Fuel prices

Biker1mike

Well-known member

Equipment
B6200, Kubota 2030 Front Blade, King Cutter 60" finishing deck
Jan 11, 2022
1,164
1,252
113
Gallatin, NY USA
With Globalization it all comes down to follow the money !
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,116
2,341
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
All I know is that I needed diesel fuel for the tractors, and noticed several days ago, it cost $5.96 per gallon at the local Sam's club, which usually has the best prices.

So yesterday, I get 15 gallons, and feel good because the price dropped to $5.79 per gallon... :unsure: :oops::LOL:
 
  • Wow
Reactions: 1 user

Nicfin36

Well-known member

Equipment
L2501 HST, BH77 Backhoe, SSQA Loader ZD1011 Mower
Jun 19, 2019
1,014
457
83
Decatur, AL
All I know is that I needed diesel fuel for the tractors, and noticed several days ago, it cost $5.96 per gallon at the local Sam's club, which usually has the best prices.

So yesterday, I get 15 gallons, and feel good because the price dropped to $5.79 per gallon... :unsure: :oops::LOL:
I remember when it was $1.69/gal here and I told my coworker farmer buddy if he had a large farm fuel tank, he would be wise to fill it to the tip top. He laughed at me and said he did not care. I filled every container I had, which is about 60 gallons. I should have enough for all the summer stuff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Bmyers

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
May 27, 2019
3,151
3,628
113
Southern Illinois
Trying to understand what the President said:

"But we have released over two hundred and, I think, fifty-seven thousand — million barrels of oil, I should say. Us and the rest of the world we convinced to get involved. It’s helped, but it’s not been enough," he added.

So did he say he released 257,000,000,00 barrels of oil? I believe we only use about 7,000,000,000 of oil a year, so we should all be floating in oil now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

ACDII

Well-known member

Equipment
B2410, L352 Loader, Woods BH70-X backhoe
Oct 21, 2021
660
407
63
Illinois
went up .15 overnight here. There is an .80 spread between stations just over the border in WI and stations near me. $4.39 - $5.19.

Now there is a Diesel shortage. How quickly our country has fallen from being energy independent in 2020 to having stations with empty tanks in 2022.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Bmyers

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
May 27, 2019
3,151
3,628
113
Southern Illinois
went up .15 overnight here. There is an .80 spread between stations just over the border in WI and stations near me. $4.39 - $5.19.

Now there is a Diesel shortage. How quickly our country has fallen from being energy independent in 2020 to having stations with empty tanks in 2022.
I don't know if you caught the article or not, but Michigan is warning the residents to expect black outs this summer. They don't have enough power plants since so many have been closed and that the new renewable power plants are not as reliable as the traditional plants because they are very weather dependent.

This could be a very interesting summer between fuel prices and the potential lack of electricity. Plus, we still haven't gotten to the point where everyone is trying to charge up their new electrical vehicle on a grid that is already maxed out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

D2Cat

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
12,898
4,265
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
An interesting note.

Smokey is a trucker and here is his latest update from “On The Road,” somewhere in CA. Plan accordingly…


Date: 5/23/22 05:40 (GMT-07:00)
To:
Subject: Smokey's Urgent Sitrep from the road/FYI--WAKE UP!!!
WAKE UP!!!


From:
Smokey Searcy
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2022, 11:24 PM
Subject: Smokey's Urgent Sitrep from the road


Hey everybody,
even though about one third of you are overseas, this is going to affect you NOW.

1. I'm currently at the TA in Ontario, CA waiting to drop a load in Brea, CA in the morning and pick one up in Carson tomorrow afternoon for Washington State.
Tractor trailers are NOW ,at 2000 ( 8 PM for the non transportation/ non military) ) being turned away from this Truck Stop and told to go to Barstow, CA for their Diesel fuel, 75 miles away.
This TA is a truck stop in the Southern end of one of the busiest shipping centers in the USA.
That means in a couple of hours trucks near the Barstow Travel Centers and other California Travel Centers will be backed up along Interstate 15. Will that be twenty? A hundred? A thousand?
The centers are on Lenwood Road and include a Flying J, a Pilot, TA, and a Loves. If they go out of fuel, where next? Drivers are in a bind here!
And notice that none of the drivers are being told to go to the Petro next door, which is in the TA chain of truck stops.
And TA is the largest Travel Center chain in the USA. If they're running out, how about the Mom and Pop Travel centers?
Also, there are truck stops in Hesperia, CA. They aren't being told to go there. Why? Are they running out too?
There are drivers here who don't have enough fuel to get to Barstow, and on top of that for truckers our biggest Shipping and Receiving Day is Monday.
I always top up in Arizona because of Left Coast prices, today it was Exit one in Nevada. Saved a buck a gallon for a hundred gallons and have enough left to go to about 600 miles North.

2. The Port of Los Angeles said 4 days ago the entry of containers ( Intermodals) is back up to speed so if the trucks slow down OR STOP now the containers will do what bottlenecks cause them to do: Back up all the way to China.
Folks, your supply chain issues are just beginning.

3. Numerous Owner Operators are simply parking their rigs, especially ones like Myrna Lee and I who are drawing Social Security. The prices of fuel today are causing our Profit to Expense ratio to take a beating. The only reason we are staying is because we promised the company I contract to, Landstar Transportation, that we would continue to stay on the road delivering until this Covid 19 mess is resolved.
I'm 72 years old, so don't know how much longer my health holds up, but I owe this country a lot, and Myrna Lee is a Naturalized citizen who's become a bigger Patriot than I am.

4.And now the fuel supply is going to be an issue for how long?

