Fleet Fuel Operations as Cold Weather is Here

We all know that preparing for winter prep for diesel fuel should happen long before now but for some who have put it off, there is still hope.

In a recent article in Transportation Topics, Mike Dennis, Director of Field Maintenance of Ryder System the number 10th ranked company for largest carriers had several key points about diesel fuel for winter time.

He spoke of reminding everyone early in August and September that it might not feel like winter but it will soon be here. Early communication for the shops allowed them to order winter fuel treatment additive for diesel fuel for both bulk tanks and truck fuel tanks.

We always tell our clients to prepare for the worst but hope for the best. Dennis statement,”Typically they prepare for the entire year.

Through the year we use a microbiocide and moisture dispersant in all of our tanks so we can continue to keep any algae from growing…and keeping water out of the tanks.” Diesel fuel carries water anyway in it, the last thing you want is to provide it with addition water. A microbiocide destroys or inhibits the growth of harmful microorganisms in your diesel fuel tanks.

Water can accumulate as typical daily heating and cooling causes condensation to build up, which leads to excess water on the bottom of your fuel tanks.”

As biodiesel fuel has become more popular a big challenge is treating this product with the right fuel additives. The problem seems that no chemical company can come up with the right treatment. Mostly I believe that is due to the several different kinds of biodiesel fuel that are on the market. Just like regular diesel fuel, some are easier to treat then others.

Diesel fuel prices are expensive enough so nobody wants to spend more on fleet fuel then they have to but think of what happens if you don’t properly treat your diesel fuel. You have wrecker fees to get the truck back to a location that it can be worked on. Then downtime for your truck, driver and possibly late making deliveries to your clients.

Our view has been better to be safe then sorry on this. During our more than 25 years around diesel fuel, we have been able to see the difference with well treated diesel fuel to prevent gelling and untreated diesel when the paraffin starts to separate from the diesel fuel in cold weather.

As we said in the beginning, you still have a chance. Most diesel fuel additive companies recommend using diesel additive before temperatures get below 15 to 20 degrees in most parts of the country that has not happened yet.

If you haven’t started to treat your diesel fuel yet, start now. Buy diesel fuel at quality truck stop providers like Loves Travel Centers, Travel Centers of America, Pilot Flying J and many more quality truck stop operators. Then add a little extra diesel fuel additive into your tanks, just to be safe. Whatever you do don’t play the weather guessing game on how cold you think it will be in the next week and if you should really increase your diesel fuel prices by adding fuel additive. The last thing anyone wants is to have 20-35 trucks parked on Monday morning because you didn’t take the proper steps to better diesel fuel management.