Price of fuel across Northern states?

[CanadaKev]

Hey guys,
Takin' a run from Vancouver to Toronto area via WA,ID,MT,ND,WI,IL(not quite sure if I've got that right :confused: ). Just wondered if I need to bring my own fuel along, via a 150 gal. Tidy Tank. My fuel cost is US$.92/US gal. How much is it at the pumps in the Northern States?
TIA,Kev

[ 06-26-2002: Message edited by: CanadaKev ]

[ 06-27-2002: Message edited by: CanadaKev ]</p>

[dmaxstu]

Canadakev
I think you better bring your 150GAL&gt; tank 92 cents a gallon sounds like off road fuel price especially here in California. Since we're on the subject just what does diesel fuel cost in Alberta at the pump? I'll be crossing the border July 25. Should I top off my across the bed tank in Bonners Ferry or not worry about it?
Of course any of you Calgary, Red Deer, Lacombe and Edmonton chaps please feel free to respond.Stu


On edit and second thought and after reading those northern fellow's posts you better leave that cheap fuel at home or check the color and make sure it is clear.

[ 06-27-2002: Message edited by: dmaxstu ]

[ 06-27-2002: Message edited by: dmaxstu ]</p>

[Maxter]

This seems very low... I've never seen it so low. Typicaly, the price is between .50$ and .70$ CAN wich translate to about 1.20$/US/GAL to 1.65$/US/GAL.

Where do you buy them 300 Gal tank?

[CanadaKev]

dmaxstu,
Your right it is off road fuel. But with agricultural(farm) plates, we are permitted to run it in our trucks. Is that not the case down there?
Not sure about fuel prices in AB, but here in BC it runs about .55/L or 1.38/gal US. I would think it would be a little cheaper in AB.

Maxter, that's not a pump price that's my farm price. I goofed, the Tidy Tanks(made by Tidy Welders) are 150 gal not 300. And almost everyone that owns and runs construction equipment has them in the box of their pick-up with either a manual or electric pump.

[SoMnDMAX]

Don't get caught in Minnesota with dyed no-tax fuel in the tank.... They take your first born, AND your birthday away....

Anyways, you LEGALLY have to run taxed (clear) fuel in Minnesota.

Typical fuel prices here are $1.20-$1.35 a gallon.

[Joe Pool]

CanadaKev,

In Missouri [MO] the average price for #2 diesel is right around $1.20/gal US, but it can be found as low as $1.07/gal.

Have fun on your trip and watch out for the Highway Patrol in MO, they like to use airplanes and laser.

Joe

[ 06-27-2002: Message edited by: Joe Pool ]</p>

[Marty Lau]

Hi; Me think you be going, WA, ID, MT, (Montana)ND.
MO is Missouri. Here in the Great Falls MT area Diesel is $1.35-1.40. AG or No AG plates you on hiway with off road you get caught in MT you get big Fine. Stay with taxed diesel, keeps your trip coust down, I'd bet the MT DOT folks just look for them Candian AG plates with the tanks in the back to stop and sample fuel.
Just a thought.

[CanadaKev]

Thanks for the 'heads up' guys. I don't think I'll chance getting caught with marked fuel down there.
Can't believe your farmers aren't permitted to run on the road with it.
Thanks for the State abbreviation lesson. Y'all have way too many (M) States down there.
Kev

[dmaxstu]

The above post brought back some memories about using purple gas in Alberta when I was a teen. Purple gas was not taxed and only for agricultural use. But it was all we could afford in our cars sometimes as teenagers. I still remember the town of Lacombe police going down the street and taking a sample out of every parked car.He had a clear tube of some sort, put it in the tank then put his thumb over one end pull it out and have a gander.I never got caught though. Stu

CanadaKev
Here in California there is usually a lock on the 'OffRoad' diesel and I really don't know what qualifies you to use it, I know I don't qualify 'cause I only farm one acre with 10 apple trees oh! and I have a playset for the grandkids. Stu

[markf]

Canada Kev,

Down in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington #2 is going for $1.24 at the Flying J truck stops. Some other stations are about 10 cents a gallon higher.

