I was refueling at a place that uses a touch-screen for paying at the truck pump. After I swiped my credit card, the following questions appeared:Tractor fuel: yes noI pressed "no" because I'm not agricultural or whatever.Then it said:Reefer fuel: yes noI pressed "no" and it came up and said "no fuel" and cancelled the transaction.I went inside and found out that "tractor fuel" is just regular diesel. So they tried to run my card in there and problems ensued because of their terminal, and I gave up. And at the next place, my card was declined because my credit card company had detected fraud.The moral of this story: if you're filling your motorhome and see "tractor fuel" on a screen, press "yes."

I thought off road use diesel had/ or didn't have a special dye so the feds could sample the fuel and see if it was legal to run on the highway.bumpy

Sure? Tractor fuel is for the drive unit of an eighteen wheeler. Tractor fuel incudes commercial road taxes. Refer fuel does not have the taxes. However I believe both are the same blend of diesel minus the dye.As a noncommercial, can we use refer fuel?

Could tractor mean a semi-tractor as in "tractor- trailer" of the over-the-road type?

Playtime II wrote:Sure? Tractor fuel is for the drive unit of an eighteen wheeler. Tractor fuel incudes commercial road taxes. Refer fuel does not have the taxes. However I believe both are the same blend of diesel minus the dye.As a noncommercial, can we use refer fuel?No, reefer fuel is just dyed off-road diesel. Because it is used for the refrigeration unit it is not subject to road taxes.

d3500ram wrote:Could tractor mean a semi-tractor as in "tractor- trailer" of the over-the-road type?Yep, that's what the poster before you said.I think I'd have been confused by 'tractor' also.

Tip: "Tractor" fuel = RV diesel | Good Sam Community

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Jun 15, 2017
Few years ago I put a post on here complementing my Father-in-Law's brother for giving me a diesel fill up from his farm fuel pumps after helping him with a fall harvest driving grain trucks from the field to the grain elevator. The diesel is used in farm tractors.

You'd think I just committed the unpardonable sin by the follow up posts on that thread stating how horrible it was to fill up with farm diesel, not taxed, in my pick-up truck!

If I saw "Tractor" at the pumps, I most definitely would be confused also.
KD4UPL
Explorer
Jun 15, 2017
People don't fill up farm tractors at truck stops. Tractor refers to a road tractor or semi tractor, that is, the front portion of a tractor-trailer rig.
Truck stops don't sell dyed off road diesel either. You can have the road taxes refunded to you on fuel put into the reefer tank. That's why they keep it separate on the paper work.
Rice
Explorer III
Jun 15, 2017
KD4UPL wrote:
People don't fill up farm tractors at truck stops.

This wasn't a truck stop--it was a convenience store with two truck pumps off to the side. I'd seen three farm tractors driving on the highway in the previous few hours, so when I saw "tractor," that's what I thought of.

I just thought I'd give a heads-up so other people might not have to deal with the same confusion I had.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Jun 15, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
Few years ago I put a post on here complementing my Father-in-Law's brother for giving me a diesel fill up from his farm fuel pumps after helping him with a fall harvest driving grain trucks from the field to the grain elevator. The diesel is used in farm tractors.

You'd think I just committed the unpardonable sin by the follow up posts on that thread stating how horrible it was to fill up with farm diesel, not taxed, in my pick-up truck!

If I saw "Tractor" at the pumps, I most definitely would be confused also.

I don't know if it's a sin but, if you ever get checked in my area you are in a big heap of trouble. That red dye is hard to get out of your fuel system. Maybe, many tanks of green fuel, and bunches of fuel filter changes and you may be OK. Otherwise you are looking at a heck of a fine and possible jail time. Through yourself on the mercy of the court and you might stay out of jail but, they would make you replace the entire fuel system on the truck from the tanks to the injectors.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Jun 15, 2017
Rice wrote:
I was refueling at a place that uses a touch-screen for paying at the truck pump. After I swiped my credit card, the following questions appeared:

Tractor fuel: yes no

I pressed "no" because I'm not agricultural or whatever.

Then it said:

Reefer fuel: yes no

I pressed "no" and it came up and said "no fuel" and cancelled the transaction.

I went inside and found out that "tractor fuel" is just regular diesel. So they tried to run my card in there and problems ensued because of their terminal, and I gave up. And at the next place, my card was declined because my credit card company had detected fraud.

The moral of this story: if you're filling your motorhome and see "tractor fuel" on a screen, press "yes."

Thanks for the tip. As a farm hand I would have thought the same thing. Poor designed fuel pump.
sch911
Explorer
Jun 15, 2017
Pretty much every Pilot Flying J truck pump has that interface.

Also, it's highly illegal to run the off road dyed diesel in your RV. That's why it has dye in it.
Terryallan
Explorer II
Jun 15, 2017
Rice wrote:
I was refueling at a place that uses a touch-screen for paying at the truck pump. After I swiped my credit card, the following questions appeared:

Tractor fuel: yes no

I pressed "no" because I'm not agricultural or whatever.

Then it said:

Reefer fuel: yes no

I pressed "no" and it came up and said "no fuel" and cancelled the transaction.

I went inside and found out that "tractor fuel" is just regular diesel. So they tried to run my card in there and problems ensued because of their terminal, and I gave up. And at the next place, my card was declined because my credit card company had detected fraud.

The moral of this story: if you're filling your motorhome and see "tractor fuel" on a screen, press "yes."

however. IF it meant farm tractor fuel, and you are caught running it. It won't be cheap. Often. the pumps are side by side.
1320Fastback
Explorer
Jun 15, 2017
If your caught you deal with the IRS and your local Franchise Tax Board.
stickdog
Explorer
Jun 15, 2017
I ran into that screen in NM this past winter at an unmanned filling station did the same thing pushed no for tractor and then the Q for refer fuel popped up I figured it out and cancelled the transaction. I did start over and had no problem with my card.
Generally there is a second pump plainly marked OFF ROAD FUEL
ol_Bombero-JC
Explorer
Jun 15, 2017
1320Fastback wrote:
If your caught you deal with the IRS and your local Franchise Tax Board.

"Franchise Tax Board" - CA term.

In many states, (particularly in rural areas where dyed fuel is readily available) - the DOT and/or state patrol/police/hwy patrol will randomly check diesel pickups for dyed fuel.

Becomes *VERY* expensive fuel!.:(

Even as an accidental fill-up, dyed fuel may *not* be ULSD, which will cause late model diesel (pickup) engines to go into limp mode. When brought to the dealer - you will become your own warranty station..:(

Nothing to do with dyed fuel - but *carefully* plan ahead for any sojourns into Mexico. ULSD is *not* readily available (if at all) once past border towns..:(

~

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