What is Off Road Diesel and How is it Used?

You may have heard about off road diesel and thought to yourself “what is off road diesel? What’s the difference?”. Off road diesel is just like regular diesel used in regular every day trucks. The difference comes down to how the fuel is taxed and how it looks.

Off road diesel in Lynchburg Virginia is essentially the same as conventional diesel; the only distinction is that it hasn’t been “road taxed.” This diesel is used for fuel for heating oil boilers, farm equipment, construction trucks, and pretty much everything that doesn’t need to go on paved public roads.

When you buy diesel for a car that is mostly used on public roads or highways, a special charge known as the “road tax” is included in the price. Since there are no federal or state taxes associated with this fuel, it is inherently less expensive.

Red dye is added to the fuel to prevent it from being used improperly to evade taxes. There are harsh sanctions for anyone caught by the police using off-road diesel in their daily transit vehicle. A summary of the fines are as follows:  “The civil penalty for any act mentioned in paragraph A shall be the greater of $1,000 or ten dollars per gallon of fuel, based on the roadway vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft’s maximum storage capacity of the storage tank, container, or storage tank.” 

Fuel that isn’t going to be utilized on public roads shouldn’t be subject to a roads tax. On a gallon-by-gallon basis, it might not seem like much, but when thousands of gallons are involved, it can add up to a significant amount.

Off-road diesel is classified as a Class II combustible liquid by the National Fire Code. Combustible fuels are any that have a flash point below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Diesel is typically considered to have a flash point of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or between 126 and 205 degrees Celsius. As a result, it falls within the Class II combustible category.Off road diesel in Lynchburg Virginia

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