Fuel cans and DOT?

greentruck

Adventurer
I have some NATO-style cans. It's been so long ago, I don't remember the source, but they may be Swiss.

They came with little colored aluminum plates that sit in a spring-clip holder next to the spout at the top of the can. The red one is marked "Benzin" which I think is German for gasoline (my German is very rusty , so maybe not?)

I just keep the red plate on top in the holder.

It all looks official enough -- for somewhere.:)
 

Albin

Adventurer
ASTM specs for portable fuel containers determine color for fuel cans, not USDOT regs - that's why the US Mil can have any color they want for fuel containers. There may be individual state DOT requirements as well, but that's a patchwork.

I'll see if I can dig up the ASTM spec number(s) at work tomorrow. However, unlike USDOT regs, ASTM specs are proprietary; so unless you have access to an industrial and/or gov't organization library (like I do at Boring), then you won't be able to get a copy without paying for it (or someone gives you a bootleg copy :) ).

ASTM is also the reason why civilian jerry cans are shaped differently than MIL cans (i.e. wider and shorter) and won't fit mil jerry can holders.

Al
 

Chazz Layne

Administrator
So the final word, is that its clear to use whatever color nationally, but there are some state or city ordances that reuire red, and indivuals who are mistake that red is required nationally?

Correct, but it is a good idea to do it anyhow. This is especially true when travelling in mixed groups where some vehicles are Diesel and others run on gas. It helps take the guess-work out of it when filling up on the trail, and prevents costly mistakes if you lend/borrow fuel. :Wow1:
 

Albin

Adventurer
ASTM F852, Standard Specification for Portable Gasoline Containers for Consumer Use,

4 Requirements; 4.1 Color: The container shall be predominately red in color. Pigments, coatings, or other means used to impart color shall not be affected by gasoline.


ASTM F976, Standard Specification for Portable Kerosene and Diesel Containers for Consumer Use:

4 Requirements, 4.2 Color: Kerosene containers shall be predominately medium blue in color. Diesel containers shall be predominantly
medium yellow in color. Pigments, coatings, or other means
used to impart color shall not be affected by kerosene. [Note: the ASTM misspelling of "kerosine" has been corrected.]


The MFC spec, A-A-59592, specifies the ASTM F852 for a number of requirements, but not color. Hence, MFCs will be either lusterless sand or field drab color.

Al
 
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ntsqd

Heretic Car Camper
So there is a spec, but there is no known Fed rule/law requiring color coding. There may or may not be state or local requirements depending on where you live.
Great. No such requirement here, but when I travel elsewhere....
 

saburai

Explorer
Get a cover

Kinda late to the party here but this is what I did. I contracted a marine canvas guy to make a cover for my cans:
Jeep%20RTT%20007.jpg

I run with two 20L cans but you get the idea...
 

DontPanic42

Adventurer
So there is a spec, but there is no known Fed rule/law requiring color coding. There may or may not be state or local requirements depending on where you live.
Great. No such requirement here, but when I travel elsewhere....

There may be something in the OSHA regs. Lord knows everything else seems be stuck in there. Thankfully, I know longer need to have a copy of them.
 

robert

Expedition Leader
LOL- I can't say that's one of the things I've ever worried about. It doesn't surprise me at all that California has some rules on it though- and their CARB compliant cans are retarded.
 

hansonian

Observer
I never knew there were set rules for this. I just assumed you put gas in a red can, diesel in a yellow and sorted out the rest according to what you had laying around. I've seen people filling up 1 gallon plastic milk jugs at the gas station before so I'm assuming we don't have these laws here in Florida.
 

robert

Expedition Leader
The rest of the country would greatly appreciate California legislating them out of existence. :p
 

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