Fuel truck - safety considerations

[ateamer]

BLUF make sure your aircraft fuel isn’t getting mixed with other products at delivery.

We live at an airpark and along with a number of neighbors, have a fuel trailer at our hangar. We’ve been using the same supplier for years, but one neighbor wanted to try a different company, one that offered easier scheduling and payment.

Well, the truck driver pumped several gallons of red diesel into a 100LL fuel trailer before catching it. Turns out that this company has a truck with multiple compartments and dedicates on to 100, but has only one hose. The hose holds up to 15 gallons on its own.

Fortunately they caught it early, but still had to empty and flush the tank. They did fix it at their expense, but we have decided to not give them another chance.

Not here to name names, but just putting out a hazard to watch for. Hopefully it’s not a regular practice. It’s a new truck, so they’re probably a quarter million into it and couldn’t spring for a second hose reel?

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Well, the truck driver pumped several gallons of red diesel into a 100LL fuel trailer before catching it. Turns out that this company has a truck with multiple compartments and dedicates on to 100, but has only one hose. The hose holds up to 15 gallons on its own.

This is why I don't buy "ethanol free" gas at the stations that run multiple grades through a single hose.

The worse problem in aviation is the mixing of Jet-A with DEF instead of Prist. That has caused some dual engine flameouts when it wasn't caught, and millions of dollars worth of repairs when it was.

 

[Bell206]

It’s a new truck, so they’re probably a quarter million into it and couldn’t spring for a second hose reel?

Its the downside to multiple use tankers. But its all about the cost. At my old day job, we refused any multi-use tankers, however, our monthly usage was measured in 1000s of gallons of fuel per week so we had stroke. Depending on your usage, perhaps look at getting your fuel trailer DOT certified and going to the distributer to fill it up? Its a common alternative.

 

[ateamer]

Its the downside to multiple use tankers. But its all about the cost. At my old day job, we refused any multi-use tankers, however, our monthly usage was measured in 1000s of gallons of fuel per week so we had stroke. Depending on your usage, perhaps look at getting your fuel trailer DOT certified and going to the distributer to fill it up? Its a common alternative.

Guys have looked at having an airpark fueling operation or our own truck. The conclusion was that it’d be too costly for the equipment plus insurance, and accomplishing sampling, logging and other paperwork on a daily basis would not last for long.

We’ve had a distributor who has a single-use truck delivering for a long time, but there was an opportunity to switch to a company that appeared easier to work with for scheduling and payment, but we’d rather stick with safe fuel. Fueling aircraft is one of those things that you get one chance to get it right.

 

[Jeff Oslick]

Its the downside to multiple use tankers. But its all about the cost. At my old day job, we refused any multi-use tankers, however, our monthly usage was measured in 1000s of gallons of fuel per week so we had stroke. Depending on your usage, perhaps look at getting your fuel trailer DOT certified and going to the distributer to fill it up? Its a common alternative.

Wouldn't you also need a DOT HAZMAT license if the trailer is >119 gallons?

 

[midwestpa24]

The worse problem in aviation is the mixing of Jet-A with DEF instead of Prist. That has caused some dual engine flameouts when it wasn't caught, and millions of dollars worth of repairs when it was.

Those mishaps are entirely on the FBO and their staff, although it was a human factors case if there ever was one. Both Prist and DEF can be purchased in nearly identical white jugs with similar looking labels, and as it so happens were stored together. It was just a matter of time.

Controls for aviation fuel is really what makes the fuel so different from others. Cross contamination can be deadly. I'm actually surprised there are multi-tank delivery vehicles that will haul 100LL. I've never seen it, but then again I've never been at a facility where it would make any sense. Even then, they should have a dedicated tank and a dedicated hose for the 100LL.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Those mishaps are entirely on the FBO and their staff, although it was a human factors case if there ever was one. Both Prist and DEF can be purchased in nearly identical white jugs with similar looking labels, and as it so happens were stored together. It was just a matter of time.

I'm not saying they weren't the FBO's fault, I'm just saying it's a VERY easy mistake to make, definitely a human factors case.

Really, I'm surprised nobody has done an EV fuel truck yet*. It's a perfect use case for an EV, and getting rid of the diesel engine gets rid of the need for DEF and the possibility of this happening.

