F/U to S10 Fuel problems

When we took the truck to the paint shop, we had replaced the fuel pump and filter the week before. We bought the truck with the head off so we had never driven it. It had been sitting for 2 years. The gauge showed 1/2 when we put the pump in but because I didn't think is was right, we put 5 gal of fuel in before we took it to the paint shop. The truck was at the paint shop for 4 months. They just worked on it when they didn't have anything else there. Well, when I posted about the hard to start problem, we went to get the truck and it wouldn't hardly start or run. It had to be primed by pouring gas down the TBI. It would then start but had no power to drive. We trailered it home and spent 2 more days messing with it. Paid a mechanic $88 to diagnois. He changed the filter again and replaced the pump relay. He said it was fixed but it still wouldn't start or run. Are you ready for this? The durn thing was out of gas. Gauge still showed a little less than 1/2. Dumped in 5 gal and it is starting and running fine. I feel like a dummy. Either the paint shop had run the thing dry or maybe someone borrowed the fuel? I could have bought the new sender for what the so-called mechanic charged me.

Again thanks for all your posts.

Back on the road again just monitoring the mileage and filling up every 200 miles. Still looking for the deal on the sending unit.

Jerry