Minimum Purchase of Off-Road Desiel?

Ches · Aug 19, 2001

Have any of you guys encountered this? Yesterday, I went to fill up my five gallon diesel can with off-road diesel fuel. I have done this about four previous times (have only 50 hours on my one year old 2910). The attendent wouldn't sell it to me unless I purchased twenty-six gallons. She told me it was federal law and that the parent company of the station was recently fined $18,000 for violating the law. Difference in price here is .99 for off-road diesel and $1.39 for highway use diesel. Why is it I can't buy off-road diesel for off-road use? I know I could buy a barrel, but that much fuel would last me a year and if I'm not mistaken, aren't there differences to the fuel based upon the season?
Side note: Every day I see new ways we are losing our freedoms. Yeah, we are free and live in a free country, as long as you do it within the parameters set by government officials (or those controlled by government officials). I know, not being able to buy five gallons of off-road diesel is no big deal, but it is just they latest of many restrictions being encountered.

Ches

JerryG · Aug 19, 2001

Ches,
I don't think that she knows what she is talking about. If it's federal law, no one knows anything about it around here.
I go by a station that has the off road pump right by the on road pump, every day. There is no sign and people are still putting it in 5 gallon cans.

hayden · Sep 11, 2001

I too think she's confused. My local fuel dealer has no minimum. I'll bet she's confusing it with the fines for putting off-road fuel in an on-road vehicle - that's a no-no.

TonyC · Sep 29, 2001

I agree that she is confused...maybe it's the diesel fumes. Here the delivery minimum is 100 gallons but that is not a law, just the dealer rules. At the pump there is no minimum. Her in Va it is $1.13 delivered and $1.09 at the pump ((off road).

Bird · Sep 29, 2001

On the 10th of this month, I bought 54 gallons at $.97 a gallon, but of course, that's me taking my barrel to the distributor to get it filled.

Bird

TonyC · Sep 29, 2001

That's 13 cents a gallon less than here...not a bad price. I assume it is off road you're speaking of. I believe you mentioned this some where back in another thread, but is it high sulphur?

Bird · Sep 29, 2001

TonyC, it's just plain ol' #2 diesel; not high sulphur and no red dye, but I do have to have the necessary paperwork on file. I won't go into detail on the state law, but the main thing of course is that it's strictly for off road use.

Bird

cp1969 · Oct 1, 2001

How can it not have the red dye if it's for off-road?

BobH · Oct 1, 2001

We bought 15,000 gal of clear #2 fuel for back-up generators at work. It cost 10 cents per gallon more than the dyed stuff and we had to sign paper work swearing it it was for off road use only. Does anyone know where the dye is added, refinery, distributor or dealer?

Bird · Oct 2, 2001

Like Bob said, you can buy the dyed or undyed for off road use, but there's a lot of paperwork on file swearing it won't be used on public roads, won't be resold, and all kinds of stuff./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Your local fuel distributor should have all the information, and I'm sure it's probably different in different states.

Bird