Why an auxiliary fuel tank is important is a question that is asked often in our groups.
A couple members replies
• Yes. Fueling up in AZ at $3.19 gallon, vs having to fuel up again in CA at $4.74 a gallon.
• I have installed and haven’t used yet a 92 gallon aux tank. I had to. Stopping to get fuel bloooooows!
• I fill up my little 30 gallon tank and I’m ready to go! Let’s roll. I’m trapped for 25 minutes.
My reply
IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST INVESTMENT, A MUST HAVE, FOR THIS BUSINESS! Hands down no question. The money you will save filling up for up to 50 cents to a dollar less a gallon, not having to depend on Truck stop prices, the time spent looking for fuel that you can pull into, the stress of looking, the time you save. It can add as much as 45 minutes pulling into a truck stop, having to run in and pay and then run back to get your receipt. Coming out to find the big rig in front of you is in the Truck stop taking a shit or eating and you can’t move.
Not only money, time and stress are saved. Before I had my extra tank, I carried a five-gal fuel can, a must if you don’t have an auxiliary fuel cell, I ran out three times, had to fill up from my tank at least a dozen times. Ended up smelling like diesel for days. Make sure you have the spare fuel jug with the hard long filler nozzle that will push down on the mechanism that blocks the fill neck of your truck or it is not going to end up pretty. Believe me. I have posted in some of my posts and book what extra gadgets and equipment you should always carry on the road.
There are so many lanes, routes, and highways where there just isn’t a fuel station or truck stop, you are risking running out without one. Loves charges $85 to bring you three gallons five miles away. I know because it happened to my good friend recently. Running out of fuel can cost you in a lot of ways, being late for a delivery and they fine you. Being on a busy freeway in a big city like Houston or Dallas, Atlanta, you will get run over. Treat your business like a business, make your plans and work them. Be prepared.
So where can you get an auxiliary fuel tank?
The supply chain problems have hurt every industry. Metal, shipping, and imported tariffs are all up. Plus, the more fuel goes up, so does the demand for these tanks. I looked for one at all the usual suspects, Northern Tool, Tractor Supply, manufacturing companies specializing in them in Fort Worth, Texas. There is a place called Earl Owens in Lewisville that has them and will install them. All pricier than I wanted to pay but it is worth it if you do.
The other places were all out of the sizes I wanted. I did find a 40 gal. on Amazon by DeeZee manufacturing and I love it. I had my stock truck tank upgraded to a 55 gal. and now I have about a 95-gal capacity. It will last about 800 miles, but I never let it get close to empty if I can help it. A friend of mine installed it and it wasn’t too complicated. There are videos on YouTube as well.
The legality. I have asked and gotten a dozen different answers. Supposably you can’t have certain types of tanks, transfer tanks, etc. Here is one example of what the great Googler says:
What makes a fuel tank DOT approved?
Fuel tanks must be clearly and permanently marked with the manufacturer’s name, manufacture date, gallon size, and must state “Meets all FMCSA requirements for non-side mounted fuel tank”, and “not to exceed 95% of capacity.”
Are Gravity fed tanks illegal? Here again the great Googler answers in forked tongue:
49CFR393.65, Fuel Systems: “(d) Gravity or siphon feed prohibited. A fuel system must not supply fuel by gravity or siphon feed directly to the carburetor or injector.”
Note that 393.65(d) title makes a declarative and complete sentence with an adjective, noun and verb i.e. “Gravity …. feed prohibited”. Quoted out of context, it is easy to see how people say that “DOT prohibits gravity feed”. However, this sentence is not a regulation, it’s a paragraph title and it is completely negated by the actual regulation that follows it i.e. “… must not supply fuel by gravity … feed directly to the carburetor or injector.” Since I am supplying fuel via gravity feed to the OEM fuel fill line and not directly to any carburetor or injector, I see no violation of 393.65.
My experience and that of many of my members is that they have never had a problem with their tanks, and no two DOT officers or Troopers decipher any law or regulation the same. I say we are good and not to worry about the small stuff, until it is time to worry.
The time you save will add up to another run possibly. Remember your HOS are like money once they are spent your broke. I have a couple posts on my other group that I did about my installation. I just wish I had done it sooner. With the prices of fuel, every penny counts, and it will pay for itself. The bigger the better.
The time you save will add up to another run possibly. Remember your HOS are like money once they are spent your broke. You can see my posts and installation on my Hotshot Trucking Shows USA group.
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