2002 GMC 3500 CC D/A
SLT
32' Silverado 6 horse trailer

[dmaxstu]

CanadaKev thank you for bringing up the subject and markf thanks for responding. I'll be going to Seattle, San Juan Islands, Spokane before heading north to Canada. You can bet I am not going to fuel up in Radium. By the time this post expires I may be able to put together a fuelling schedule that may save me a few bucks. That 135 GAL auxtank is going to come in real handy. Stu

[CanadaKev]

I take it, fuel is generally cheaper at truck stops. But do you not have to have a card for the card locks? Or can any Joe Bloe off the streets pull in and buy truck stop fuel?
Kev

[crafty]

Canadakev,
Where abouts around Toronto are you going? I'm only an hour east of there. The price of fuel in Ontario is anywhere from 55 cents a litre to 65 cents a litre. Also it is not legal to run coloured fuel in your truck here but if you want to take your tractor for a highway run you can run coloured in that. :D :D :D
Anyway, hope you have a good trip.
Just a fueling note, there is a good truck stop on the 401 at London, (a Flying J) that has the cheapest fuel I've seen anywhere. East of Toronto the price is 3 or 4 cents more.

[Marty Lau]

Kev;
I have never run into a problem at truck stops, most of the Flying J's have car/pickup pumps and some have RV Islands so if your going to pull a trailer it helps getting it in and out. Many of the pumps will take any major credit card or pay inside. I like the Flying J they seem to have good fresh fuel and are usally the best priced. The have a booklet avialiable at their stops or check their website for locations to plan stops.
If you get their RV card (free) they will give you discount on fuel also.

Do you know your route yet?

Marty :cool:

[dmaxstu]

Canadakev
I have a card for the Commercial Fueling Network (Cardlock). it has been a kind of a dissapointment they must have some kind of internal discounting procedure for special customers. But for me it turned out to be a pain in the a$$. When I fueled at their facility even over 100 Gallons I receive a bill the next day and paid more than the regular cheapest station around here. So you and I are just kind of at the mercy of what the market wil bear, wherever we go. However with posts such as this, with the cooperation of our fellow Dmax owners we could actually afect that market, provided folks respond with their observations. So please do, give us travellers a scoop on fuel prices in your neighborhood so we can shop at the right place and lower your prices as well.Maybe I have to much faith in the free market system and it's all a ruse.Stu

[ 06-28-2002: Message edited by: dmaxstu ]</p>

[TBC]

I made a trip from TX thru NM, CO, AZ, Southern UT, Las Vegas. On at least 4 occasions in AZ, UT, and NM I filled up at the big truck pumps and got 8 cent discount in AZ and 3 and 4 cents in UT and NM. It may have been the qty of fuel in the last two but AZ apparently does some type of a tax refund. They take the license plate # and give it even though we were a "private party". I was pumping 40 to 50 gal at each fill up except in AZ. The highest price I paid was in Las Vegas at 1.45 and there were some stations higher than that in that city. I was glad to get any discount and was pleasingly surprised to get it. Love's stations had good prices and some have the truck pumps and "auto diesel" pumps and when possible I filled up at the truck pump. That is where I got the discount in NM.

Happy Dieseling to you all. It is great to drive one and to pay less than the gassers, by several cents on the gallon.

[JEBar]

probably wont help you much on your trip but just for your info., fuel currently in my tank cost $1.179 and was purchased at a 76 truck stop just west of Durham, NC .... best price around here $1.199 at a BP convenience store ... am pretty sure SC prices would be lower because dear old NC has much higer fuel taxes :cool:

[spctr13]

Just came from Wisconsin to Mass. on Thursday , filled up in Janesville , WI right off I-90 for $1.31 / best I could find . Saw $1.15/ at first oasis in Indiana , but that is for the big boys with numbers , 10 cents more/ for us . Ohio it was running $1.25/ .

Mac

[CanadaKev]

crafty,
I am headed to Exeter, which I think is a little north of Sarnia. I'll check out the Flying J website to see where they are along the route. I guess running purple fuel in farm trucks is just a Western Canada thing. Can't believe you guys in Ontario are siding with the Yanks on this one ;)

Marty,
The majority of the trip will be on I-90 & I-94 before I dip down through St. Paul and Madison then head over to Detroit.

[SoMnDMAX]

CanadaKev, there's a bunch of road construction on I-94 thru Minnesota. Basically from St. Cloud to St. Paul. You'll be able to get thru, but it may be slow going. You may want to grab U.S. HWY 10 in St. Cloud, as it intersects I-94 on the east side of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Watch your speed in the construction zones, as fines double if you get caught.

Just a heads up. Have a good trip!!

