Diesel prices?

tommu56 · May 24, 2007

tommu56 said:
I got a shock needed fuel down by Philly and had to pay $3.19 for diesel
regular was $3.22 premium $3.45

my last fill up was at $2.83 near home

filled up today diesel $2.85 at my regular station

tom

HappyCPE · May 24, 2007

I see diesel prices varying in NJ. The "car" places are as high as $2.799. My local station is $2.739. If I'm in Washington Borough, Warren county, the Hess station used to be $2.679. There's only one place I know that sells off-road diesel in small quantities and they get $2.549. I suppose the rest is profit.

patrick_g · May 24, 2007

Mud Dr. said:
If you are travelling in the mountains or pulling heavy loads you may need the higher octane, otherwise, I save the money.

If your vehicle is "made" for the cheap stuff then it should work fine in the mountains or wherever under load or not. If it doesn't then maybe there is a problem.

Pat

MadDogDriver · May 24, 2007

Our diesel prices just jumped $0.17 and gas prices dropped $0.04. Go figure.

dsgsr · May 24, 2007

Yes Guys, I realize the Octane difference but how many of you trust the place you buy your Gas to put the true 87,89 & 93 octane in their correct tanks. I know a young fellow that works for one of the better known gas stations in my area, He claims the 89 & 93 come from the same tank in the ground. Anyone else heard this from someone reputable?

David

MikePA · May 24, 2007

dsgsr said:
...but how many of you trust the place you buy your Gas to put the true 87,89 & 93 octane in their correct tanks.

I assume people do what they're supposed to do until evidence proves otherwise. Got more important things to worry about.

dsgsr said:
I know a young fellow that works for one of the better known gas stations in my area, He claims the 89 & 93 come from the same tank in the ground. Anyone else heard this from someone reputable?

No. The only rumor I've heard is about the people who spit in the hamburgers. Or was that from 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High'?

patrick_g · May 24, 2007

People always have something to gossip about. When prices were relatively low (20 years or more ago) people used to argue and discuss the merits of one brand of gas vs another. Often the same tanker would fill the tanks at two of the "competing" brands. Even with the name of a major brand on the side of the tanker the "competition's" tanks would be filled.

People used to argue over Johnson vs Evinrude in small outboard motors, even after both brands were owned by OMC (Outboard Motor Corporation) and many of the models were built in the same plant with the only difference being in the shape of the shroud, name, and paint color.

This evening on NPR news they did a bit about gas prices. Chigago has replaced New Jersey for high prices but San Francisco is the second highest gas in the US with a town in Alaska having the highest prices. The Alaskan town has gas prices at $7 plus change per gal. The fuel is flown into the community in small planes at a relatively high cost. They think the folks in the lower 48 are cry babies.

Get used to $5/gal gas as that has been where we have been headed (or higher), just steering a random path to get there. Gas going up and diesel falling or diesel costing more than gas for a while and then not all gives people a moving target with lots of misdirection like the magician and his prestidigitation that confuses them such that they don't see the really simple big picture... prices are trending upward and over time will NOT come down appreciably. To think we will ever see gas at $2 a gal again is wishful thinking.

Gee, I'm glad that most of our lightweight trips (not requiring one of our diesel trucks) are made in a Prius at about 48MPG (not the most conservative driving style.)

Pat

Mud Dr. · May 25, 2007

I am sure there are some unscrupalous station owners out there. Having been in the business I can only attest to the pratices I was involved with. We valued our customers loyalty and built a reputation on it. We sold 4 quart gallons and had driver strap tanks before and after dropping fuel to verify the quantity of fuel delivered and checked the tank bottoms with Kolor-Kut water finding paste at every delivery. If water was found in the tank it was promptly sucked out and disposed of properly. In louisiana the state checks the calibration of the pump meters and samples each tank to verify minimum octane requirements. I don't know what is done in other states.
The major oil companies keep a watchful eye out as well for co-mingleing of product (mixing one brand name with another).