Off Road Diesel in Farm Truck.

blueriver · Oct 13, 2010

I carry my fuel in a transport tank in my Pick up ... This morning I went to the oil company to get red diesel ... they have 4 pumps for off road...about 10 for regular diesel.

When I pull up here's this good ole boy filling his Ford F-250, both tanks with off road diesel. I ask him if he runs that all the time ... he says ya it only gets to town a couple days a month.

Our conversation proceeds to where he informs me that its perfectly legal cause he has a farm tag! Well so do I ... just ain't gonna run the red fuel in my truck!!

MoKelly · Oct 13, 2010

I always thought red deisel was illegal for road use ... and there were pretty big fines if caught?

MoKelly

Ductape · Oct 13, 2010

MoKelly said:
I always thought red deisel was illegal for road use ... and there were pretty big fines if caught?

MoKelly

10 - 4 on that ! I'm surprised the station lets him fill his truck like that. Even if he only used his truck on his farm, just driving it on the public road to and from the fuel station would be unlawful.

nwbearcat · Oct 13, 2010

May be OK in OK, not so much in IA or MO. I know the fuel tax folks stopped at a sale barn in NC MO a few years ago with some clear tubing and started poking tanks. Alot of folks got some tickets out of the deal for having red in the tank. As I understand it, at least in MO, those with a valid farm operation can apply to the state to get a refund of the road tax, and run red in their tractors too. Dad does this so he can get by with only 1 barrel for the pickup and the tractors.

smstonypoint · Oct 13, 2010

nwbearcat said:
May be OK in OK, not so much in IA or MO. I know the fuel tax folks stopped at a sale barn in NC MO a few years ago with some clear tubing and started poking tanks. Alot of folks got some tickets out of the deal for having red in the tank.

The same is true in SC. The parking lot clears out in a hurry when the "revenuers" show up.

Steve

brin · Oct 13, 2010

We had an unattended fuel station for years here, it only recently closed , but there was one tank on the side for off road diesel. The station was right on the US highway and anyone - trucker or regular motorist could pull up to the off road diesel tank and fill up and insert their credit card and be on their way...I used to take my barrels there and fill up for my tractors..and always wondered how that could be allowed..

Canada_CT230 · Oct 13, 2010

Here in Manitoba, Canada, you can run dyed fuel (gas or diesel) in your farm truck. So long as it is tagged as 'Farm Use' and you are on official 'farm business'. Most people throw a bit of farm machinery in the box and run all the time.

clemsonfor · Oct 14, 2010

They can also pull your fuel filter and if the pleats are red they know you have or had it in there, maybe if you ran it 50 tanks ago it would wash out?

Skyco · Oct 14, 2010

It is a federal thing in the US, all 50 states it is illegal on the road for us common folk. There have been exceptions issued, such as after Katrina, when there were fuel shortages. Some states also let ambulances, school buses and some government vehicles etc. use it on road.

Dargo · Oct 14, 2010

clemsonfor said:
They can also pull your fuel filter and if the pleats are red they know you have or had it in there, maybe if you ran it 50 tanks ago it would wash out?

I'm positively no expert, but a good friend who is big time, and I mean BIG time, into horse shows told me what you said is definitely not the case. Apparently the DOT cops stake out horse shows quite often since they catch a relatively high percentage of pickups running dyed diesel from their farms. If the giant Q-tip comes out clean, you're good to go. He told me that some over zealous DOT cops tried the fuel filter trick and got shot down big time in court.

There is nothing illegal whatsoever in running dyed diesel in a truck while it's operating on your property or farm. The tax is a "road tax". If it's not being used on a road, no tax need be paid. The court ruled that there was no possible way for the DOT cops to even remotely suggest that the truck was using dyed fuel on any road if the tank only contained non-dyed, taxed, fuel. These horse guys who travel quite a bit all know this he told me.

My question would be how do you know there is no more tinge of red in your tank? That's where I'd get nailed if I ever did that. Even if you run your truck until the gauge says it's empty and then run a couple more tanks of non-dyed fuel in it, how do you know it won't have some red tinge to it? That is where I think a real debate could occur.