Costco does not mark up and sometimes lose on gas, I know this because I am friends with somebody who works for their Corp purchasing. They use the gas station to draw in the customers, which makes sense. While you are in the area, you will shop. Or vice versa, while shopping, you will get gas.

 

They survey the cost of gas within a determined number of miles around and they set the price at least 5 cents below regardless of their cost.

 

I use Giant Eagle gas because we get the fuel perks, but there have been rumors that their gas isn't that great. I don't know what to believe, so I guess I'll start shopping around and tracking my mileage. But Giant Eagle or Country Fair are the two we use the most due to convenience.

 

I live in Eastern PA (yeah I know,the ******* part) and I never heard of either of those gasoline companies.

 

Same tankers going to different gas-stations? that would be very unacceptable! but i have seen chevron with their own tankers with their chevron logo marked on the side. but that gets me thinking..i will pay more attention to tankers from now on.

Well thanks to most of you for your suggestions of gas. There's many of you that suggested many gas companies that aren't even around my area, but seems like Shell is the most popular. Hmm..ill think between Chevron and Shell.. i personally love Chevron!

 

it's all the ****** part at times...

Giant Eagle is a grocery store that offers .10 off a gallon of gas with every $50 purchase, and Country Fair is a convenience store. Are you familiar with Kwikfill? What gas do you use?

 

For me, Sam's Club:
1. Closest to where I live (1 or 2 minutes drive depend on lights)
2. On the same way when I drop my kid off at school
3. Walmart with their money power usually buy the same gas as the name brand folks. You'll be surprise where they buy their motor oil and rename it to their own. Just DON'T use their oil filter - Last I checked, they use Champions.
4. 20-30 cents cheaper per gallon for the same grade (Shell and Chevron). I do like Shell and Chevron however (Good gas), but the current economy just make it a no brainer.

 

Mostly Shell

 

Like other posters have stated... The irony here is you really don't know who's gas you put in the tank. Top tier/bottom tier, it doesn't matter when it's commingled when transferred in shared pipelines. So the only thing that differentiates gas is techron, v-power, etc.

According to the DoE:
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexpla...gasoline_where

From Refinery to Consumer

After crude oil is refined into gasoline and other petroleum products, the products must be distributed to consumers. The majority of gasoline is shipped first by pipeline to storage terminals near consuming areas and then loaded into trucks for delivery to individual gas stations.
Gasoline Is Sent Through Shared Pipelines Where Commingling Occurs

Gasoline and other products are sent through shared pipelines in “batches.” Since these batches are not physically separated in the pipeline, some mixing or “commingling” of products occurs. This mixing is why the quality of the gasoline and other products must be tested as they enter and leave the pipeline to make sure they meet appropriate specifications.

Whenever the product fails to meet local, State, or Federal product specifications, it must be removed and trucked back to a refinery for further processing.

Can I Tell Which Country or State the Gasoline at My Local Station Comes From?

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) cannot definitively say where gasoline at a given station originated since EIA does not collect data on the source of the gasoline sold at retail outlets. The name on the service station sign does not tell the whole story. The fact that you purchase gasoline from a given company does not necessarily mean that the gasoline was actually produced by that particular company’s refineries.
Gasoline Brands Get Mixed During Shipment

While gasoline is sold at about 162,000 retail outlets across the Nation, about one-third of these stations are "unbranded" dealers that may sell gasoline of any brand. The remainder of the outlets are "branded" stations, but may not necessarily be selling gasoline produced at that company’s refineries. This mixing of brands occurs because gasoline from different refineries is often combined for shipment by pipeline, and companies owning service stations in the same area may be purchasing gasoline at the same bulk terminal.

The only difference between the gasoline at station X and the gasoline at station Y may be the small amount of additives that those companies add to the gasoline before it gets to the pump.
Crude Oil also Gets Mixed at the Refinery

Even if we knew which company’s refinery produced the gasoline, the source of the crude oil used at that refinery may vary on a day-to-day basis. Most refiners use a mix of crude oils from various domestic and foreign sources. The mix of crude oils can change based on the relative cost and availability of crude oil from different sources.

 

There you go...nuff said. Gas is like blended whiskey, you'll never know which distillery they came from. Could be from Highland, Midland or Lowland.

 

They can't do that here in WI since there are laws that require stations to have a minimum markup.

 

I guess maybe it is State specific. Or maybe I am totally wrong.

Why would WI require a mark-up? What's the logic?

 

Basic gasoline is all the same. As mentioned, it all flows in the same pipelines and sits in common storage tanks awaiting delivery. When it is ordered by a station the additives are added as it is mixed and transferred to the tanker. That additive package includes the ethanol plus all the detergents and in Shell's case also the Nitrogen.

The EPA mandates a minimum level of detergents. Since many auto manufacturers observed that the minimum level was not enough to keep their engines operating at peak performance they developed the TopTier rating to encourage suppliers to deliver better gasoline.

If you car runs fine on cheap gas be happy. Mine does not. If I use cheap gas, my RX330 stinks of rotten eggs. The dealer has checked and rechecked this vehicle and it is in proper tune. When I burn better gas (TopTier gas) the car doesn't stink. I was told by the dealer that continued use of crap gas would eventually destroy the cat and that's is a $$$ piece to replace. And yes, I've had the TSIB applied that was supposed to deal with this smell.

So there is a difference. That difference may not be obvious in all vehicles but it is in mine.

 

This is their idea.
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/publ...im_2006_05.pdf

 

Maybe they add the additives at the tank farm when filling a truck tank?