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FUEL - All rewards points should belong to the
driver, no matter who pays for the fuel. |
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1a) Rewards - Truck Stops
1b) Rewards - non Truck Stops
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a) Lots of regional gas stations also offer rewards
cards good for instore items. (too many to list)
b) Major credit cards
sometimes have promotional offers
c) Groups such as 'Plenti' and
'MakeItCount' are a mix of gas and retail rewards. Plenti closed mid 2018. The
ScoreCard looks like it can be used at BP, Shell, Citgo and Alon.
Do your
own research
Make It Count -
Score |
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2) Discounts - Gas
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a) Many gas chains offer cents off at the pump. Pilot
Flying J and Road Ranger have a separate card for gas discounts. (NOTE: There
are many types of Pilot/J cards, be sure you useing the correct one) Shell and
BP are two major chains offering cents off on a limited number of gallons per
day. You may only get the discount on the first 20 gallons of the 40 gallons
you need and have to restart the pump.
b) Using a gas credit card can also
save you money at those stations.
c) Your company may also get discounts at
spectific chains
Pilot / Flying J
- BP -
Shell |
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2) Discounts - Diesel
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3) Location
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a) Fuel where you fit. Diesel may be cheaper at the
convience store, but if you damage your vehicle it will cost your more in the
long run.
b) Even if your company is paying for the fuel, it does not mean
they will cover the expense of running out. All of those charges may be
deducted from your pay. |
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4) Fuel prices
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a) Use GasBuddy to find cheap fuel
b) If you don't
mind carrrying a lot of cash, that is likely going to be your biggest
discount
c) Once you have driven for a while you will notice that fuel is
cheaper in some parts of the country than others and cheaper at some stations
than others.
d) Just because a place has a good price on gas does not mean
its a good price on diesel
Gas
Buddy |
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5) Alternative fuels - CNG, LNG, propane
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a) KNOW YOUR STATIONS - Not all stations
will take cash or credit cards. Some only take their company card. Many of the
stations are remote without personal or restrooms.
b) Know where the
stations are. A good rule of thumb is fuel when you can get past the next
station or back to your prior station.
c) Unless your company has told you
to take a specific route, go the route that has an excise of stations. If you
run out, you will be towned to the closest station. Again running out of fuel
is not your companies fault and they aren't likely to pay for it.
d) Kwik
Trip are the only stations I know of that offer rewards points on atlernative
fuel
e) Check the links for sites that lists CNG locations.
CNG Prices -
US
Dept of Energy - Cean
Energy - Trillium (includes
Loves) -
KwikTrip |
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MOTELS |
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1) Dealing with the motels direct
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a) Some motels offer a better rate online than at the
door. You may also earn extra rewards points reserving online.
b) Major
chains have rewards programs that equal free nights for points earned.
c)
The higher priced the motel, the bigger the discount they can offer
d) The
major rewards groups that truckers use are
... Wyndham Rewards - Includes
Days Inn, Super 8, Ramada, Microtel and Baymont
... Choice Privileges -
Includes Rodeway, EconoLodge, Quaility Inn and Sleep Inn
... Hello Rewards -
Includes Knights Inn, Guest House, America's Best Value and Country
Hearth
... Holiday, Hilton, etc also have group rewards
... As do some
non-group motels
e) If you are using rewards points to pay for the room, get
a copy of what you sign when you get to the hotel. Some locations do not know
how to print non-invoice recepits once they have processed the stay.
Choice Privileges -
Wyndham
Rewards - Hello
Rewards - Bestwestern
- Drury Rewards -
Redroof
Redicard |
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2) CLC / Corprate Lodging
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a) This one seems to be one of a kind for now
b)
You must have a credit card on file and book through CLC.
c) I've found CLC
the best site for finding truck parking
d) Rates are better than posted, but
you may get better rates than CLC if you have a discount with a major
group.
e) Rewards points may or may not be earned depending on the specific
location you are staying at.
f) Watch for hidden fees and things that are
not included in the base price.
CLC
/ Corprate Lodging |
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3) Other types of discounts
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a) Senior and major groups like AAA, AARP and AMAP
offer motel discounts.
b) Other organizations & buisinesses also may
have negotiated discounts with motel. Check with any that you belong to.
c)
Or just ask the front desk if they have a CDL/truckers rate.
d) Hotels 4
Truckers is a FREE listing of discounts, but sign in is required. '100% Truck
Friendly Motels,' this can be very important coming into a new town.
