From Refinery to Rack: How Diesel Fuel Gets to You
Stopping to fill up your truck with your Multi Service fuel card is a task well known by truck drivers who travel across the country on a daily basis. The path diesel fuel takes from the refinery to the station and ultimately into a carrier's big rig is a process some might not be familiar with.
The first thing to know about diesel fuel is that the base formula barely differs between refineries, where the process begins. There are minimum government standards that all diesel fuel must adhere to and the baseline product that flows through a network of pipelines -- such as the Magellan -- from refineries is just that. After the fuel leaves the refineries, it is piped to a fuel terminal where the trucks that will carry the fuel arrive.
This is the point where changes begin in the diesel depending on the destination of the fuel. The base fuel is delivered to the rack where it's pumped into the truck to ultimately deliver to the merchant. Different stations add their own blends to make their diesel a little bit different from competitors. As the fuel is being pumped from the wholesale fuel rack to the fuel truck, additives are included into the base diesel formula creating a "blend" that different companies market to customers, advertising various benefits such as better fuel efficiency, being more engine friendly and more.
While every consumer probably has their own opinion about which particular blend provides the best gas mileage or is the best for the truck, the truth of the matter is they’re all very similar. In addition to requirements for the base diesel fuel, there is a baseline requirement by law for the performance of the diesel and its performance with the additives included, which leaves the variance as nothing more than slight.
Stations such as Shell or BP will have their own blend delivered every time, so a driver knows he or she is getting that particular brand. Unbranded truck stops, though, will often purchase whatever diesel fuel blend is the most cost effective on that day so they can pass the savings on to the customer. Because of this, a driver could stop at the same truck stop on Monday as Thursday and be filling his or her big rig with a different blend each time.
Diesel fuel delivered to some stations often has no additives, which means the difference is even more slight between the fuels at those stations.
Ultimately, every truck driver and fleet has their own opinions about what the best ones for their rig are. It’s all about what fuel is best for you and your fleet.
Content brought to you by the Multi Service Fuel Card. It’s simply the best overall fleet fuel card value in the market today. We offer generous credit lines, a nationwide network of truck stops, the best customer service in the industry and much more.