and on and on.  On the other hand there have been many  Flying J employees who were right on top of it and managed to get us in and out with no problemo.

An even bigger concern I note is how many customers are totally rude to the person behind the counter.  I don't think the attendant  had much to do with the  pricing policy, or the merger but they are on the front line for abuse.  I  do not harrass the  attendant behind counter.
This  trip we have over 8,000 miles so that has been a lot of fuel stops from Arizona to Utah, to  Oregon, to Kentucky, to Idaho to New Mexico to Arizona.

Ernie Ekberg said:

Jim, that Cenex station at Rocky Mountain supply is easy to get in and out. I fueled there many times, in Belgrade, Mt
Ernie- Youngstown, Oh

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Say hello to my relatives in Youngstown and NE OH.

The town pump on the corner up the street is easy too and usually has the best price although Cenex is also about the same.  If you do enough business there they have a nice dividend at the end of the year.  I never even come close.    :-\