Narrative:

Our dispatch release for this flight showed a 'pfuel' of 6200 pounds. This fuel load would have us landing in stl with a fuel remaining of 2400 pounds. This is well below the fueling guidelines in operations manual and also below my personal safety minimums. I asked operations to send the fuel truck back out to add more fuel. They refused. I then called our dispatcher and told her that I would like to increase our fuel; and that I was unable to get operations to bring the fuel truck back to the aircraft. Dispatch argued with me about taking the extra fuel and insisted that the WX was VFR everywhere. I tried to explain that it was below my personal fuel minimums. After arguing for bout 5-10 mins; we amended the release to show 6700 pounds of ramp fuel. The change of a fuel burn was negligible at 8 pounds more. By the time I finally convinced operations to send the fuel truck back over we were delayed. We were now scheduled to land in stl with a fuel load of 2963 pounds (taxi: 200 reserve: 1900 tanker: 1071 minimum: 5437). He told me that company is trying to save our code share partners fuel costs. I was then told that I wanted to take too much fuel and that I was not following company policies on saving fuel. I tried to explain that I was following the operations manual guidelines for fuel planning and that as PIC I had the final authority/authorized as to what was a safe fuel load. The guidelines set forth are not being followed. These guidelines recommended approximately 1200 tanker/hold; where I was only given 500. I was told again that we had to save money for our code share partners and that I should take only the fuel allotted to me by dispatch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB135 FLT CREW IS DISPATCHED BY COMPANY BELOW OPS MANUAL GUIDELINES FOR REQUIRED FUEL.

Narrative: OUR DISPATCH RELEASE FOR THIS FLT SHOWED A 'PFUEL' OF 6200 LBS. THIS FUEL LOAD WOULD HAVE US LNDG IN STL WITH A FUEL REMAINING OF 2400 LBS. THIS IS WELL BELOW THE FUELING GUIDELINES IN OPS MANUAL AND ALSO BELOW MY PERSONAL SAFETY MINIMUMS. I ASKED OPS TO SEND THE FUEL TRUCK BACK OUT TO ADD MORE FUEL. THEY REFUSED. I THEN CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND TOLD HER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE OUR FUEL; AND THAT I WAS UNABLE TO GET OPS TO BRING THE FUEL TRUCK BACK TO THE ACFT. DISPATCH ARGUED WITH ME ABOUT TAKING THE EXTRA FUEL AND INSISTED THAT THE WX WAS VFR EVERYWHERE. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT IT WAS BELOW MY PERSONAL FUEL MINIMUMS. AFTER ARGUING FOR BOUT 5-10 MINS; WE AMENDED THE RELEASE TO SHOW 6700 LBS OF RAMP FUEL. THE CHANGE OF A FUEL BURN WAS NEGLIGIBLE AT 8 LBS MORE. BY THE TIME I FINALLY CONVINCED OPS TO SEND THE FUEL TRUCK BACK OVER WE WERE DELAYED. WE WERE NOW SCHEDULED TO LAND IN STL WITH A FUEL LOAD OF 2963 LBS (TAXI: 200 RESERVE: 1900 TANKER: 1071 MINIMUM: 5437). HE TOLD ME THAT COMPANY IS TRYING TO SAVE OUR CODE SHARE PARTNERS FUEL COSTS. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WANTED TO TAKE TOO MUCH FUEL AND THAT I WAS NOT FOLLOWING COMPANY POLICIES ON SAVING FUEL. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT I WAS FOLLOWING THE OPS MANUAL GUIDELINES FOR FUEL PLANNING AND THAT AS PIC I HAD THE FINAL AUTH AS TO WHAT WAS A SAFE FUEL LOAD. THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH ARE NOT BEING FOLLOWED. THESE GUIDELINES RECOMMENDED APPROX 1200 TANKER/HOLD; WHERE I WAS ONLY GIVEN 500. I WAS TOLD AGAIN THAT WE HAD TO SAVE MONEY FOR OUR CODE SHARE PARTNERS AND THAT I SHOULD TAKE ONLY THE FUEL ALLOTTED TO ME BY DISPATCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.