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

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I was operating commercial vehicles on the road for over 30 years. I had vehicle inspections done at state scales, even road side inspections, but I have had my tanks dipped exactly once, at the Sumas border crossing when I was coming out of BC with a load of pavers.

 

[ning]

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.

My guess is that the tank had red dye fuel in it but no off-road label, and presumably there's a regulation about that.

 

[dodge man]

My guess is that the tank had red dye fuel in it but no off-road label, and presumably there's a regulation about that.

That’s my understanding of what the ticket. It seems like it should have been one where a verbal warning to add the off-road only sticker would have been enough. I didn’t hear how much the fine was.

 

[DarkBlack]

My guess is that the tank had red dye fuel in it but no off-road label, and presumably there's a regulation about that.

I figured, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the sense of it. It’s just a mobile portable diesel storage tank for his own use. Assuming it was already labeled “diesel “. He’s perfectly legal to fill it with taxed, on-road diesel, and transfer and use on-road diesel in his off-road equipment, if he wishes, so the point of whatever regulation he broke is beyond my little brain.

Example … if the off road diesel at the station he filled it at, was out of off road, so he paid more for taxed on-road, because he needed diesel, perfectly legal…and if he now has his off-road sticker on it, would he get another ticket for having filled it with on-road?

 

[USMC43]

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

There is no die in the exhaust pipe, unless you have a real problem with the engine. Its completely consumed in the combustion process.

 

[4570Man]

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

I tried to research that and came up with mostly rumors and very little fact. Does anyone have first hand experience with having that done to their vehicles?

 

[Rockbadchild]

I tried to research that and came up with mostly rumors and very little fact. Does anyone have first hand experience with having that done to their vehicles?

as far as I know it is all done with tank samples, never heard of exhaust pipe samples other them pollution test.

 

[cj7]

The label issue has me thinking..... so our yellow portable jugs would have to be labeled?????

Good grief.

 

[USMC43]

I tried to research that and came up with mostly rumors and very little fact. Does anyone have first hand experience with having that done to their vehicles?

I worked for Cat for 16 years and know for a fact due to testing and subsequent inspection that there is nothing left of the dye in the exhaust system.

 

[4570Man]

as far as I know it is all done with tank samples, never heard of exhaust pipe samples other them pollution test.

A tank sample seems like the only way. Even if the exhaust search did work it’s not proof of a crime being committed. It’s not illegal to put red fuel in your pickup and drive it on your farm then drain the tank and replace with highway fuel when you go back on the road.