I picked up the following rumor about a fuel boycott while browsing the web yesterday. At first I thought that such a fuel boycott would be futile. I did a search on Google, and sure enough, there have been plenty of boycotts in the past, and they have failed to force a reduction in prices. However, they have failed because either a: They have tried an industry-wide boycott, and people just can’t cut back enough on driving to make a difference, or b: They have limited the boycott to just one day a week, and people just fill up ahead of time -- same result. This proposed boycott is different; it identifies specific corporate targets to be boycotted, and identifies specific price reductions to be rewarded with resumed patronage. Here’s the rumor:

"It seems time to protest the outrageous price of fuel these days by starting a boycott. It's obviously impossible to cut back on total consumption significantly; people won't/can't give their wheels. However, it is possible to pick ONE company and just buy somewhere else. If enough of us do it, they will be forced to cut prices in order to recover market share, and that might snowball into a price war. After all, there is really no shortage of fuel, such as happened in the 70's when the Arabs cut us off. They are using the boom in China as an excuse, but that doesn't wash; nobody is short of gas, diesel, fuel oil, or any other petroleum product. Meanwhile, the big oil producers are awash in profits.

To begin, we need to pick one national truck stop chain and one national big oil gas station chain. Lets pick out Pilot truck stops and Chevron service stations for all motorists to boycott. To paraphrase an old country song: "Just drive on by, -----." There are plenty of other fuel outlets to patronize.

Lets start buying from these outlets again when their prices are 15 cents below the competition, and continue as long as their prices remain 10 cents below.

Lets apologize in advance to the retailers caught up in this boycott. However, they will know exactly who to call to demand lower wholesale prices."

That’s the rumor, folks. Lets jump aboard and make it work. Labor Day is coming up. Make it REALLY hurt.

Warren

 

Never see me boycott a Pilot. Plus its kinda hard to boycott a Truck Stop, when a good majority of OVR drivers carry the Pilot Fuel Card. Pilot doesnt have any refineries, so all they do is buy from the next guy. You really want it to work, pick on a supplier with thier own refineries. Better yet pick on your State Gov's the ones that add 40-50 cents per gallon.

 

Thanks for the response, CS.

Warren

 

I have the same problem, first off The company I drive for picks the fuel stops, and the chain of choice is Pilot so I either fuel there or I find another job. and Chevron well I haven't seen one of those around here in 15yrs so guess it won't be hard to boycott them.
Edit, it's obvious whoever wrote that didn't do any research at all since Chevron only operates gas stations in 24 states, and British columbia, now if you also include it's subsidaries (the company is actually Chevron/Texico) then you should have said boycott Texico also, and and don't forget caltex, and since they just mergered with unocal then you got to include the unocal, and 76 stations which would include all of the TA truckstops, which other than mom, and pop places just leaves basically Petro, and Flying J truckstops, adn since most trucking companies use comdata fuel cards, and flying J doesn't except those that leaves Petro, and they aren't in every state.
Also don't forget if your really going to boycott them that means you shouldn't buy thier oil either so forget buying ford motorsport oil, or having you oil changed at a ford dealer (it's made by Texico).
Also you need to look into the convience stores to determine who they buy thier gas from (turns out all but the BP station here in town buy thiers from Texico so that means I would have to boycott all of them too) or it will have no affect on anything cause if you only boycott the brand named stations then the ones that buy the gas from the Company that your boycotting will pick up the market share, and they won't loose a dime, and actually probably make more money off it in the end.
Hopefully you understand what I am saying and that is basically boycotting a particular station will have zero affect the only boycott that would work is don't use the gas in the first place at all, adn that means everybody, which is why I suggest taking thier big target weekends, and not traveling but spend the holiday weekends at home.

