"Just the drink" at truck stops

Gas stations & convenience stores (AM/PM, 7-Eleven, etc.)
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Brian Lutz
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"Just the drink" at truck stops

Post by Brian Lutz »

Lately I've been spending a fair bit of time on the road between a recent move and several road trips, and I've noticed that at a lot of the truck stops (mostly Loves, but also at several Pilot/Flying J and TA locations) if the only thing you are buying is a cup drink (either a coffee or a soda,) often they will just give it to you without charge. They will still charge you if you are buying other items, but will rarely charge for "just the drink". I've had this happen often enough that I'm wondering if there is some unwritten rule about this. It makes sense that they would want to encourage people to stay alert on the road, and they probably don't make much profit off the fountain drinks anyway.
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Re: "Just the drink" at truck stops

Post by storewanderer »

Brian Lutz wrote: November 27th, 2022, 11:53 am Lately I've been spending a fair bit of time on the road between a recent move and several road trips, and I've noticed that at a lot of the truck stops (mostly Loves, but also at several Pilot/Flying J and TA locations) if the only thing you are buying is a cup drink (either a coffee or a soda,) often they will just give it to you without charge. They will still charge you if you are buying other items, but will rarely charge for "just the drink". I've had this happen often enough that I'm wondering if there is some unwritten rule about this. It makes sense that they would want to encourage people to stay alert on the road, and they probably don't make much profit off the fountain drinks anyway.
This is a pretty common practice in the convenience store business in general I have noticed over the years. I've had it happen at just about every c-store chain every now and then and there is no rhyme or reason. I can't recall the last place it happened to me but it was fairly recent; may have been a corporate Chevron in CA. The large chain truck stops do not just give anything away per their policies, things like free drinks/free showers for truck drivers are loaded to loyalty cards and supposed to be rung through that way.

There are other chains that really do have promotions for a free drink with gas purchase. Terrible Herbst in NV has a program where you get a free item with any fuel purchase. You have to watch an ad on the pump, then watch a listing of their specials, then the pump will display a list of free items and you press the key for which one you want and it prints a coupon out while you are fueling. The current items include a 16oz Hot, 30oz Cold, Minute Maid Agua Fresca, or some strange 20 oz. Dr. Pepper flavor that they don't seem to carry (so they give you any 20 oz Dr. Pepper free). But I have noticed when going into the store they basically offer these items free to anyone who walks up to the counter with them, with or without a coupon.
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Re: "Just the drink" at truck stops

Post by Super S »

I don't stop at truck stops a whole lot, perhaps due to the fact that many were not staffed well during Covid and weren't really operating restaurants etc. with reasonable hours...and with many such as Love's offering fast food choices only they aren't the great places to eat they used to be.

But on a related note...On occasion I will stop at a fast food drive-thru to get something to drink when it is late and I am pressed for time. Maybe it's just due to it being close to closing, but a few times I have been told that my drink is free when I got to the window. On at least one occasion I was not charged for a milkshake, but more often it will be a pop or coffee.

In Washington, rest areas used to be regularly staffed by volunteer organizations (which accept donations) offering free coffee, hot chocolate, and sometimes other drinks and cookies. After Covid, I have noticed that these are often unstaffed much of the time. This might have something to do with truck stops/fast food restaurants offering free drinks.
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Re: "Just the drink" at truck stops

Post by HCal »

Brian Lutz wrote: November 27th, 2022, 11:53 am Lately I've been spending a fair bit of time on the road between a recent move and several road trips, and I've noticed that at a lot of the truck stops (mostly Loves, but also at several Pilot/Flying J and TA locations) if the only thing you are buying is a cup drink (either a coffee or a soda,) often they will just give it to you without charge. They will still charge you if you are buying other items, but will rarely charge for "just the drink". I've had this happen often enough that I'm wondering if there is some unwritten rule about this. It makes sense that they would want to encourage people to stay alert on the road, and they probably don't make much profit off the fountain drinks anyway.
On the contrary, fountain drinks are among the most profitable items. The concentrated syrup costs a few cents, add in a few more cents for the water, cup and lid. It's almost pure profit.

I haven't seen this, but I suppose it's a good way to build loyalty and keep drivers coming back. Perhaps they will remember the free drink and stop by another time to get gas, snacks, or motor oil.
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Re: "Just the drink" at truck stops

Post by storewanderer »

HCal wrote: November 28th, 2022, 2:40 pm

On the contrary, fountain drinks are among the most profitable items. The concentrated syrup costs a few cents, add in a few more cents for the water, cup and lid. It's almost pure profit.

I haven't seen this, but I suppose it's a good way to build loyalty and keep drivers coming back. Perhaps they will remember the free drink and stop by another time to get gas, snacks, or motor oil.
I think it is employee driven/random. This has been going on for MANY years. It is usually not something the employee does for a whole shift but just to random customers as a gesture of generosity or something.

I remember 20 years ago there was a Beacon in Granite Bay, at the time, corporate owned, Diamond Shamrock. They for months just said "fountain is on the house here" and waived you by, it did not matter when you went or who was working. It wasn't advertised in writing anywhere. The station was divested in the Valero/Diamond Shamrock merger to USA who promptly started to charge for the drinks.

Another one is Pilot- Pilot had some stores in TN that were just convenience stores (not truck stops). At those Pilot sites they had a sticker on the pumps- if your receipt does not print, please come inside for free coffee or fountain on us and request your receipt. Never saw that at the Pilot truck stops and not sure how they accounted for that offer when a customer redeemed it.
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