Is there a safe way to pump gasoline into a plastic tank in the bed of a truck?

[rScotty]

Not at all. All modern tires have electrically conductive additives in them , like carbon black, which keeps the tires conducive enough to dissipate static charges. It’s a requirement.
Overall tires are a poor electrical conductor, but they conduct just enough to flow static charges

True, but the problem becomes how a charge takes to dissipate. If you present a better path - like a metal nozzle - you can get a static spark immediately. Although I grant that if you took the time to wait long enough that same charge will will dissipate along the surface of a tire or into the air.

If you want to be safe right now, touch everything to ground AND to each other before filling the air with fumes. It just takes a moment. It used to be common sense. Around airplanes and race cars it still is.

 

[ultrarunner]

Never knew that.

Some vehicles would have a dangling strap to ground.

The toll booths growing up had a flexible conductive whisker that bounced along the cars frame on approach to control static.

 

[ultrarunner]

Read this... Love my bolt EV but it did consistently give me and my family an irritating static shock.
A little research I found the culprit was most likely "low rolling resistance" tires use silica instead of carbon black as reinforcing agent, improving gas mileage, but decreasing tire's ability to diffuse static.

So - old school solution was to install a 'static strap' to my rear bumper assembly.

I have to say I was really doubtful this would work - But it has worked amazingly well. Have not had a single shock since it was installed

Amazon.com

 

[DarkBlack]

A little research I found the culprit was most likely "low rolling resistance" tires use silica instead of carbon black as reinforcing agent, improving gas mileage, but decreasing tire's ability to diffuse static.

Tire manufacturers are inventing new compounds and manufacturing techniques to deal with reduced electrical conductance, due to a higher percentage of silica, which reduces rolling resistance having more silica, as you noted.
One such method is to have just a single cylindrical area of high carbon black , in an area of tread

 

[5030]

Read this... Love my bolt EV but it did consistently give me and my family an irritating static shock.
A little research I found the culprit was most likely "low rolling resistance" tires use silica instead of carbon black as reinforcing agent, improving gas mileage, but decreasing tire's ability to diffuse static.

So - old school solution was to install a 'static strap' to my rear bumper assembly.

I have to say I was really doubtful this would work - But it has worked amazingly well. Have not had a single shock since it was installed

Amazon.com

I tried to buy LRR tires when I installed new tires on my Focus RS turbo, looking for a bit better mileage (she gets 39-40 combined), but no luck finding them anywhere, in fact the shop that I get my tires at, never heard of them. Probably would be good for the wife's Suburban LTZ as it gets 17 average.

 

[5030]

Would metal cans have the same static concerns as plastic? They are powder coated, so there isn’t any bare metal to make ground.
Like welding, I need to sand off a spot of paint in order to get a good ground connection.
This is an interesting thread as I too have started filling my tanks in the bed of my truck (Rino lined) because of my back.
View attachment 861775
As a side note, the same can pictured can be purchased with a hand pressure pump, like a bug sprayer style. Could this manual method of pumping create static?

I've never cared for those cans. Very hard to dispense fuel out of and the spring loaded lids are a royal PITA. I have one empty, sitting and don't plan on ever using it again though the funnel part is real handy for other uses. They do have flame arrestors built in however.

 

[Gator6x4]

For those wanting to fuel the gas can in the back of the truck, purchase a gallon of this and a spray bottle to apply the liquid to the gas can and fuel away.

Acl Staticide Anti-Static Concentrate, 128 oz. Size 2001 | Zoro

Order Acl Staticide Anti-Static Concentrate, 128 oz. Size, 2001 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[Peace]

I've never cared for those cans. Very hard to dispense fuel out of and the spring loaded lids are a royal PITA. I have one empty, sitting and don't plan on ever using it again though the funnel part is real handy for other uses. They do have flame arrestors built in however.

I have 1 military style can left. I don’t like them very well either. Seals fail often and they rust. I gave away the others. I have several of the plastic cans. I like them.
If there is a real safety concern I would switch back to metal cans though. Now that I opened this one after 2 years, the old fuel stinks! It reminds me of going to the junk yard. I suppose I’ll give this away as well.

 

[Peace]

For those wanting to fuel the gas can in the back of the truck, purchase a gallon of this and a spray bottle to apply the liquid to the gas can and fuel away.

Acl Staticide Anti-Static Concentrate, 128 oz. Size 2001 | Zoro

Order Acl Staticide Anti-Static Concentrate, 128 oz. Size, 2001 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

Interesting, I’ve never heard of such a chemical.

 

[SteveS42240]

I would NEVER pump gasoline into a tank in the bed of a truck. It is a VERY DANGEROUS action to take.

When I was a younger man, much younger, I had a license to load and unload chemical and gasoline barges on the rivers. I saw a gasoline barge catch on fire because the ground strap was NOT connected to the barge before the discharge started. If it had not been loaded, it would have been a huge explosion.

My thoughts are simple, do not take a chance. Stay with the smaller containers and protect yourself at all times.