ZT

 I don\'t know what you guys are paying for
 gasoline ... but here in California we are also
 paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my
 line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years
 now, so here are some tricks to get more of your
 money\'s worth for every gallon..
 
 Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work
 in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million
 gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline.
 One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and
 gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have
 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of
 16,800,000 gallons.
 
 Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the
 early morning when the ground temperature is
 still cold. Remember that all service stations
 have their storage tanks buried below ground. The
 colder the ground the more dense the gasoline,
 when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying
 in the afternoon or in the evening ... your
 gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum
 business, the specific gravity and the
 temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel,
 ethanol and other petroleum products plays an
 important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature
 is a big deal for this business. But the service
 stations do not have temperature compensation at
 the pumps.
 
 When you\'re filling up do not squeeze the trigger
 of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you
 will see that the trigger has three (3) stages:
 low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be
 pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the
 vapors that are created while you are pumping.
 All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you
 are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid
 that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those
 vapors are being sucked up and back into the
 underground storage tank so you\'re getting less
 worth for your money.
 
 One of the most important tips is to fill up when
 your gas tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this
 is, the more gas you have in your tank the less
 air occupying its empty space. Gasoline
 evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline
 storage tanks have an internal floating roof.
 This roof serves as zero clearance between the
 gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the
 evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where
 I work, every truck that we load is temperature
 compensated so that every gallon is actually the
 exact amount.
 
 Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck
 pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to
 buy gas, DO NOT fill up. Most likely the
 gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being
 delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt
 that normally settles on the bottom.
 
 Hope this will help you get the most value for
 your money.
 
 DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!