* There is an EV "100LL" truck. Nothing says you can't put Jet-A in it I suppose, but it's only got a tiny capacity, something like a 450 gallons total, so not particularly useful for pumping Jet-A.

There are some EV truck chassis, but they put the batteries between the frame rails in back directly below where the tank would go, so that's a non-starter. Need them up front where the engine currently lives.

If nothing else, I'm surprised airport fuel trucks haven't been exempted from the DEF requirements yet, though I don't know that anyone can build a new engine that doesn't take it any more.

 

[RyanB]

I'm actually surprised there are multi-tank delivery vehicles that will haul 100LL. I've never seen it, but then again I've never been at a facility where it would make any sense.

I’ve never seen them either, and I strongly suspect this event was not by one of the primary fuel providers. There is a place on the delivery sheet for us to verify a dedicated trailer. I don’t recall seeing one that hasn’t been. The QC is quite extensive with our provider.

 

[midwestpa24]

I'm not saying they weren't the FBO's fault, I'm just saying it's a VERY easy mistake to make, definitely a human factors case.

Really, I'm surprised nobody has done an EV fuel truck yet*. It's a perfect use case for an EV, and getting rid of the diesel engine gets rid of the need for DEF and the possibility of this happening.

* There is an EV "100LL" truck. Nothing says you can't put Jet-A in it I suppose, but it's only got a tiny capacity, something like a 450 gallons total, so not particularly useful for pumping Jet-A.

There are some EV truck chassis, but they put the batteries between the frame rails in back directly below where the tank would go, so that's a non-starter. Need them up front where the engine currently lives.

If nothing else, I'm surprised airport fuel trucks haven't been exempted from the DEF requirements yet, though I don't know that anyone can build a new engine that doesn't take it any more.

Given my background in firefighting, especially airport firefighting, no, just no. Fighting EV fires, and fighting fuel truck fires, I would never want to see those combined. If it ever caught fire, it better be a long ways from anything so it can just be let go.

 

[ateamer]

Those mishaps are entirely on the FBO and their staff, although it was a human factors case if there ever was one. Both Prist and DEF can be purchased in nearly identical white jugs with similar looking labels, and as it so happens were stored together. It was just a matter of time.

Controls for aviation fuel is really what makes the fuel so different from others. Cross contamination can be deadly. I'm actually surprised there are multi-tank delivery vehicles that will haul 100LL. I've never seen it, but then again I've never been at a facility where it would make any sense. Even then, they should have a dedicated tank and a dedicated hose for the 100LL.

Well, it is rural Florida.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Given my background in firefighting, especially airport firefighting, no, just no. Fighting EV fires, and fighting fuel truck fires, I would never want to see those combined. If it ever caught fire, it better be a long ways from anything so it can just be let go.

Make an ejectable battery. Put the truck in reverse, drop the battery and let it burn. Make a giant one of those fire-stop bags around it if you need to.

Or start using gasoline powered fuel trucks. DEF-Prist confusion is a big deal.

 

[DreadPirateWill]

Fortunately they caught it early, but still had to empty and flush the tank. They did fix it at their expense, but we have decided to not give them another chance.

Based on this, personally I'd take Bob Hoover's approach after his mis-fuel - I'd want that guy filling my tanks every time. Caught early and fixed at their expense, likely a lesson that fueler won't forget any time soon.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Based on this, personally I'd take Bob Hoover's approach after his mis-fuel - I'd want that guy filling my tanks every time. Caught early and fixed at their expense, likely a lesson that fueler won't forget any time soon.

I dunno about that. Fuelers don't get paid enough for the amount of responsibility they have. It's not going to attract the best, brightest, or most motivated in many cases, unfortunately.

Case in point: We had a fueling issue at an FBO where they pumped the entire requested fuel load into one wing, and pumping enough fuel into the other wing to meet fuel imbalance requirements would have made the plane overweight, so another plane had to be sent to pick up the pax.

A year or two later, the exact same FBO made the exact same mistake and the one pilot who was there both times said he was pretty sure it was the same guy.

They sure did have a shiny fancy building though.