Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
We had pushed back from gate at PHL to mid-alley; started the Number 1 Engine and disconnected from the tug; after receiving a wands up signal we received clearance from ramp control to taxi to Spot 8. As the first officer called PHL Ground Control; we received clearance to taxi via November to Runway 27L and to cross 27R. I restated our clearance; looked left and noticed a tanker fuel truck stopped on the ground equipment roadway aft of the planes parked on the gates; the tanker truck was in our 9 o'clock position; I called out clear left and stated crossing Runway 27R on November as my scan shifted to ensuring Runway 27R was clear of traffic prior to our crossing. The First Officer called clear right; confirmed our runway crossing clearance and then stated the fuel tanker truck started to move and suggested I stop the aircraft; which I did and set the parking brake. We then observed the fuel tanker truck proceed to make a shallow right turn toward our aircraft such that our plane was probably not visible from the driver's seat as the geometry of the shallow arcing turn (cutting the corner of the perpendicular ground traffic roadway guide line) kept our aircraft in the tanker truck's 4 o'clock position. I sounded the ground crew call horn several times as the tanker truck passed within 15 FT of the nose of our aircraft without stopping! There was no collision due to the First Officer's situational awareness and Crew Resource Management type communication of a possible threat. The driver of the fuel tanker truck did not remain on the designated ground equipment roadway by cutting the corner and was therefore not able to properly 'clear' to his right and yield to airplane traffic. Ground traffic should remain on designated roadways and would in so doing make a perpendicular turn in such cases which would provide a safe margin separation from aircraft and of visibility of aircraft traffic. A driver should never drive a vehicle where he cannot see.
Air Carrier Captain reports failure of a fuel truck driver to yield at Spot 8 during initial taxi for takeoff.