Filling up trucks?

[aeh87]

Hello, I'm at Kingston University and am doing a project on fuel consumption. I was just wondering whether truck drivers use the same pumps to fill up their tanks as car drivers or are there special pumps at service stations for trucks and HGV drivers?
Would be very gratful for a reply.
Many thanks,
Amie

[jack knife]

trucks use different pumps. the hose and handle are bigger to allow more fuel flow

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by aeh87

Hello, I'm at Kingston University and am doing a project on fuel consumption. I was just wondering whether truck drivers use the same pumps to fill up their tanks as car drivers or are there special pumps at service stations for trucks and HGV drivers?
Would be very gratful for a reply.
Many thanks,
Amie

most of america's car's use gasoline. so the average consumer will typically go to a service station, or min-mart, or where ever else gasoline is sold. the hose and the nozzles are of average size perhaps to those in your country. many service stations DO sell diesel fuel as well for those american cars (or foreign cars) that require diesel fuel. those hose's and nozzles are usually the same size as well.

now, a "big rig", CAN use a service station or min-mart fuel island, as long as the trucks can go under the canopy that typically covers the fuel islands. most can fit under by the way. however, many time the price for diesel fuel "may be" higher priced there than say a typical truckstop.

now at truckstops, or service plaza's or travel centers as they are called nowadays, the diesel fuel island, and the gasoline islands are at different locations on the property (most times).

the diesel fuel nozzle "may be" a bit larger, but not too noticable to the average person. however the fuel nozzle's at these locations are "rapid-fill" or "high-volume", or "high-flow". meaning they pump,the fuel many times faster than the average nozzle. and a driver had better secure the nozzle in the tank, or face the all too real possibility that the nozzle will fall out and pump many gallons onto the ground, now making a hazardous spill, and a spill that has to be reported to the local officials.

[vwaggs]

We don't normally refer to them as HGV's. They are commonly referred to as Commercial Motor Vehicles or Combination Vehicles. Slang; Big Trucks, Big Rigs, Semis or 18 Wheelers.

Most of them get between 5 and 6.5 Miles Per Gallon. As the U.S. has many different climates, they are idled for many hours to provide heat or air conditioning, using about a gallon of fuel an hour. As the price of fuel has gone up, APU's providing heat and air conditioning are becoming popular among smaller companies and owner operators. Larger companies feel they are to expensive to justify use. In the past several years, truck stops, places to eat, fuel and park, have started installing convenience units that provide heat/air/cable tv and other convenioences for a price. Some states regulate whether trucks are allowed to idle more than 5-10 minutes. This is with little or no regard to the drivers ability to stay warm in freezing weather or cool in extremely hot weather.
The rapid increase in fuel is putting a large amount of pressure on these procedures. Trucking companies in general, want to discourage their drivers from idling and want them to pay for their own means to heat and cool, via truckstop paystations. States are pushing for the trucks not to idle again pushing the drivers into paying for their own heating/cooling. At the same time, truck drivers in general are grossly underpaid and companies are trying to further lower that to offset fuel costs. Most drivers live in their trucks about 45 or more weeks a year and average around $900 to 1000 a week for doing so. To then require they pay more than 10% of that to be able to sleep and rest in comfort is an unfair burden.

Hope we all gave you some help and directions to pursue. Good Luck on your project.

[SPACECADETwACDL]

Originally Posted by pro1driver

the diesel fuel nozzle "may be" a bit larger, but not too noticable to the average person. however the fuel nozzle's at these locations are "rapid-fill" or "high-volume", or "high-flow". meaning they pump,the fuel many times faster than the average nozzle.

I know you've probably seen them, but down here in my neck of the woods, some of the nozzle's are so big they won't fit in a standard diesel pickup fill neck. Larger diameter hose and nozzle, for high volume/low pressure, to reduce foaming.