Off Road Diesel in Farm Truck.

[clemsonfor]

This whole law drives me nuts anyway and I dont even own a diesel pickup.

There are only a few stations around here that have ORD and it is usually only the typical 10-20 cents cheaper. Filling a few 5 gal can, it is not worth the fuel usage to go after the minimal savings and I usually just fill up with on-road. I think that is partly why the savings isnt the full .45 that it should be because there isnt as much demand for it and they arent competing with the other filling stations across the street and everywhere. And when you pull up, the price on the pump looks great, but unlike on-road and gasoline, the sales tax isn't figured in. So when done, we still have to pay the additional 7% or so. So what looked like a .40-50 cent savings is only ~20.

But what I think is crazy about the law is exactally like what the OP posted about. If the guy has a farm truck, that is used 99% on the farm, why shouldn't he be able to use ORD??? If he is a bigtime farmer like some around here, he probabally drives some of his tractors down the highway a lot more than that truck. So why cant tractors be fined the same if they are driving on the road??? Not that I am suggestion that I want this to happen, but be fair about it. Someone driving a 30,000 lb+ big tractor with equipment behind and taking up both lanes causing everyone to pull over does more damage to the road than someone running to town a couple of times a week in a 7000lb truck with tires made for pavement.

yea, but luckily farming still enjoys some benefits that allow things to help a farmer out. These are held over from the days of small family farms and subsistence farms that produced the food for our nation, a far cry from the big corporate farms we have now a days.

 

[MikeD74T]

Talked to the fuel distributer and he said that they still have LSD for offroad, and something about changes soon but they still get LSD out of the main distributer in Belton, SC.

I thought LSD was now illegal and all there is is ULSD... quote]

I think it's a regional thing. I only get off road at one place & they only sell ultralow sulfur. I misused the LSD term in my other post.

yea, but luckily farming still enjoys some benefits that allow things to help a farmer out. These are held over from the days of small family farms and subsistence farms that produced the food for our nation, a far cry from the big corporate farms we have now a days.

Getting the tax(or toll) back isn't always easy. In New Hampshire boating, snowmobiling, and ATV organizations fight for their share of tax money generated from off road uses that never gets claimed by the fuel purchasers. Because the state gets to administer that money back to the organizations they make it a real pita for an individual to get a refund. Require things like dated receipts specifying intended off road use for every gallon claimed. I suspect it's only easy for farmers that have farm tanks filled directly by vendors or like my self serve account used to be. I'm also pretty sure it has nothing to do with government caring a lick for farmers of any size. MikeD74T

 

[Bikewanderer]

I have run ORD a few times. Once I ran out of fuel and needed some - it's what was there. I had five gallons in a fuel tote. Another I was cutting grass for a company that couldn't pay me. I suggested they let me empty their ORD tank - 100 gallons or so. It didn't pay the bill - but it helped some. I guess it was technically wrong, but I didn't do it with the intention of screwing the govt, so I could sleep at night.

Around here it is legal off road only. Most people don't run it in trucks, at least not that I know of. You can buy it at the pump for .50/gallon less, but it's closer in the city where there might be only one station in town that sells it.

I have looked into refunds for off road use of vehicles and equipment and found that it's very difficult to do. I use 200-300 gallons of gas in the boat every year, and would love a refund but it's a lot of work. I'd like to find out of they can sell me off road gasoline in bulk delivered to the farm. Then I could fill the boat and mowers from there.

 

[clemsonfor]

I have run ORD a few times. Once I ran out of fuel and needed some - it's what was there. I had five gallons in a fuel tote. Another I was cutting grass for a company that couldn't pay me. I suggested they let me empty their ORD tank - 100 gallons or so. It didn't pay the bill - but it helped some. I guess it was technically wrong, but I didn't do it with the intention of screwing the govt, so I could sleep at night.

Around here it is legal off road only. Most people don't run it in trucks, at least not that I know of. You can buy it at the pump for .50/gallon less, but it's closer in the city where there might be only one station in town that sells it.

I have looked into refunds for off road use of vehicles and equipment and found that it's very difficult to do. I use 200-300 gallons of gas in the boat every year, and would love a refund but it's a lot of work. I'd like to find out of they can sell me off road gasoline in bulk delivered to the farm. Then I could fill the boat and mowers from there.

You should easily be able to do that, getting dyed gas delivered, from the right dealer.

I looked into a refund in my state and if you do your own taxes is was way simpler than even doing the earened income credit sheet or much easier than the Schedule F, farm profit/loss form for the 1040. To my understanding it was a sheet that you fill out and for feds im sure its a line item as well as the state its the same way, not complicated at all here. But for me the 100 gallons or so max i may use i didnot feel like even this was worth getting $30 back.

 

[dmccarty]

I used to get the tax I paid on on road fuel but used off road back a tax time. You could fill out a form to get the tax paid on gas and diesel fuel if the fuel was used off road.

A couple of years ago the tax preparation software made it harder to get the tax back. Or maybe the regulations made it harder. In any case it was taking too long for me to get the paper work done to get $10-20 back so I just stopped trying.

Later,
Dan

 

[rtimgray]

I was thinking that all you have to do to get your Federal tax back on diesel fuel is fill out Form 4136 stating how many gallons of fuel you bought that year (and you can use if for gasoline, kerosene, other fuels) and then you enter it in a line on your 1040 form.

But I'm not a tax advisor or CPA or even a guest at a Holiday Inn Express.

 

[Diamondpilot]

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.

Its illegal but I know two stations within 5 miles of my home that allow you to put Off-Road red dyed fuel in your truck. They just turn there back.

Anything driven on public roads its illegal to use it, period.


Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

WOW!!! The last time I bought off-road in NC, it was only 20 cents or so lower than on road.

Steve

I just got 230 gallons delivered last week and it was $2.63 per gallon. On road at all the stations around here its $3.10 to $3.15 per gallon, so that makes it a honest $0.47 per gallon cheaper in Indiana as of last week.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

In my state I'm told that something like $0.45 per gallon is road tax. So, it seems that dyed fuel would be that much less expensive. Not! Like you have found, lately it's only been $0.10 to $0.20 per gallon less. Sometimes it isn't any less. How does that work?

Come up my way old buddy. I just got my delivery last week by the Co-Op and it was $0.47 per gallon cheaper then the places in town.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

I filled again today ... different station ... Diesel for my truck $2.559 and off road was $2.359 ... only 20 cents a gallon cheaper ... HOWEVER with the amount I use a month that does add up. NOT enough though to risk putting it in the truck!!!! Here we have to have our farm tax number on file to buy ORD.

Boy, I wish Indiana had fuel prices like OK. I have 2 diesel trucks and I have been paying between $3.10 and $3.15 for diesel since mid summer.

Chris