Truck stop with semi and car pumps, same tank?
 

With all the suggestions to buy fuel from high volume stations, I got to thinking. If I go to a truck stop that serves a lot of semis, but fill up in the "auto" area, am I getting the same new/clean fuel? Or is there a separate tank more often than not for that area?

Same tank

How is truck stop fuel cleaner than regular station fuel? Is it just due to the fact that they move more fuel, and keep refilling their storage tanks with fresh fuel?
Chris

Go4Lo:
I do believe that is the exact reason. By having frequent refilling of the tanks there is less risk of contamination from algea growth and water. I suppose diesel fuel could deteriate over time and the additives could settle out as well but I would suspect that would only occur after extremely long term storage.

Thanks, Barry - I appreciate it.
Chris

Pumps are usually faster for the big rigs too. Just watch your step it can get slippery and make your carpet messy.

Thanks!

All the truck stops that I have delivered to over the last 29yrs have one or more diesel tanks that feed the truck lanes & auto lanes. Most big truck stops will have more than one diesel tank that is tied together. The higher the volume the less chance of getting any contamination or any condensation that can develope along with algae.

While its nice to use the big nozzle that the semi's use, it can bugger up your fuel tank sender....stick with the smaller nozzle.

All the truck stops that I have delivered to over the last 29yrs have one or more diesel tanks that feed the truck lanes & auto lanes. Most big truck stops will have more than one diesel tank that is tied together.

:D Thanks! I love this site.

My dad lives in eastern NM and travels to western AZ a lot and runs through Winslow, AZ freqently. He has told me there is a Flying J truck stop there that gets 4 tanker loads every day as they move a lot of fuel there. I guess you could say that their fuel is fresh.

The Flying J in St George, Utah probably gets at least 10 loads a day, either that or it has a pipeline going straight to it!
Even with 8 diesel fill lanes I've had to wait in line at least a half hour every time though, even at night. Reason for the popularity is it's the last diesel fuel stop before going south into the high prices of Arizona, Nevada and California.

The contamination was greatly reduced by 2001, when practically every metal tank in the USA was replaced with high polymer fiberglas. Fiberglas is stronger. It has less of a tendency to rupture and contaminate ground water. It also doesn't create condensation. Temps twenty feet below grade are about 50-60F year round.