Diesel engines are a popular choice for trucks and commercial uses due to their efficiency and long-lasting nature. There are different types of diesel fuel available for different applications, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common type of diesel is “transparent diesel”, which is the fuel you can buy at the gas station. Tinted diesel is specific to agricultural or off-road use and is not taxable in the United States.
Blue-tinted diesel is for use in government vehicles and is not available for public consumption. Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is required for all diesel vehicles on the road. Heavier diesel fuel is authorized for use in larger, heavier engines. Biodiesel and conventional diesel vehicles are the same, and almost all of them can run on biodiesel blends.
The most common biodiesel blend is B20, which ranges from 6% to 20% biodiesel mixed with petroleum diesel. B5 (a blend of biodiesel with 5% biodiesel and 95% diesel) is also commonly used in fleet vehicles. The B20 and low-level blends can be used in many diesel vehicles without any engine modifications. Diesel fuel is commonly used in public and school buses, as well as commercial equipment such as generators, backhoes and fuel cells. Diesel engines are 30 to 35 percent more efficient than their gas counterparts, and oil refineries can produce 11 to 12 gallons of diesel for every 42-gallon barrel of crude oil.
There is also an opportunity to use more sustainable sources, such as biomass, to produce diesel. Diesel is also much less explosive than other types of fuel, including gasoline, and oil systems tend to last much longer than natural gas or propane systems. To reduce emissions, a “selective catalytic reduction” (SCR) system is installed in the exhaust systems of trucks or equipment, which uses diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to dissolve contaminants such as nitrogen oxide in fuel. It is important to note that there are serious penalties for the misuse of tinted diesel, as it is a form of tax evasion. To ensure you select the right type of commercial diesel for your trucks or commercial equipment, contact an accredited fuel distributor like Sperr's Fuel and Heating. We store the three types of diesel fuels described here and offer scheduled and on-demand delivery plans.
