Really, really dumb question about difference between off road and on road diesel fuel.

[RandyT]

The fuel tax in Tennessee is 26 cents per gallon. Having a sales tax exemption would more than double your savings.

Did you include the 24.8 cents per gallon for federal motor fuel tax.

 

[RandyT]

If you heat with fuel oil, pump it out of your storage tank. It's pretty much the same as ULS diesel fuel. I've been doing it for many years.

There has been some debate about this but in some states, it is illegal to drive your tractor regularly on state roads using red (non taxed) fuel.

In some states it is illegal to drive your tractor on the road unless going to or from a farming use. So can't drive the tractor to the grocery store dyed or non dyed fuel, it doesn't matter.

 

[RandyT]

The probable cause or need of a warrant would depend on if the IRS needs a warrant or probable cause to audit the contents of your fuel tank. Since using dyed fuel in an on road vehicle is classified at tax evasion.

 

[dodge man]

I know a contractor that had a lot of off-road and on road construction equipment. They dipped all his on road stuff and he was good but wrote him a ticket for the transfer tank in his pickup bed not having an “off road fuel only” sticker on it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I have heard that it can be detected in your tank for many fill ups afterwards but I also personally heard from one guy that had 1/4 tank or less left with dyed diesel and filled it up with clear diesel then got tested and it wasn't detected ... so which is it it ? it depends on the method of testing??

 

[DarkBlack]

I know a contractor that had a lot of off-road and on road construction equipment. They dipped all his on road stuff and he was good but wrote him a ticket for the transfer tank in his pickup bed not having an “off road fuel only” sticker on it.

That’s interesting. Seems kind of crappy to ticket him for not having “off road fuel “ on it. Was it for that, or was there no diesel label at all? He’s not a retailer, it’s for his own use, and he wasn’t caught in the act of dispensing from it, so I’m curious what regulation he actually broke , that he was fined for?
You’re always allowed to buy and fuel off road vehicles with on-road diesel if you wish, or simply have to because of availability , so I’m questioning what regulation and reasoning is behind it. I don’t believe it’s DOT, or OSHA. Diesel is diesel, and again he wasn’t caught dispensing from it. Must be some state regulation.

 

[4570Man]

Not disputing this, but I wonder how they do that with seemingly no legal reason to do a traffic stop and detain?

They can search a commercial vehicle anytime, anyplace and for no reason. There’s no rights at all when it comes to commercial vehicles. It seems like they should need a warrant to search a personal vehicle unless they saw you putting red fuel into it but apparently they don’t.

 

[4570Man]

I have heard that it can be detected in your tank for many fill ups afterwards but I also personally heard from one guy that had 1/4 tank or less left with dyed diesel and filled it up with clear diesel then got tested and it wasn't detected ... so which is it it ? it depends on the method of testing??

They usually just look at the fuel for red dye. But they can do a lab test to look for the presence of dye. They probably wouldn’t actually do that unless you claim the red dye was because you added transmission fluid to the fuel. That dye is pretty potent stuff. I think topping off a tank that’s 1/4 full of red fuel would get you busted. I just filled up my mini x with road diesel. If I can remember I’ll look and see if the water separator looks red.

 

[ruffdog]

A couple years ago I called the fuel supplier about the difference between road and off-road fuel. They said there was no difference until the dye gets mixed in.

 

[Williy]

Usually they will just check your exhaust pipe for the red dye
and the fee for red dye in the exhaust pipe was told $10,000

willy