FLYING J/PILOT

[catmjt]

We have never had a successful experience with our Frequent Fueler Advantage RV card at the Pilot/Flying J Truck Stops.
When we go to the truck pumps, and insert our Advantage Card and Am Ex Card, we are told to come inside.  After standing in line to give the cashier my Advantage Card and my AmEx Charge Card, I was told I had to name the amount of diesel that I was going to purchase.  We have a very large, new RV and we are still not sure how many gallons we will need, so I just say and amount that I think the RV will need, I sign a receipt, and the pump is turned on.  Well, I go check with my husband and it needs more diesel, so I go back in and say we need an amount that is much more than we think we need and sign a receipt for that amount.  After the tank is full, I have to go back again (in line for the 3rd time) and get another receipt for what we actually pumped. Hopefully the difference will be on our AmEx statement correctly.  At least, that is what the cashier says will happen.
So, the next time we go to Flying J , we go to the RV pumps  and wait our turn.  Thinking that we can use our Advantage Card and Am Ex Card to get the exact amount of diesel that we need.  WRONG!!!  The pump cuts off at $100.00. I go inside and ask if they can leave the pump on until we are full.  The answer is, ?No?.  We had to start over 2 more times to fill our coach and drove away with 3 different receipts.
Even with the Frequent Fueler Advantage Card diesel can be purchased for less money at other fuel stops.
We will not go through this hassle ever again.
Does anyone have a suggestion for big rig filling?

 

[glockholiday]

Cash.

When I pay with cash in advance they will turn the pump on until you pump that amount. Still have to wait in line twice though to pay and receive change and you need to carry cash but that's what I prefer.

 

[jcarpy]

Thats strange. In Arizona I've never had an issue with Flying J (at least in the RV lane). I get the 3 cents off and no cutoff on the amount I can charge at the pump.

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

I had a similar ugly experience with Flying J on the first fill of my new (to me) coach two years ago. I have not set foot back yet and won't. There are too many other choices where real customer service is still available. And I will get flamed by everyone who "loves" Flying J. My time and sanity is worth more than the discount, if you can even make 'em give it to you.

Our solution to the cutoff issue is to send Christi in with the credit card before I start, pump away, pay and go. A little less efficient but always a winner!  8)

It has been my experience, though, that using truck stops, by their very nature, tends to be a little more tedious because of the traffic. I try to pick the outlying stations as opposed to the huge terminals. And I watch for nice, large stops other than Love's and Flying J.

Life's too short to be aggravated buying fuel. You are supposed to be on RV time and having fun!

 

[Ken & Sheila]

With FJ/Pilot if you go in and sign up for "pump start" you can pull up insert your rewards card and pump until done, then you go in and give them your CC and get the receipt. Works well.

Better still is to get the FJ/Pilot-Good Sam credit card. Better discount. Drive up insert your card, enter the code (your pin) when asked and pump. If you want a receipt you can go in and get it - or just drive away! FJ-Good Sam CC give you the cash price less 4,6,or 8 cents depending on the level of your GoodSam membership. Easy to use. I set up the CC on autopay. You can go online and look at your statement anytime.

Only caveat, it does not work at some of the franchise dealers. The only way to tell if they are a franchise is with the FJ/Pilot book.

ken

 

[SargeW]

As far as the $100 cut off, that is set by the credit card company.  Mastercard has the same cutoff.  Visa has a $495 cutoff, but I don't have a Visa.  I usually use Mastercard, not AmEx so I am not familiar with their rules. 

Surprisingly, in Canada Mastercard didn't have the $100 shut off.  Go figure.....

 

[wincom6]

My American Express will not let me restart the pump for a 3?d time.  I usually use a Visa.

 

[edjunior]

I have given up on Flying J.  They aren't what the used to be.  Even with any kind of discount, the local Flying J's around here would still be considerably higher than most other stations around.  It doesn't make sense to me.  Their regular gas is on par with other local stations, but the diesel is just outrageous.  I just don't deal with them anymore, unless I have to while on a trip.

 

[BernieD]

Regarding pump limits, I had a long discusssion with a station manager about that. Each of the credit card processors has a dollar limit for pay at the pump transactions, but the station itself can set the pump limit. This means that if the charge is a stolen card or other problem, the station will not have to pay any of the loss if the charge is under the limit. However, if the transaction is above the processor's limit, the station eats the loss. Some stations take the risk and set higher limits on the pump and others do not.

 

[Ken & Sheila]

Diesel is almost always higher at all Truckstops than local "gas" stations. It may have to do with the cost associated with running a Truckstop vs a gas station - ie large pump area and large parking area.

Driving a 43 ft MH and towing a Jeep I usually opt for the Truckstop (truck diesel pumps) for the ease of the in and out. Many gas stations would be impossible. At home I do occasionally fill up at the local Safeway, but it is fairly easy to get in and out. Driving in an unknown area I will opt for the truckstop.

ken

 

[Foto-n-T]

I've never tried to fuel at an RV pump at FJ or Pilot.  Since we have saddle tanks I need that satellite pump to get filled.  I know that the card readers on the commercial side of truck stops are not designed for standard credit cards so a trip inside is required.  Personally when I'm in the RV my biggest concern is not speed.  On the other hand when I'm driving a commercial truck any holdup costs me money.

