Before this gets labelled as sucky...

[fireheart]

I just want to ask...

I had a guy tonight who made me stop 5 times for petrol vouchers. He tells me "I know it's a pain, but I buy fuel every day."

Guy looks to be in his 60's or older. Can someone name a situation where he'd need to buy fuel every day? The reason I'm asking is because I don't want to label him sucky without knowing all the facts. I can think of these situations:

-truck driver.
-courier.
-postal worker (most of the posties in Australia use motorbikes or motor trikes or in some cases even walk, but for parcels and express post, it's vans)
-deliveries for some other reason...

In all three, wouldn't fuel be reimbursed anyway? And if so, then what's the point of having twenty thousand petrol vouchers simply for that?

And for that matter, how can I deal with it without going off into a tangent?

[siead_lietrathua]

the only one i can think of where he may not be reimbursed if he is a door-to-soor salesman. like the avon ladies.

[Broomjockey]

Around here, you don't always get reimbursed, you get a "fuel allowance." Or a per mile. Or some other similar thing. Basically, they decide how much you should have spent, and give you *that* much. Not how much you actually spent. Some places even roll travel costs in to food and lodgings allowances, so if you go over on one, you're shorting the others.

If it doesn't happen often, just roll with it, don't bother questioning unless a manager starts giving you flack over it.

[bhskittykatt]

As a newspaper courier, I get a fuel allowance, not a reimbursement. I only fill up about every four or five days, though my routes aren't the largest (15 miles/day on average). No clue what my fuel allowance is; all I know is that if I take on more routes, they've cut the allowance in half for new contracts. I can keep the higher allowance on my current routes though.

[kendiara]

If he's older he may be visiting a spouse/significant other in an assisted living or nursing home facility. Depending on how far it is and how long the travel it can definitely require filling up every day. It also would explain why there isn't a reimbursement or allowance and why he needs to save the money.

[lordlundar]

Around here, you don't always get reimbursed, you get a "fuel allowance." Or a per mile. Or some other similar thing. Basically, they decide how much you should have spent, and give you *that* much. Not how much you actually spent. Some places even roll travel costs in to food and lodgings allowances, so if you go over on one, you're shorting the others.

If it doesn't happen often, just roll with it, don't bother questioning unless a manager starts giving you flack over it.

It's also dependant on the company. The bank refits I did gave a payment for fuel outside the city limits and pre arranged hotel stay for locations that made return trips hazardous from fatigue and in that case a food reimbursement of $45/day.

Best part about the fuel payment is that it applied whether you drove or were the passenger in a carpool. I made more from the travel time than I did on site.

[HYHYBT]

I remember a caller on 'Car Talk' who put something like 100,000 miles a year on his car as a home inspector. Most anything that requires appearing in person that is also uncommon enough that you'd have a wide service area can have you filling up several times a week.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I had a guy tonight who made me stop 5 times for petrol vouchers. He tells me "I know it's a pain, but I buy fuel every day."

Was he using petrol vouchers, buying them, or just picking them up?

It might be he is responsible for a fleet of vehicles and is using the vouchers for several vehicles.

And for that matter, how can I deal with it without going off into a tangent?

In a professional manner, of course.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

When I spent a week working at a different store, I gassed up every morning, because it was about a 180-mile round trip each day.

[fireheart]

Was he using petrol vouchers, buying them, or just picking them up?

He was splitting his $150 or so purchase into petrol vouchers. About 5 or 6 and I objected afterwards. We aren't actually allowed to do it, so the next time I see my manager, I'm going to ask her if there's a way we can deal with it.

For those who have fuel allowances, I know that my company does the same as well, however I can't remember how much exactly. It's only if you're travelling more than X number of kms though.

Spouse and/or significant other? His wife was with him.

[scruff]

I don't drive, but I know the drivers at my company complain that the expensis repayment they get from management is only a contribution, it doesn't cover their full costs. So yeah, if they can get their mitts on coupons, they will.

[Astrokitty]

My BF drove a truck OTR (over the road) for about a year and a half. (Just quit as they wouldn't let him take time off to see the doc when he had the flu) Even though he drove all over the US, he was only allowed to fuel at one particular brand of gas station, which were few and far between. It took two months for them to reimburse him for anything.

I guess there are several possibilities. For me it would depend on if the guy was "method" sucky. If he was demanding or apologetic.

[Ironclad Alibi]

So he spends a set amount and gets a petrol voucher? It sounds like he's just being cheap to get extra vouchers and put forth a lame excuse to justify it.

[aqutalion]

Was he filling up his own car or something else? I worked for an ambulance company for a brief time, and we had to fill up several times a day. It was in a rural area, and a trip to the nearest hospital used up half a tank of fuel. Company policy said the rig always had to be at at least 3/4 full, so we'd fill up after every run.

[Mystic]

I drive between 1 - 3 hours a day to get to work, equal distance to get home depending on where I'm working that day. The people I work for don't provide money for gas, but I do gas up every day as well. It's a pain in the ass and I need something more economical than my F-150.