[ 06-28-2002: Message edited by: SoMnDMAX ]</p>

[IndigoDually]

In New Jersey we can run dyed off-road fuel in trucks that have "Farm Use" plates on them. These plates limit you to being within 15 mi. of the farm and must be engaged in farm activities. The other plus is that these vehicles don't have to be inspected.

John

[CanadaKev]

SoMnDMAX,
Thanks for the heads up about the construction. If that's your recommendation, to bail off 94 in St. Cloud and pick up 10 then that's what I'll do. How is rush hour in the twin cities? I take it they must have car pool lanes. How many humans per vehicle in the HOV lanes? Am I permitted to pull a trailer in the HOV lanes?
Kev

[SoMnDMAX]

Rush hour can be quite interesting in the Twin Cities. Depends what time of day and what day you come thru. Northbound lanes on 10 and 94 become plugged almost solid starting Friday afternoon, with everyone going up north to the lakes. Sundays coming back southbound, they plug again as everyone comes home. I don't drive it everyday, but maybe some of the Twin Cities locals will step in and share their thoughts.

There are car pool lanes, with minimun occupancy of 2 people. I don't know if you can pull trailer in those lanes or not.

[Diverguy]

Canadakev;
When you purchase your fuel for the farm do you buy it from a commercial cardlock like Petro-Can or Chevron? Do you have cardlock access? If you do you can simply contact these two companies and request access to their sites/associate site below the 49th. Then you can maintain your discount from retail.

[CanadaKev]

Diverguy,
I get bulk fuel delivery at the farm by Chevron.
I have an account with them but not a cardlock account.

[Marty Lau]

Kev;

There are Flying J's locted at the following locations. Post Falls Idaho, (just out of Spokane) Butte, Bellgrade, Billings and Hardin, in Montana on your route. Pick up one of their book, I stop at Flying J's when ever possiable they usally have about the best price and good fuel. (They have their own refinery in the Salt Lake area) And if you have enough time you can get a RV card for discount on fuel. Here in Great Falls the Flying J is 135.9 cash while Cenex is 141.9.

Hope this helps.

Marty ;)

[Ranger354]

Down here in Texas I payed $1.16 last night. I work for one of the nations largest refineries and you would think that I could get it a little cheeper. Not the case though.

[MNBowTie]

CanadaKev:

Regarding your I-94 route to Madison. Like SoMNDamx mentioned depending on the day and time you will coming through the twin cities. You will want to avoid the following day and times:

I94: Rogers, MN to Maple Grove, MN about 8 Miles.

Sunday's South bound: after 3:00 PM.
Friday's North bound: after 3:00 PM.
Weekdays South bound: 7:00-9:00 AM
Weekdays North bound: 3:00-6:00 PM
I recommend you use the I-694 (Twin Cities bypass) no matter what time you come through.
If you must come through during any of the times mentioned above? Then I recommend you use MN Hwy 10 to 610 to I35W then back on to 694 as a detour route.

Good Luck,

[SoCalDMAX]

I tried to post this on Wed. but the server crashed!

There's a website called www.gaspricewatch.com and you can search for the lowest fuel prices by region, zip code, city, etc.

If you have a WAP enabled phone, or laptop, etc, you oculd search for the best fuel prices wherever you stop for the night.

Have a great trip!

Regards, Steve

[ 07-05-2002: Message edited by: SoCalDMAX ]</p>

[CanadaKev]

MNBowTie,
Thanks a bunch smile.gif for the Twin Cities info. It makes the trip so much easier to plan! I assume Chicago traffic times will be the same. What's the best route to by-pass Chicago and head up towards London Ont? 294 to 80 to 94 looks to be the route to take? Is 294 a toll hwy? How much?

SoCalDmax,
Thanks for the web-site!
Kev

[spctr13]

1st go through Chicago !! 294 is a toll road , 94 is not , after the 2 tolls from the Wisconsin line to where 294 branches off . Follow 94 through Chicago , into Indiana and Michigan to I-69 north to Port Huron , Michigan , Sarnia , Ontario , and towards London . I like this route better than staying on I-94 through Detroit and Windsor . Very little diferance in distance . As for Chicago I like going through at 4 in the morning , failing that I also go through at mid-day . Stay away from rush hours , whatever route .

Mac

[FirstDiesel]

"There's a website called www.gaspricewatch.com and you can search for the lowest fuel prices by region, zip code, city, etc. "


Steve this looks like a great idea. With the rip off on diesel prices in my area I figure this would be real useful. But unless I'm doing something wrong all the stations in my area listed have no prices??