AAA - AARP -
AMAP - Hotels4truckers |
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4) 3rd party pricing
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a) Their are many online web sites offering discount
prices. I only have links to a few.
b) The up side is they do offer good
rates.
c) Depending on which service you use, you don't know which motel you
are paying for until after you pay. Which can be a problem if you need large
truck parking.
d) Also if there are any issues, you now have an extra player
to deal with.
e) I found it hard to get a receipt to have for DOT
purposes.
f) You likely will not earn rewards points when booking through a
third party
Tripadvisor -
Kayak -
Priceline -
Hotels.com |
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5) Coupon books
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a) Even in this electronic age, there are
still coupon books that can be picked up at rest areas, truckstops or
resaurants. The links are to the companies that also have printed books.
b)
There are also many online only coupon sites.
Hotel
Coupons - Nation wide
ATSI -
Midwest << NA as of Oct 2022
Travel Coupons - East Coast
<< NA as of Oct 2022 |
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6) Sleeper berth -
Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration |
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TRAVEL |
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1) Air and rental cars
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a) Just about every company offers a
frequent flier rewards or rental rewards/discounts.
b) You will likely get
the best rates by comparing prices on sites like Priceline and Kayak. You do
not have to purchase your travel through these sites to use the sight, but they
do offer extras that you should know about.
c) If you have a group discount,
you may get a better rate reserving directly with the company.
d) Not all
companies are listed on search sights. Southwest Airlines is one that may not
be listed.
e) Book early. There is no charge (yet) for missed rental car
pickups.
f) Some drivers prefer to stick with one company because of the
status and discounts they earn. Price isn't always everything.
Expedia -
Kayak -
Priceline -
Skyscanner |
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2) Bus and Train
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a) The train can be a nice alternative for
those that do not like to fly. IF you are near a train route. Many crosscountry
trains only run once a day.
b) BusBud is one search site that lists multiple
bus companies.
Buses do still service a good share of the country. But
because they are not listed on other travel search engines I am listing more of
them here.
c) If you are consistently doing the same route, both Megabus and
Bolt (Greyhound express) offer seats as low as $1. (You've got a better chance
of using the ticket than winning the loto)
d) REMEMBER when you buy a ticket
for the bus, route and time are not guaranteed. If the bus is full when you get
to the door, you are on the next bus. Get in line early.
Amtrak -
Busbud -
Tailways -
Greyhound
Megabus - Peter Pan -
Jefferson -
Badger < WI only -
Coach USA -
Trailways -
Land Line < MN only |
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MONEY |
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1) Getting paid
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a) Trucking companies in general use
Comdata style companies to pay drivers, cover repains, etc
b) Your company
will most likely issue you one of these card to pay you on and / or advance
monies for major repairs and other expenses incured unexpectedly.
c) These
cards may also entitle you to additional discounts. It would be good to
research them once you get yours.
Comdata - EFS - Fuel Man -
Fleet One -
Wex |
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PAPERLESS LOGS |
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1) Driveaway is exempt from the ELD
mandate.
2) Paperless logs are permitted with requirements
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a) Driveaway companies do not have to
allow paperless logs.
b) There is very little advantage to using a paperless
log unless your company is set up to receive them in an electronic
format.
c) Here are links to a number of free paperless log apps. The
companies are coming and going quickley so all links may not be active or
current or they may no longer be free.
Big Road - Motive (Keep Trucking) -
Bit ELD -
Posi
trace HOS |
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MAPS |
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1) Until you have done driveaway for a while,
you may want to carry a paper map. A truckers atlas would be best but even a
pocket Rand McNally would be better than nothing. Plastic pages are a plus as
is a spiral insted of a bound one.
2) If a state has banned 'electronic
devices' for drivers. That ban includes anything on your phone including maps
and your camera.
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a) The Pocket Truck Stop Guide may be the
best $5 you spend. It lists truckstops and rest areas by exit number
b) the
Next EXIT is a larger book that is geared to not just truckers. It includes
motels and restuarants.
The Pocket
Truck Stop Guide - the Next EXIT |
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WEATHER |
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BREAKDOWN |
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