Transporting 55 gal drums of diesel

[kellikastle]

Probably part of an old post here somewhere... but, is any one familiar with the laws on transporting 55 gal drums of diesel for PRIVATE use in a truck bed trailer??
All I find on it is that it is OK as long as it is for private use and a limit on 119 gal. I only wish to haul 110 gal of diesel in two drums secured in a trailer. That will give my rig more than 1,300 miles of additional fuel supply for a range of more than 1,660 miles. To give an idea of the range that gives me, from my driveway it is, 1,338 miles to LA California, 1,326 miles to Mexico city, 1,427 miles to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 1,997 miles to Guatemala City, Guatemala and 1,760 miles to Quebec Canada. As the trailer will be dedicated to cargo the drums will be anchored down quite firmly so that is not a concern. Not that I would go any of those places but just for reference. YES, I know it would be best to have a commercially built transfer tank but I have several like new 55 gal drums on hand.

 

[greentruck]

Probably part of an old post here somewhere... but, is any one familiar with the laws on transporting 55 gal drums of diesel for PRIVATE use in a truck bed trailer??
All I find on it is that it is OK as long as it is for private use and a limit on 119 gal. I only wish to haul 110 gal of diesel in two drums secured in a trailer. That will give my rig more than 1,300 miles of additional fuel supply for a range of more than 1,660 miles. To give an idea of the range that gives me, from my driveway it is, 1,338 miles to LA California, 1,326 miles to Mexico city, 1,427 miles to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 1,997 miles to Guatemala City, Guatemala and 1,760 miles to Quebec Canada. As the trailer will be dedicated to cargo the drums will be anchored down quite firmly so that is not a concern. Not that I would go any of those places but just for reference. YES, I know it would be best to have a commercially built transfer tank but I have several like new 55 gal drums on hand.

I can't help on the legal aspects, with one exception. If you do start crossing borders, you'll run into a different set of standards on the other side. I'm not certain, but you might prepare to pay custom duties if the fuel isn't in a tank mounted on the vehicle. They probably don't bother with the gallon jig of chainsaw fuel, but the custom folks will see those drums differently. That may also apply if you return to the US with fuel in them.

 

[45Kevin]

I would check in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods regulations. You may be required to have a placard on the trailer and a certain sized fire extinguisher.

 

[e9999]

God forbid you spill any and have to pay the bill for the cleanup. EPA and all that...

 

[TrekboxX]

You'd need a lot less fuel if you weren't hauling a trailer full of fuel. Seems a bit silly in the lower 48 to carry that much along.

 

[Mark W]

A trailer made from a truck bed (already heavy) with nearly 700 pounds of fuel and drums...traveling in the 48. Yep, I gotta ask why too. Dragging that trailer around would not be what I would call miserable, but it would get old quick unless there was some serious benefit

We routinely haul 1, 2 or even 3 drums of fuel loaded in an M416. Sometimes a pair of them. But that is to support groups of up to 20 rigs for a week or more on the trail traveling a far as 400 miles before returning to the road system.

If you are looking at this for trail use, don't count on just strapping the drum on or in the trailer. Bouncing over rough trail will put a lot of stress on straps and anchor points, and if the drums are shifting or bumping against each other or anything else there is high potential for penetration of the drum and leakage. In the event of trailer roll the likelihood of a drum coming loose shifting significantly and/or leaking is high.

(A piece of gravel in the trailer that winds up under a drum laid on its side is all it take to create a hole on the drum.)

It is far better to build a cradle for your drums, secure the cradle into the trailer and the drums into the cradle. Using this type of arrangement we have rolled fuel trailers a few times (on the trail) with no damage and no leakage.

I strongly urge carrying some sort of spill kit and give some thought to how you would deal with spill or leakage before it actually happens.

But it sounds like you are looking at this for a single vehicle, on the road and within the contiguous 48 states. Unless it is part of some post apocalyptic doomsday plan I can't see why. And if it is... Current legality would not seem to be a real consideration.

Mark...

 

[Mark W]

Additionally...like many questions asked in these forums, you need to consider that different states may likely have different takes on any operation. So far a the legality of anything... what is forbidden in one place may be completely unremarkable in another.

Not sure how much weight I would give to any advice about legal issues that is gleaned from any enthusiast division forum on the internet either.


Mark..

 

[kellikastle]

Well, it is the trailer I am already using to haul supplies, tools and two generators, about 50 gallons of water (+the 35 in the camper) behind my truck camper rig. About three times a year I travel with others in sort of a lose convoy going to events like Burning Man. I also personally do a bit of camping in out of the way places. My rig is already set up as a 110v power hub for my daughters C-20 camper van and others to pull power from when off grid. I do not plan on taking on the Rubicon or any thing like that. The set up will probably be just one drum and several 5gal gas cans for the generators and other travelers.

 

[kellikastle]

@ Mark W, I have been told by others that I should stand the drum up as it "sloshes" when on the side if not completely full. I like the idea of a hard mounted cradle set up!! Since you actualy have experence with this what is your take on that. Either way it will be held down with chains bolted through the floor and a bracket will be built around the bottom if it is upright. Thanks!

 

[greentruck]

Yeah, variance in laws among jurisdictions can get one in trouble , as a little ignorance can go a long way to no end of trouble. Having worked security for a few such festivals, this is especially the case for those of us who prefer a bit of alternative social order from time to time...

When you're poking at gray areas (there are some situations these days where the authorities might worry about a possible bomb with a load like this, sad to say) I suggest making sure your set-up is legal in the jurisdiction of registration. It's always easier to say it's legal somewhere else than to suggest the cop is wrong about what's legal in his or her jurisdiction.

 

[kellikastle]

as an example, here in Oklahoma you do not and can not "tag" a truck bed trailer or any trailer under a certain weight. However in Texas you must have them taged, so I carry a letter from the State DMV with that information on it. As the truck tag cant be seen when I haul the trailer, I have been pulled over and had to show it a couple of times. No ticket and on my way I went.