Last week I was at a TA ( Travel Centers of America) talking about doing a PM ( Periodic Maintenance) Inspection ( My truck was out of warranty after 500,000 miles so I no longer have to go to the Freightliner Dealer, I can have it done anywhere). They told me no oil was available for an oil change.
Trucks are vital for the nation's supply chain, and Travel Centers are near the top of the priority list. Obviously the Military, First Responders are higher, but remember that THEIR supplies come from US, the truckers.

What that means for you? Right now I would top off any vehicles you have to include tractors lawn mowers, and Propane tanks and don't let the levels get too low.

5. Biden's administration says we are 80,000 drivers short. THEY ARE WRONG! 80,000 drivers now, today, are qualified to drive tractor trailers under FMCSA ( Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) guidelines. But they're tired of what the gas prices and regulations are doing! Last year I paid about $2.60 average a gallon, today at Flying J, Exit one on I 15 in Nevada I paid $ 5.69 a gallon. Guess whose pocket that comes out of?
And don't feel sorry for us, we're happy to help, and both of us are drawing Social Security, but we feel really bad about the young Owner Operators who have no Social Security or pensions to fall back on.

6. We have to eat at fast food joints like Popeye's, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Arby's, Burger King, etc. because those are at the truck stops.
There are shortages of chicken, and when we ordered chicken Tacos at Taco Bell we paid almost double the usual price.
And the menus at Dennys , Country Pride, and Iron Skillet are out of steaks, some egg products, and a number of desserts made from dairy.

7. There is going to be a shortage of packaging material like Aluminium and plastic. Last year I hauled numerous beverage cans and Styrofoam, in the last 4 months NONE. I'm no genius, but most food products, like your beer and steaks, need packaging. I'm just guessing, but I'd sure put up any real necessities to be on the safe side.

8. Employees. I can't tell you how many of the shippers we went to don't have enough dock workers I went to pick up a load of fireworks from Portland, OR to Kimberly, ID.
We got to the dock 1045 for our 1100 appt.
We left at 1730. Almost 6 hours for a normal 2 hour load.AND I get paid for that. Who do you think will pick up the cost for that? The Shipper?
It seems the shippers hired Temporary labor, mostly young people, the day before to work the docks.
The Shipping Manager came out and told us that today not one of those people came back, so he would help load but it would be awhile ( I would have helped, but most companies don't allow non employees past the dock doors because of Covid-19 restrictions).
So if Shippers / Receivers can't get employees to stay for 18 to 20 bucks an hour, I see a major slowdown again just about everywhere.

9. My feeling is that hoarding is illegal, but when you need 2 items for the week and buy 3, that's just planning ahead! I would also buy batteries, canned goods, paper products, and long term non perishables to put up for the future.

10. I went to buy a new printer for my tractor in Harrisburg, PA and all the business printers were sold out with a waiting period,, and that was at Office Max. When I asked about their other stores, I was told it was the same, shortage everywhere.
Seems there's a shortage of semi- conductors used to make computer chips.

I apologize if I sound like Chicken Little, but I'm seeing shortages of items that I thought we'd never be short of.

And I haven't even included the wheat and fertilizer issues caused by the war in Ukraine!

Everyone BE SAFE!

Smokey
 
  • Sad
Reactions: 1 user

dirtydeed

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
2,854
3,102
113
Wind Gap, PA
I believe that I heard just yesterday that the home heating oil reserve (for lack of a better term) was being considered to be used to up the current supply of diesel fuel. That doesn't sound good to me at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Daren Todd

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
8,961
4,327
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
I believe that I heard just yesterday that the home heating oil reserve (for lack of a better term) was being considered to be used to up the current supply of diesel fuel. That doesn't sound good to me at all.
Yup, better hope it's not a cold winter 😱😱😱
 

Bmyers

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
May 27, 2019
3,151
3,628
113
Southern Illinois
Well, if there is any shinning light that can be offered, the local refinery here finally came out of their turnaround. It was only about 5 weeks extended due to multiple issues from parts supply issues, to newly discovered issues with units, to getting enough qualified craft. Yet, they finally have got all their units back online and will start producing at full capacity. It is the largest refinery that P66 operates at 356,000 barrels a day and with it coming back online it should be able to help with some of the shortages. It was and maybe still is the 13 largest refinery in the US.

On the downside, I doubt if it helps with prices, because they are going to want to make up for all their lost revenue while they were down.
 

Flintknapper

Well-known member
Premium Member

Equipment
L2350DT
May 3, 2022
1,558
1,991
113
Deep East Texas
I remember when it was $1.69/gal here and I told my coworker farmer buddy if he had a large farm fuel tank, he would be wise to fill it to the tip top.
When the past administration was in office (for most of it), in my area....I could buy a gallon of gas for less than a bag of ice, no kidding. Now I can't even completely fill my tank for $100.00

Gas Per Gal.jpg

Gas vs Ice.jpg


And NO....it's not 'Putin's' fault.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

Bmyers

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
May 27, 2019
3,151
3,628
113
Southern Illinois
Gassed up today, $4.89 a gallon. Took just over $80 to fill me up and I was a little under a half a tank. :(

Although I shouldn't complain, I usually gas up every other week, with my long 1.1 mile commute to work. If it wasn't for trips to the farm, I could go about four weeks on a tank of fuel.
 

Lil Foot

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
7,259
2,203
113
Peoria, AZ
Just filled up @ $5.37 for 87 octane. 🤬
 
  • Wow
Reactions: 1 users

radas

Well-known member

Equipment
2022 LX2610HST, 3rd Function, Rear Remotes, BH77
Mar 21, 2022
721
831
93
Michigan
4.99/gal in Michigan. Cost me $50+ to fill a compact car. Ridiculous.