Just fueled my diesel pickup to the tune of $100.00 & didn't even get a full tank. I can't help getting madder than he-- when I remember working in a Chevron station in Ely NV back in the late 50's & early 60's. Back then reg. gas wes 39.9 cents a galllon, Ethyl was 43.9 cents and diesel was 17.9.
I challenge anyone to prove to me that it costs more to produce diesel fuel than it does to produce gasoline. If I'm not mistaken, diesel fuel is closer to the end of the distillation process and can actually be catalytically cracked to produce more gasoline (at a higher cost) to be sold for less at the pump.
Why then is diesel fuel so much more expensive? I submit (and defy anyone to prove me wrong) that the reason is this: At least 90% of diesel fuel is consumed by the freight transportation industry and they have NO CHOICE but to pay the price being charged. Well, I guess they do have a choice, they can go out of business.
Look around you and see what you can find that wasn't handled at some point by a truck. When you've finished this little exercise you oughta be starting to get the feeling you're getting screwed! Why? The transportation industry has to raise their freight charges to stay in business. We all pay those increased charges every time we buy something 'cause they have to be passed down to us.
The oil companies WILL make a profit come he-- or high water. Here's the catch, if they raise gasoline prices too far, people cut back on driving & they sell less gasoline. This doesn't happen except to a very very limited extent with diesel fuel for the reasons I outlined.
You'll hear or read CRAP about the prices being impacted by inventories. That's just a marketing B.S. ploy to try & throw us off the scent. Tell me, how it can be more expensive to produce gas or diesel when there is only an inventory of XXXX gallons of finished product than it is when there's an inventory of XXXXXXXXXXXXXX gallons? All this harangue is based on the assumption that the price of crude oil is a given percentage of the market price of fuels.
I've gotten on my soap box about this in the past and realize it doesn't do a whit of good but it does let me get it off my chest. I do wonder though what might happen if enough of us got mad enough to really make some noise about it.
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I hear ya I get 16mph on my Suv, its costing $$$$$ just to get work every day. You would think with 5 oil refinery's in Utah fuel would be a little cheaper But no the corporate cronies keep gauging us at the pumps. [pirate][mad][mad][mad]
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Regular here in California right now is anywhere from 3.95 to 4.25 a gallon. Diesel is on the average of 4.43 to 4.53 a gallon. Sucks, will be glad to back in Utah and appreciate the cheaper costs.
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I'm a sales rep, will have put on about 2000 miles by the end of today (7 days on the road). I feel your pain. I sold my diesel and went to a 1/2 ton. Premium was 4.39 last night when I filled it up. It's bullshit.
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They'll use any excuse to gouge us no doubt.However with diesel there are several factors for high prices. The conversion to low sulfur, higher taxes than gasoline and dramatically increased demand worldwide. In Europe and Asia a large percent of cars are diesel. When you have a couple billion Chinese and Indians using personal vehicles for the first time it adds up to huge increase in demand worldwide.
All that said diesel is still cheaper cost to get to the pump. My theory is they just figure out basic cost to travel a mile with gas and make diesel roughly the same cost per mile to use. So given that you get about 20% more mpg out of diesel they are going to charge you 20% more because they can and not because of true cost. I paid about $ 3.60 a gallon for gas at Costco on the weekend to fill up. Without checking I'm betting diesel is probable 20% more so roughly 4.32 right now. So you just have to accept there are advantages to diesel but they'll make sure cost is roughly on par to gas to maximize their profits. They aren't going to pass the lower price to you.
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I'd almost say "There oughta be a law." but if we get government any more involved, it'll get things so much more screwed up you wouldn't believe it.
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I run a small cattle and hay operation in Southeast Idaho. Cattle prices are higher than they have ever been in my lifetime as is the price of hay. All my friends think I'm rolling in money yet I am worse off than I have ever been because of production costs especially fuel. They are making it nearly impossible for anybody that is not a corporate farm to feed the world. I wish I knew how to stop it.
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Diesel at Smiths on 4700 so. West of Bangerter was $4.19 and I felt like I was getting a good deal. That's disgusting. $95 in the tank in just a couple minutes.
4" exhaust from the turbo, chip with programmer, EGR blocker with a finger stick to trick the computer, AFE air intake, LB7 downpipe, fuel filter change every 7000, etc, etc. All that for savings on fuel, not for power. I hardly ever get on the pedal. 16 mpg city for a one ton crew cab long bed truck ain't bad but I'm just not a car guy. I stopped and looked at a car for sale yesterday but I won't save any money short term [:/]. Just venting.
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Dump those diesels and get a Natural Gas truck. Both Ram and Chevy will release one this year.
You sales rep and drive alot guys need to look into a small NG powered car.
Why?
Natural gas is selling for $1.50 a gallon equiv.
Yes, you give up about 10% in HP, but you pay less than 50% for fuel, do the math. I'll give up 30 hp from a 330 hp engine to fill it for $50 instead of $100
Then there is the thing about how we supply most of our own NG, very little is imported.
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good point. from what i have read as well is you can fill up with NG, and top off with a tank of gas as well.
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Can those natural gas engines pull a 30 FT. 5th wheel and a 20 FT. boat up and down our mountain roads here? Just curious, not trying to be a "smart ass" [crazy] The bright side is when the elections our over and the current president gets re-elected everything will get better[:/][pirate][mad][:/][pirate][mad][:/][pirate]. Now I'm trying to be a "smart ass".
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Short answer, Yes they can. The CNG model of the Silverado has the same tow capacity as the gasoline model in the same engine/trans package. They are not to what the big diesels will drag yet, but they will be in the next year or two,
You give up about 10% in HP, not torque. Torque pulls the load up the hill, HP just keeps it going.
