has anyone ever wondered...

Why, when a gas station fills its underground tanks, At $x.xx dollars per gallon, the price changes so much on the same tanker of gasoline?

If they paid $2.50 a gallon to have it filled, and say it was 1000 gallons, then they paid $2500 dollars to fill their tanks.

They charge $3.00 a gallon for gasonline regular unleaded
If they sell all 1000 gallons, at 3 dollars a gallon, they've made a profit

But it never stays at $3.00 - it goes up to 3.50 and 4.00.

It'd be like going to the grocery store, and seeing the price of bread go up and down all day long.

At noon its 1.50
and midnight its 32 cents

Im sure there's a lot here i dont understand about the situation, so hopefully someone has an idea as to why this happens.

I believe it's always been this way. They don't charge on the value of that the gas (or oil) was at the time they purchased it, or filled their tanks, they always use the "going rate" to set the prices.

Also, tanks are refilled when there is some gas still left in them, so 1/2 the tank may have been bought at 1 price, while the rest was bought at a higher, or lower price....just using the going rate makes more sense, although it's still a ridiculous price.

I often wondered about the amount of gas stored at a station, so I asked my local guy. He has a medium sized station, 6 pumps, and he needs two fuel deliveries each week. That means his tanks only last a little over three days and explains why the prices jump all over the state within a few days. They aren't storing months worth of gas and making a big profit when prices jump, they're getting hit with higher prices at every delivery.

I see what you are saying, and it does make sense (didnt realize they got that many deliveries)

but i've seen prices go up and down, multiple times, in the same day.

Its one of thse things where you're driving to the office and its

$3.85

but on the way home its $4.09

you go out the same night with your buddies and its down to $4.02

I mean, honestly there isnt that big of a deal over $17 cents a gallon to you or to me, but if there are 100 million gallons of gas sold per day....holy crap batman, thats a lot of money.

I think i understand what you mean about the going price, but to me it doesnt seem fair that they could do that, because it may be 'going for' 4 dollars a gallon today, and 3 dollars a gallon tomorrow , it doesnt mean seem fair that they could charge 4 dollars a gallon, if they dont buy it again until its 3 dollars a gallon ( i use numbers loosely )

But again, i dont pretend to know it all.....i just think there's more at play here than meets the eye.

I quit driveing a gasoline tanker in 2007 .
For 10 years i dorve a tanker all the places i delivered to took a load a night are some 2 loads a night at 9000 gallons per load !
one in pacific beach took 2 loads a NIGHT MOST NIGHTS
thier tanks where 2 10000 noleads and 1 10000 prem also they days drivers put loads in when needed to cover spikes seems unreal the amount some days .
c*st co take and avarege of 4 to 6 loads a day of gas they have 20000 gal tanks 2 for nolead 1 prem some up north say in riverside have 3 30000 gal, tanks
just my two cents for posting!

I believe it is based the cost of replacement. Gas Stations make only a few pennies on a gallon. If they sell for a lower price than replacement will cost they loose money.