Forum Discussion

Rice's avatar
Rice
Explorer III
Jun 14, 2017

Tip: "Tractor" fuel = RV diesel

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."
Seeking Advice
  • Bumpyroad's avatar
    Bumpyroad
    Explorer
    Jun 14, 2017
    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
  • Playtime_II's avatar
    Playtime_II
    Explorer
    Jun 14, 2017
    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?
  • d3500ram's avatar
    d3500ram
    Explorer III
    Jun 14, 2017
    Could tractor mean a semi-tractor as in "tractor- trailer" of the over-the-road type?
  • mich800's avatar
    mich800
    Explorer
    Jun 14, 2017
    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.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Jun 14, 2017
    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.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Jun 14, 2017
    By Tractor they meant SEMI TRACTOR.. Not Farm Tractor.. Since it was a truck stop.

    I might add.. I originally made the same assumption you did when reading the subject of this thread

    Now: You ask what is the difference?

    Over the road vehicles (Semi-Tractors and RV's are over the road) are taxed with road taxes.. In addition Semi's may pay more than RVers should So they really need to add an RV option to that pump.

    The Reefer however (And Farm Tractors) Do not pay road taxes.

    So now you know,.
  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Jun 14, 2017
    I'll be willing to bet that you can't pump more than 25 gallons of reefer fuel.
  • Sam_Spade's avatar
    Sam_Spade
    Explorer
    Jun 15, 2017
    Bumpyroad wrote:
    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


    Well that's only because there are no "road use" taxes on "off road" fuel.

    But you need to be really careful to NOT fill your RV or truck with the "no tax" stuff because the fines are REALLY high; into the thousands of dollars.
  • Lynnmor's avatar
    Lynnmor
    Explorer
    Jun 15, 2017
    Is there just one hose on the pump? If so, I would think that they couldn't run dyed fuel thru the same hose because of cross contamination.

    On the Maine turnpike I saw two pumps with different prices and absolutely no explanation anywhere on the pumps. I used the cheaper one.
  • d3500ram's avatar
    d3500ram
    Explorer III
    Jun 15, 2017
    2oldman wrote:
    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.


    Yep... was in the midst of typing after reading and the previous poster happened to hit send a few moments before me according to the time stamp...

    Great minds think alike:B

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