I'm not sure if it will work for RV's but TCH provides fuel cards for commercial trucks.  If you're in a hurry and don't want the hassle you might want to look into whether you can get a TCH Fuel Card:
http://www.rtsfueladvantage.com/lp/fuel-discount-program?iw=rtsfueladvantage&source=google&medium=cpc&cpc_campaign=search-fuel-card&adgroup=fuel-card-tch&keyword=%5Btch%20card%5D&gclid=CJf7oMSO5bECFWQbQgodMTMACg

 

[tallyo]

Every Pilot/Flying J I have stopped at between Florida and Oregon has been just fine with me. If I stop at the RV Islands I have to leave my card inside or live with swiping it more than once as they stop at $75 or $100. At the truck islands I swipe my advantage card first and pump all I want then go inside and pay.

 

[John From Detroit]

Flying J  changed it's cards a few years back and the old ones do not work right.

I pay cash so I go inside, hand them the card and a stack of yuppie food stamps (20's) and fill'er up,  then I go back and get my change  (Assuming I gave them too much)

Last time I did that I passed the closeout bin, Inside were a couple of hen's teeth I was looking for earlier in the spring.. I snagged a pair of them so the next time that hen looses a tooth I'm all set (Single contact bayonet 12 volt light fixture repair kits)
(Doubles (like for an 1157) I find every where but singles (1156) are hen's teeh).

And they were less than half price too!!!!

 

[Steve & Linda]

Here's something I've noticed at some of the newer truck/car stations going up around here: there is one price for 'truck' diesel and another for 'car' diesel. Please help me to understand the difference! I hope we're not putting in the wrong kind of diesel in our DPMH. This seems to be occurring especially at QT stations here and they're going up all around me, especially near interstate. They're convenient to use for us for that reason because most of our trips have to start off with some interstate travel (we're REALLY in the country!).  I guess another convenience to going through the truck lane is that we can fill the tanks of either side of MH at the same time, but the 'car' diesel lanes don't have that availability.

 

[Alfa38User]

Sarge wrote:

Surprisingly, in Canada Mastercard didn't have the $100 shut off.  Go figure.....

But it may be coming...

I never put in $100.00 worth in my car up here but... With my new chipped Visa card and a pump that accepts the chipped card, I am always asked for the amount of fuel required, be it $60, 80,100 etc. If you guess an amount that is too little the pump will stop at the amount you selected.  I have developed the habit of selecting $80 or 100 to be sure I won't be cut off, which can be a PITA.  You only pay for what you use anyway. I don't know if the reserved amount is retained by Visa for any length of time (like hotel reservations/stays are) and you end up squeezing your credit limit,  but with small amounts I am not too worried.

I did run into that credit crunch with hotels, car rentals, air fares, not yet charged and then having to purchase work materials while working out of town. It sometimes takes days once the actual charges are made to have the reserved amounts removed from the record.

 

[Alfa38User]

Here's something I've noticed at some of the newer truck/car stations going up around here: there is one price for 'truck' diesel and another for 'car' diesel. Please help me to understand the difference! I hope we're not putting in the wrong kind of diesel in our DPMH. This seems to be occurring especially at QT stations here and they're going up all around me, especially near interstate. They're convenient to use for us for that reason because most of our trips have to start off with some interstate travel (we're REALLY in the country!).  I guess another convenience to going through the truck lane is that we can fill the tanks of either side of MH at the same time, but the 'car' diesel lanes don't have that availability.

It likely has to do with the road use taxes that truckers have to pay in various states. The fuel is likely the same fuel for both. But... I have been warned by a trucker friend to watch out for cheap diesel available in some locations. Some is different and he has had engine problems with it, it had to do with the lack of proper additives, somewhat akin to the ethanol added to gasoline's, as I understood it.

 

[Ned]

When you use a credit card at the car pumps, you pay the same price as cash, in almost every case.  At the truck pumps, the credit price is generally several cents higher than the cash price unless you have something like the Flying J rewards card.  Since our Visa card gives us 5% cash back on fuel only if we use pay at the pump, we never use truck pumps any longer.

 

[Jeff]

 

Surprisingly, in Canada Mastercard didn't have the $100 shut off.  Go figure.....

Marty:

IN PEI and Nova Scotia all stations except Irving required bringing a US card inside before pumping.

 

[SargeW]

Some is different and he has had engine problems with it, it had to do with the lack of proper additives, somewhat akin to the ethanol added to gasoline's, as I understood it.

Some of the stations we fueled at in Canada had the diesel pumps marked with "5% Biodiesel" on the front of the pumps.  Some diesels are more sensitive to the biodiesel formulas and just don't run as well. 

Since our Visa card gives us 5% cash back on fuel only if we use pay at the pump, we never use truck pumps any longer.

I have a cash back Mastercard that gives me 3% cash back, but it doesn't matter weather it is swiped inside or at the pump.  But in Canada, that card wanted to charge a 3% transaction fee on ALL purchases made in Canada.  So that one never came out of the wallet until I hit Alaska. 

Marty:

IN PEI and Nova Scotia all stations except Irving required bringing a US card inside before pumping.

Yeah Jeff, we found a variety of rules at many places we pumped. At one station I had to take my card inside to have them turn on the pump, and they still had to swipe the card after each $100 increment.  So I still got 3 receipts.  I think that there is no uniform standard for how each one chooses to do business.

 

[wincom6]

I had a long discussion yesterday with the American Express rep, he insisted that the pump turnoff at a designated dollar amount is controlled by the oil company that you are dealing with. Has anyone talked to a Flying J/Pilot spoke person?