“I get 5 more mpg’s when I use this brand of diesel or gas.”
“That cheap gas station must water down it’s fuel.”
You’ve probably heard these comments before, but are they just old wives tales or is there really a big difference between branded and unbranded diesel fuel?
What Is A Branded Diesel Station Compared To An Unbranded?
Branded gas stations have signage that correlates with the brand of fuel they sell. Branded gas stations have to sell the brand of fuel as advertised and cannot switch between different brands of fuel. For example, Exxon stations sell Exxon fuel, Shell stations sell Shell Fuel, etc..
Some Major Fuel Brands In The U.S. Include;
- Shell
- Chevron
- Conoco
- Exxon
- Mobile
- Valero
- Arco
- Tesoro
- Texaco
- BP
- Sinclair
Unbranded gas stations on the other hand can carry any type of fuel they want whether it is branded fuel or unbranded fuel. So the unbranded gas station across the street could be selling the same brand name fuel for 10¢ cheaper gallon.
Keep in mind big name truck stops and gas stations are even considered unbranded stations because their name doesn’t correlate with the fuel they sell.
What’s The Difference Between Branded and Unbranded Gas or Diesel?
All diesel and gas is required by law to be refined to certain specifications, which includes a specific level of additives. All fuel whether it’s unbranded or branded MUST meet these requirements before it is distributed.
The difference is some large name branded fuel companies have marketed additive packages that exceed the level of the standard fuel requirements to attract more customers to their locations and get a higher price per gallon at the pump. For example Chevron Techron, Shell V-Power, Exxon Mobil Fuel Technology Synergy, etc..
How much additional additives do these companies add to the fuel? I don’t know. It could be as little as one cup for 20,000 gallons.
Again, that’s really the major difference between unbranded and branded diesel and gasoline, those heavily marketed extra additives.
Since automakers are already making cars and trucks to run on gas or diesel that reaches the standard government requirements, extra additives aren’t necessary. So many argue that paying for the marketed brand name is really just an extra expense.
But if it makes you feel better, by all means buy the branded fuel.
So What’s The Best Brand Of Diesel Fuel For Your Fleet?
It’s really up to you. If you’re more comfortable paying extra for a branded fuel, fill up with branded diesel. If you would rather shop price, you’ll be ok too because unbranded diesel is safe for your truck too.
What’s The Best Place To Get Diesel Fuel?
If you don’t care about purchasing a specific brand of diesel, it’s all about finding the stations that is best fit for your vehicle. If you operate a large diesel 18-wheeler, the best place to get diesel fuel is at a truck stop or a cardlock fuel station.
If you have a diesel utility card or pickup truck you can fill up at almost any gas station that has diesel.
