Sound Off on Current Diesel Price

Living on the boarder can have it's advantages. I can't tell you the last time I bought fuel in Charlotte. Always run across the state line and save about 20 cents. That's changing as SC is raising their fuel taxes.

$2.48 yesterday in Lake Wylie, SC. I like filling her 14 gallon tank instead of my 26.

Diesel $2.54 in Laurel, MS

$3.00 in Lowell, MI

Bought at $2.44 at QT.

$2.33 for RUG and $2.89 for diesel at the local Speedway.

Lightflyer1 said:

Bought at $2.44 at QT.

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That is my finding every fall when I drive to Mexico.
I don't dare to fuel up in either Michigan or Ohio. I wait until I hit Ky. and from there prices go down with the lowest being in Texas.
I never fuel up right on the highway. I usually stop around noonish for an early dinner and fill up well off the highway.
Two differences, fuel prices are lower and no two tier pricing. Cash vs CC.

$3.42 a gallon in SE Idaho, ugh..

The gasbuddy app helps to find the cheapest nearby fuel.

Diesel prices have been in a narrow band for nearly a year, and in just a slightly wider band for the last two years.

Jetta_Pilot said:

I never fuel up right on the highway. I usually stop around noonish for an early dinner and fill up well off the highway.
Two differences, fuel prices are lower and no two tier pricing. Cash vs CC.

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Those without a cash price are just forcing cash customers to subsidize credit users. If some wants to use credit, I have no problem with that but they need to pay ALL their associated fees rather than forcing others to subsidize them. Maybe if two tier pricing was the norm for every retailer across the nation, there would be fewer instances of crippling credit card debt!

I wonder if having two prices is state specific. On road trips I see it in some states, not others. PA in particular seems to have it. Since I often don't carry cash anymore that's not going to work.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I wonder if having two prices is state specific. On road trips I see it in some states, not others. PA in particular seems to have it. Since I often don't carry cash anymore that's not going to work.

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State specific perhaps, I know in Cali there tends to be only gas stations in lower income areas and tending to be right off the freeway that differentiate from cc and cash sales. That being said, someone is paying the fees. Doubtful the seller is absorbing the costs of using the cards, so very likely it’s being lumped into one cost for both mediums. That being said, hardly anyone pays for fuel in cash now a days. Usually only for partial fill ups because a 20 in a truck is a quarter of a tank just t get you home for the night. Not to mention with gas prices, to fill a truck now a days it’s close to $100 bucks. Who carries that kinda cash around daily? Depending on where you live it is often discouraged to carry cash in large sums for a few reasons. Not to mention the trend to smaller and smaller wallets, meaning less room for wads or cash, and an increase in cards linked to cell phones for tap purchases.


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The weird thing I encounter in CA is ARCO stations that only take debit cards and cash. I don't like to use my debit card since the consequences of fraud are far more inconvenient than a credit card hack. But I guess they don't want to pay the CC fees.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

The weird thing I encounter in CA is ARCO stations that only take debit cards and cash. I don't like to use my debit card since the consequences of fraud are far more inconvenient than a credit card hack. But I guess they don't want to pay the CC fees.

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Yes I have seen this too. Costco doesn’t accept credit cards except the Costco membership linked city card. Only debit. I would assume fees, but Arco sells garbage fuel from everything I’ve been told.


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ProfBrown said:

Yes I have seen this too. Costco doesn’t accept credit cards except the Costco membership linked city card. Only debit. I would assume fees, but Arco sells garbage fuel from everything I’ve been told.


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First, ARCO is no longer a separate company. The company is now owned by Marathon except for Northern California, Oregon, & Washington where the name is licensed by BP. I've always used ARCO gas as it is Top Tier certified and the lowest priced of the Top Tier certified brands. My local ARCO stations in Oroville don't carry diesel though. The AM/PM convenience store name is owned by BP.


As for "garbage" fuel, in all of California it sells CARB gasoline & diesel (don't know about OR & WA); elsewhere it may be selling Marathon & Speedway crap nowadays.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

The weird thing I encounter in CA is ARCO stations that only take debit cards and cash. I don't like to use my debit card since the consequences of fraud are far more inconvenient than a credit card hack. But I guess they don't want to pay the CC fees.

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Yep, that is been their policy for about the last 35 - 40 years. They DO charge a fee for debit card use, however. I pay cash for security due to the massive proliferation of credit card skimmers at the pumps. It was real convenient when ARCO had cash pay kiosks at the islands, but they did away with them a few years back.

$3.89 Propel HPR, it’s actually the cheapest stuff in my area

Here in Prescott, AZ, most stations have just the one price, which currently is $3.099 average. However the Union 76 station has dual pricing: $3.059 for cash & Union 76 card and $3.109 for all other credit cards (couldn't see if debit card also).

Thus it looks like the credit fee/gallon is about 5¢ so those stations with one price is forcing all cash customers to pay 80% of the credit fee while giving cc users a 20% break on the fee. What this means is the one-price station is actually getting 8¢ in cc fee between 2 customers (1 cash the other cc) instead of the proper 5¢ or 160%! Talk about greed, those nickels add up!

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I wonder if having two prices is state specific. On road trips I see it in some states, not others. PA in particular seems to have it. Since I often don't carry cash anymore that's not going to work.

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I see it more brand specific. I usually get my fuel at the local QT and there is a Marathon/Kangaroo station across the street. Both typically have the same price on their signs but the Marathon has a 3 cent per gallon upcharge for using plastic. I rarely use cash for fuel since it's a pain in the butt to have to go into the store to ask them to turn the pump on and then back into the store to stand in line to pay for your fuel, or to get your change.

Oh, back on topic, I paid $2.68 for diesel last night in Fort Mill, SC. Well, at least that was the pump price before using the grocery points for a 50 cent reduction. Got to love finally having a local store and gas station offer points.

Found an old fuel slip.


9/30/2012 Diesel $4.40 a gallon in Southeastern Connecticut.

Just paid $3.44 at Smith’s with 3cents discount!

Reno,Nv

Local Citgo station near me (northeast WI) is at $2.69, has been for months with no change. Maybe it old diesel they want to get out before winter, but if so, they've been trying at a good price for a long time. No problem running it in my ride though.

Just got back from Prescott, AZ where it is $3.099 and saw the station around the corner here, is still the same as when I filled up 2 weeks ago, $3.399

Glad I am not where you live. Filled at $2.42. Regular gas at $1.97 can be found.

Lightflyer1 said:

Glad I am not where you live. Filled at $2.42. Regular gas at $1.97 can be found.

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Well, minimum 53 Cetane IS expensive!

Only if you feel you must have it. My local fuel seems to do just fine whatever the cetane is.

Lightflyer1 said:

Only if you feel you must have it. My local fuel seems to do just fine whatever the cetane is.

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No choice involved. CARB Diesel is required to be 53 cetane MINIMUM.

I was talking to a vendor rep this morning who previously worked for Navistar. He said one problem Ford is having with their diesels is dealing with the US's crappy fuel. He said that we were supposed to get 45 cetane nationwide, but if you test our fuel most of it is around 38. Not even the 40 that's promised.

I've driven a fair amount in Canada where fuel is 50 cetane, as I recall. Our cars run significantly better on that fuel. For years I ran B20 in my ALH, which should blend to about 48 cetane. Ran a lot better on that, too.

Well it isn't any better evidence than word of mouth but the Infineum fuel report shows differently. From the 2018 report:

East coast Max/Mean/Min
Cetane Number 40 (min) 52 47 43

Midwest
Cetane Number 40 (min) 60 48 42

West coast
Cetane Number 40 (min) 78 53 46