 

Warren,
You are preaching to the choir here but the choir can't sing.
I'd say the percentage of drivers that would participate in ANY boycott might be about 0.0001%, that's not enough to cost a retailer a candy bar, and the distributor won't lose a dime. You need to do some research on spot market fuel buying, even IF, IF, a boycott were to work on a local level the only thing you would do is kill a mom & pop business. The oil companies are VERY diversified, they might not make the 3 cents you would have given for fuel but they'll make 10 cents out of that pork chop you eat at dinner. Why? Simple, how do you think it got to the store, walked?
They'll also make up differences in the thousands of other products they have their hands on.

It's a global economy big guy, and we're nothing but ants in a hole.
Personally, I have to fuel up, it would be a very long walk to work, all interstates, no mass transit.

 

Regardless of how noble the plan is, and how much effect you think it might have, the fact remains that regardless of how much we discuss the plan's merits, we only represent a tiny fraction of the people in the country. We can't decide on a lot of important issues, so picking which fuel company to boycott would take a year to decide.
I appreciate your frustration, and feel your pain, but I don't see how a relatively small group of people are going to cripple any of the major corporations that sell fuel.

 

Well I can tell you no matter what nothing is going to change till people attitude and habits change. In the last week gas prices have gone up 30+ cents, yet I just went past the local Cstore, and all but 1 pump had someone at it buying gas, and infact everytime I look down the street (I can see the place from my house) there is atleast 2 people buying gas at anytime so it's not slowed them down any.

 

Well guys, it sounds like its easier to wring your hands and find excuses than it is to make an effort. All you have to do is say "I won't buy from Chevron or Pilot", post it, and send emails to your friends saying it. Thats not much effort, is it? I've done it. In addition, this weekend I made a 500 mile round trip in a sedan at 30 mpg rather than in my rig at 11.5 mpg. And I fueled at Exxon. Thats 23 gallons less fuel consumed.
Warren

 

See vehicle #2.

450 miles on 15 gallons of #2@ 2.499 a gallon. thats 30 MPG of #2.

Thats my way of boycotting.

you really wanna boycott and suport your country, buy biodiesel, even if it is a lil more, its still goin to your american farmer. who buy the way is me...

Diesel Rod

 

Boycotts of that magnitude won't work in today's society. It would take something on the scale of Vietnam Demonstration to make any type of dent in the thinking pattern of big oil.

However, I will give you a suggestion that might. There are about 145,000 registered members on this forum board. Im sure many of the members are also members of other vehicle boards, I know I belong to at least three others. Web Master Listen Up

So if a standard petition/letter was drafted, were everyone could insert there name, and varies recipients, such as the President, secretary of energy, your local state legislation, senators, Govn. etc... and this letter was emailed to everyone of the people on a master list and to everyone on in your own individual area and if you could get five of your friends to do the same then I can assure you people would listen. If a half million complaints came rolling in from around the country in as little time as two or three weeks, politicians, would wake up real fast. First the media would catch on and then the net would catch on and the next thing you know is a movement. Its, Alices Restaurant.

 

Warren, your just not making any scense. Why Pilot? Because they are an american company, employing American people? And they have a very good reputation of treating thier employees good? Is that what you want? Seriously, is this some personal attack you have going or what. In a world where so many over seas companies are moving in and taking our American jobs, why set out to hurt another American company? Why not boycott 7-11? or better yet research all of the non US companies, and dont buy from them. Because ill bet your next gripe is why US jobs are leaving.

 

If you can't afford to fuel it, sell it.

 

it has nothing to do with affording it.... why should i give the middle east money to buy weapons to shoot at our soldiers?why should i give a oil company more money, when they dont give back to any major US charities or do anything noticable for the enviroment? i will not support either. i am going to buy a bike so i dont use as much gas. my annual expense will be the same, but less will go to the gas companies and middle east..

 

its a shame our president will hand purple hearts out to injured soldiers, then lets the middle east raise oil prices to buy more weapons and shoot at our soldiers. as a leader he is doing very little to help the problem..

 

claw please stay away from political attacks on here that is what gets threads closed, and then they will start stopping these types of discussions before they ever get going.
Thanks