Modern Trannies help, 6 speed auto's that sense what gear is needed adapt well to NG, you may pull Parleys at 60mph with that load instead of 65, but you'll pull it for $3 instead of $10. A trip to the gorge will be less than half the fuel expence it is now. LESS THAN HALF!
Worth it to me, maybe not everyone, but it is to me.
As stated above, these trucks will also have a 10 gallon or so gasoline tank (the truck switches automatically and seamlessly) in case you can't find CNG when it's needed, but given that many fleets of tractor trailor trucks are being replaced with NG powered tractors, that will soon be a problem of the past as well. Flying J plans to offer NG at all of it's stations by the end of 2013.
Notice how your garbage truck is now so quiet? It's CNG powered, most new buses are too.
Here's an article on the shift of big trucks to CNG.
[url "http://www.torquenews.com/1080/commercial-vehicle-shift-natural-gas-spurring-mini-boom"]http://www.torquenews.com/1080/commercial-vehicle-shift-natural-gas-spurring-mini-boom[/url]
Sure going to be good for those folks to spend only $200 a day on fuel instead of $500. That's another $300 per day in the pocket, $1500 a week, $75,000 per year in income.
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Notice how your garbage truck is now so quiet? It's CNG powered, most new buses are too.
Here's an article on the shift of big trucks to CNG.
[url "http://www.torquenews.com/1080/commercial-vehicle-shift-natural-gas-spurring-mini-boom"]http://www.torquenews.com/...s-spurring-mini-boom[/url]
Sure going to be good for those folks to spend only $200 a day on fuel instead of $500. That's another $300 per day in the pocket, $1500 a week, $75,000 per year in income.[/quote]
And as more of them get converted over and as more power plants switch the price will climb too.
If there was a time to do it, it would be now so that you can enjoy the savings while they are there to be had.
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Yes more power plants are switching over, but we have billions of CU FT of it. Billions and billions and billions. So much that production has already been cut back because there is so much NG and not enough demand.
It will be a long time before the price gets anywhere near gas and the best part is that it comes from right here. No matter what the crazies in the middle east do, it won't change the prices. Very little refining is needed as well, so when a hurricane hits the gulf, it won't change the price either.
The price is very stable compared to oil products, we have a 200 yr supply already known about and it's way cheaper to drill for, pipe to where it's needed and use. It also is cleaner to the air so there will be less pollution when we use it.
That is the main reason electric plants are switching, to avoid being charged for the pollution coal burning gives off.
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I drove by Maverick on Redwood Road and 1700 South, diesel fuel was $4.01/gallon. That's the cheapest I've seen fuel for a while. I flipped the Dirty around and topped her off. Hopefully this is a sign of prices dropping [:/]
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unless you are pulling somthing all the time, get a gas truck, cheaper in cost, cheaper in maintenance, cheaper in gas. might not pull as good but do you really need that if your not pulling all of the time.
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A few ways to save on fuel..
Shop at Smith and use the card they give out..
If you buy from BASS PRO or Cabela's or eat out get the gift cards..(not the credit cards)
and get up to TWO $ off up to 35 gals of gas or fuel..
It helps to take the bite out, but the tax on gas and fuel is up there as well..
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Be happy you not out whare in am in So Cal prices in town average $4.59/gallon in Callabasas the prices are around $5.69. Here is a link for the story out here in Calif. Enjoy what you got now, its getting ugly here.
[url "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121006/us-california-gasoline-prices/"]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121006/us-california-gasoline-prices/[/url]
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I feel your pain Tom. And while it costs me basically the same to fill my tanks, I get 1/2 the mileage you do.
Remember that demand governs the price of any product, not supply and demand. For each new diesel drinking pickup that entered the highway the suppliers found another victim. their dusty old excuse that supply is low is BS when in actuality its the demand for diesel fuel to feed the now pollular diesel pickup is high so the fuel suppliers get what they ask for their product.
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[cool][#0000ff]I'm witchoo Tom. Like yourself, I am retired and need to watch the expenses. And we can both remember when it seemed outrageous when gas prices first exceeded 50 cents a gallon. These days the taxes alone are three times that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have plenty of peeves about the market-driven pricing and the artificial "drivers" that keep prices going upward even when there is absolutely no good reason for them to be so high.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here is something I just got in an email that is worthy of thought.[/#0000ff]
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[font "Times"][size 5]President Obama could lower gasoline prices instantly — if he wanted to do so, which he does not want to do.[/size][/font]
[font "Times"][size 5]Abolishing the ethanol mandate requiring ethanol to be blended with gasoline at the pump or waiving the Renewable Fuel Standard would: (1) lower gasoline prices by millions of dollars; (2) result in billions of miles of free travel annually; (3) prevent millions of tons of additional carbon dioxide from being emitted into the air; and (4) improve national security and the energy picture since it is impossible for US ethanol to ever replace foreign oil imports. [/size][/font]
[font "Times"][size 5]
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[font "Times"][size 5]Specific technical details at: [url "http://www.selgraham.com/"]http://www.selgraham.com/[/url][/size][/font]
[font "Times"][size 5][/size][/font][font "Times"][size 5][/size][/font]
[font "Times"][size 5]Sel Graham is the author of the book "Why Your Gasoline Prices Are High"[/size][/font]
[url "http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000030339/Why-Your-Gasoline-Prices-Are-High.aspx"]http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000030339/Why-Your-Gasoline-Prices-Are-High.aspx[/url]
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