Off road diesel fuel

[BillTex]

Frequently, when we are in more remote locations, there are 2 grades of diesel fuel sold;
o Highway diesel (15 ppm)
o Off road diesel (old school diesel)

This is usually in locations where there is logging, farming, etc and presumably this fuel is for use in these types of vehicles.
Is there anything to prevent me from fueling up our 06 Duramax pre-emission engine with the less expensive “off road diesel”?
I know it won't harm the engine (actually runs better on the off-road fuel) but what are the ramifications (legal or otherwise) of using the off road pump?
Am I missing something?
Isn't this the same diesel we were burning prior to 15ppm?
The off road is usually a good $0.50/gal less expensive.

Bill

 

[4x4x4doors]

The "off road" generally does not have the federal taxes applied. In the USA, there is dye added to make it more easily detectable to a roadside inspector.
For commercial vehicles, the fines can be rather stiff.

 

[762X39]

Most "off road" fuel is coloured so it can quickly be identified.The reason it is cheaper is that no road tax has been applied. If you get caught using it over the road, they will typically fine you.
We used coloured fuel on the farm but if they caught you putting it in your truck, it got way more expensive because of the fines and you might also lose the privilege of buying it for your farm machinery, logging equipment or what ever.

 

[bfdiesel]

Up to a $25,000 fine if caught on the highway. I think if you can prove how many miles you drove on the red dye on the highway they will just fine you by mile, but if you can't they can fine you up to the 25K. There is undyed farm diesel (all red dye diesel is #1 diesel with red dye signifying no road tax) that is road taxed, but there isn't any savings that route. On road diesel (green) is usually #2 but as the temp drops it gets blended with #1 to prevent gelling. Red is #1 diesel and so is undyed diesel. Farm diesel gives you more power because it is thinner and has more smaller carbon chains.

The red dye is not the same thing we had before the 15ppm. This just has to do with sulfur content and I am pretty sure in 2010 even the off road diesel was switched to 15ppm.

 

[Rovertrader]

correct on the '10 off road being 15ppm, as anything over 100hp even offroad has the DEF issue for emissions... I have access to the offroad constantly, and it is not worth the risk of the fine- it happens around here about once/year to keep everyone legit I suspect.

 

[BillTex]

Thanx Guys, I think I may have fueled up with it once at a Mom/Pop station a while back...you know "honor pay" , no credit card swipe...pump your own fuel.

I don't remember if I did it accidently or it was the only pump working...whatever. I didn't realize until I was getting back in the truck later and looked at the pump.

I filled up, paid, and left.

No big deal.

But I have always been curious what would happen if you "got caught".

Plenty of these Mom/pop stations up north...nobody watched you pump anything..they just say hello and take your cash when you leave...they never even look at the pump...as I said; "honor system".

The dye thing is the same at the fuel dock for fisherman; commercial Guys pay one price, regular joes pay another...I never realized it also applied to the road side fuel stations.

Bill

 

[colodak]

unless your a commercial or farm vehicle, the odds of getting caught are pretty slim. I run all over W. Nebraska, every few months, especially during harvest season, the highway patrol will setup fuel check stations, they will post them as a weigh/check station to get all the semi's, but generally they will also watch for the farmers in their diesel pickups. You sit in the truck, they open your fuel cap, take a sample of your fuel, if it's red you had better have a damn good excuse for running it on the road. I know one of our competitors runs it for their reefer units, any driver who accidently puts it in his tractor gets docked $100 from his check.

 

[mustangwarrior]

yea same as all the above

we have off road diesel all over the place here, then again i do live in farm country but we use it in our heavy equipment at work all the time

 

[chasespeed]

As far as getting caught.... DOT in TX was dipping tanks in parking lots, traffic stops, etc of ANY diesel vehicle. If u were burning WVO, they would give you a hard time too.... of course, diesel was 5.25 at that point.... just saying....

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[Greggk]

i know its cheaper to use off road but just use regular #2 and get some diesel fuel additive such as REV-X Distance+ Fuel Additive.

http://ktperformance.net/c-200336-additives-fluids-diesel-fuel-treatment-additives.html