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When do you usually fill up your gas tank?

Some drivers wait to refuel until they're near empty, while others swear by the "half tank rule." Essentially, these drivers refuel whenever they have half a tank of gas left. The purpose is to minimize the chance of running out of fuel on the road. This might not seem like a regular possibility, but it does happen. For example, you might be low on fuel and suddenly find yourself in a traffic jam lasting miles and no nearby exit or fuel station in sight. Fueling before you reach the end of the tank can also have economical benefits in some situations.

In fact, we've seen examples of how early refueling helps in both emergencies and financially within recent memory.

Recall March 2021, when there were gasoline shortages on the East Coast. The public began panic buying fuel, with some motorists attempting to "hoard gasoline" in plastic bags (note: please do not do this). In short time, fuel became scarce.

On the economical front, spring and summer of 2022 brought challenges when the price of fuel skyrocketed across the country. Depending on how frequently you drove, it might have been more economical to visit the gas stations at half a tank, because the price would climb (sometimes substantially) within a matter of days.

No one ever expects something events like these to happen, but they do. Sometimes it's easy to fall into a situation like this. For example, imagine driving in rural area where there's only one gas station for many miles. You pull into the gas station to refuel only to learn that the pumps are down or that they are out of fuel and waiting on the next supply.

Whether you follow the half tank rule or not, you can fuel up and hit the road at Joseph's Garage. We operate a full-service, Gulf gas station at our location (in fact, we began as a Gulf service station). We're just the place where you should stop to refuel, especially before a long road trip.