Bulk fuel

[jamesb]

filled with summer diesel on the delayed billing program the other day . 87 cents . It took forever to pump it that day because it was cold and the fuel was like oil that day

[AlbertaFarmer5]

We don't (yet) have big enough tanks to store a seasons worth of fuel. And I haven't found any retailer willing to store fuel if we prepurchase. Do any of the retailers allow prepurchase with storage, even with a storage fee?

The logistics of storing large quantities of diesel just aren't appealing to me. Too easy to have thefts, leaks, end up with summer diesel in winter, and vice versa. The short shelf life of modern diesel. And of course in the last year tank prices went through the roof.

[Herc]

Filled up in early February for .811+ hst. Winter fuel, so it will run me well into the warm weather. My own tank.

Not sure how much the efficiency drops in warmer weather?

Likely still worth it since the increases.

Winter fuel does have lower cetane levels. So won’t have the power/efficiency. You can notice it in late fall when they start switching to winter diesel and you are still out there combining. All I know is you hook a kite to a John Deere it’ll burn an outrageous amount of fuel, what’s another 5%....

Best thing we did fuel wise wasn’t winter vs. summer or where we get it from, it was switching the color of paint....

[fjlip]

Heard other way, winter only has additives to counter gelling, just like adding Howes etc. BTU nearly identical.

[GDR]

Also supposed to be no biodiesel in winter fuel. Most seem to feel biodiesel is harder on engines. Dont really know myself.

[burnt]

Winter fuel does have lower cetane levels. So won’t have the power/efficiency. You can notice it in late fall when they start switching to winter diesel and you are still out there combining. All I know is you hook a kite to a John Deere it’ll burn an outrageous amount of fuel, what’s another 5%....

Best thing we did fuel wise wasn’t winter vs. summer or where we get it from, it was switching the color of paint....

Got that covered.

We're blue.

[GDR]

So someone mentioned the storage life of diesel? How long can you store it? Not sure you can get a year out of gas but diesel should be good for a number of years, or not?

[helmsdale]

So someone mentioned the storage life of diesel? How long can you store it? Not sure you can get a year out of gas but diesel should be good for a number of years, or not?

New formulations are less stable than they used to be... both the Soviets and Americans used to store diesel for long periods in underground caverns for strategic purposes. That was constant temp, with no moisture infiltration, and continuously cycled.

I've stored 8 months and never had an issue. Most gets turned in 3-6 months. I have 3x1000gal ground level, and 2x500gal ground level tanks, that are manifolded together through 1 pump. I used to carry, and separately meter both clear and dyed, hence the reason I have more smaller tanks rather than 1 large one.

[TOM4CWB]

New formulations are less stable than they used to be... both the Soviets and Americans used to store diesel for long periods in underground caverns for strategic purposes. That was constant temp, with no moisture infiltration, and continuously cycled.

I've stored 8 months and never had an issue. Most gets turned in 3-6 months. I have 3x1000gal ground level, and 2x500gal ground level tanks, that are manifolded together through 1 pump. I used to carry, and separately meter both clear and dyed, hence the reason I have more smaller tanks rather than 1 large one.

Regina Federated Diesel Summer and Winter Diesel Available at Killam AB;

42 Cetane on Winter, no Bio.
46-49 Cetane on Summer, no Bio as long as Winter is being produced at refinery in Regina[40Cetane Winter only available from Edm Refinery... was 85cents/L Friday-28C Winter for another week at rack... then to -20C at Edm rack]... Federated Summer has at least 10% more energy than Winter... Pay end of May, in NE-AB Dyed Diesel 89.1cents/L for large volumes till Tuesday...[Federated Summer is good for a year at least with no Bio... about 8 months when SummerBio blend is recommended storage time...

[zeefarmer]

Heard other way, winter only has additives to counter gelling, just like adding Howes etc. BTU nearly identical.

In our semis that we run commercially with, we always notice a drop in fuel mileage around Oct 31 and it picks back up late March/early April. Fill up at the same cardlock every time.

[fjlip]

Temps, rolling resistance are a factor. Not just the fuel. Really hard to square.

[helmsdale]

In our semis that we run commercially with, we always notice a drop in fuel mileage around Oct 31 and it picks back up late March/early April. Fill up at the same cardlock every time.

I used to be a believer in this... So I took 4000gal of clear summer diesel and treated the ever living shit out of it. Used it the majority of one winter in my truck hauling commercial. Used IFTA reports to compare against all the other trucks in the fleet. All of our trucks were within a few MPG of each other, with some reliably higher and others reliably lower. Other trucks burning winter fuel, mine burning summer fuel, my % difference from where I usually stack up against the other trucks? +0.3%. MPG differerence from previous winters? +0.5%.

Fuel economy decline from summer running to winter running: 10% typically. Running summer fuel in winter? 9.5%.

Those numbers are hardly any more meaningful than rounding errors. Cold components, increased idle time, slushy roads, and possibly more wind are likely the largest contributors.