Tractor vs Reefer Fuel: Difference Between Reefer And Tractor
A tractor can be a farm vehicle or a semi-trailer truck cab. A reefer can be a marijuana cigarette or a refrigerator semi-trailer. When it comes to fuel, those definitions may confuse you when there is so little information available
When it comes to fuel, the reefer option is referring to the red-dyed diesel that is reserved for farm vehicles. The tractor fuel option refers to normal diesel that all diesel-powered vehicles can use. You do not want to be caught with the farm-ready fuel in your motorhome.
To learn more about this topic just continue to read our article. It explores the topic so you have the right information and know what to do when you are asked which type of fuel you need. There is a big difference between the two as well as heavy fines if you make the wrong selection.
Tractor vs Reefer Fuel 101
What is Reefer Fuel?
There is more to the story. While this fuel is set aside for farm vehicles, it is used by other machines as well. This type of diesel is for any vehicle or machine that does not use public roads. It can be farm vehicles that use this fuel or construction vehicles and so on.
As long as the vehicle is used off-road for specific purposes, you can buy this fuel. But this fuel is also reserved for those tractor trailers that have a reefer trailer attached to their 5th wheel.
Those trailers are used on public roads but the machines that need this fuel do not. They are motors that keep the trailer cool when the trucker is transporting frozen foods or items that need to be kept cool during transport.
This fuel is not given road and use taxes. Thus you can be fined fairly heavily if you are caught filling your tank with this fuel. That is if you are driving an RV or truck, etc., that is not listed in those special categories.
If you own a gas engine vehicle, you do not have to worry about this problem. This is only a diesel fuel issue.
What is Tractor Diesel Fuel?
This type of fuel is NOT referring to a farm tractor. That farm vehicle gets to use the red-dyed reefer fuel. That is for the reasons mentioned above. This label is referring to the tractor trucks that pull the big trailers that carry those products you want to buy.
Tractor diesel fuel is regular diesel that any non-farm, etc., vehicle can use. If your SUV, pick-up truck, or car has a diesel-powered motor, then you pull up to this fuel pump and fill your tank.
Now the only way you should run into this decision is if you stop at truck stops. Normal gas stations usually only have the tractor fuel option and not the reefer one.
Since truck stops get both regular tractor trailers and reefers needing refueling, you will see this decision at the gas pump when you pay at the pump. Hopefully, any attendant truck stops know the difference and won’t ask you which type of fuel you will need.
If you make a mistake and put the wrong fuel in, that may not stop you from being fined for using the wrong fuel. The reason you will be fined is that the reefer fuel has lower taxes than the tractor fuel.
Difference Between Reefer And Tractor Fuel
There are 2 main differences between these two fuels. The first difference is that the reefer fuel is dyed red. This lets the authorities know what type of fuel you put in your tank.
If the color is red when they check, you will see the state trooper pull out their ticket book and start writing. It is illegal for you to use reefer fuel in normal diesel engines that use public roads.
The second difference will be the cost. Reefer fuel should be cheaper because it does not have all the taxes on it that tractor fuel has. Those extra taxes boost the price of any fuel, not just diesel.
Other than that there is no difference between these two fuels. Diesel is diesel and kerosene is very close to being diesel. In fact, kerosene is listed as diesel #1 so at times you can use that fuel option. If the situation calls for it.
Regular diesel is diesel #2 and reefer fuel is diesel #2. The good news is that many modern engines list kerosene as an approved fuel source. This is just some side information just in case you were wondering. There is more to this topic that is reserved for another day.
Can I Put Reefer Fuel in My Truck?
No. That is not a definitive answer because it is not a mechanical issue but a legal one that prevents you from doing this. Since reefer fuel is taxed less, it is not allowed to be used for public roads, with minor exceptions.
You can use reefer fuel in your truck as it is diesel #2 fuel. That is what all diesel cars and trucks that use public roads need. However, if you try to fill your tank with reefer fuel, you may get lucky and not be caught or you may not and be caught.
If you are caught and this depends on the state you are in at the time, the fines can reach $10,000. Now, if you are not comfortable with the labels tractor and reefer fuels, they are better known under other labels.
Tractor fuel is on-road fuel and reefer is known as off-road fuel. That should clear up any confusion you may have about these two fuels. In most cases, those vehicles using reefer fuel do not operate on public roads.
They remain off-road for about 95 to 99% of the time. There will be occasions where the off-road vehicle will use a public road but that is very minimal use.
Can You Put Tractor Diesel in a Truck?
Yes, you can and that is the fuel you want to use. Well, have to use is the better way to say that. Tractor fuel, as we explained earlier, is diesel #2 and that is the fuel that all on-road vehicles have to use.
It gets the on-road or use taxes which helps to maintain the roads you drive on. Red-dyed, reefer fuel, or off-road fuel does not get those taxes. That is why it is so tempting for many truck owners to take the chance and use it in their on-road vehicles.
They pay less and get more savings. But as we said, if caught, they will be in a lot of trouble. It is best to stick with the proper fuel for your truck. That way if you are stopped you have nothing to worry about when the state trooper checks your fuel tank.
While it is the same fuel and you can run your truck on reefer fuel, it has a different purpose to it and most motorists do not qualify for that special purpose. Neither do RVs.
It would be smart not to run the risk of being caught. Fines have a way of ruining a good vacation if caught.
Tractor Fuel Or Reefer Fuel For a Truck?
The answer to this question is to ask yourself another question- Is your truck on-road or off-road? If the answer is the former, then you must use tractor fuel. If your answer is the latter, then you can use reefer fuel.
Keep in mind that this topic includes SUVs, cars, and other on-road diesel-powered vehicles. It is not just for trucks. Those trucks can be semi-trailer size or smaller pick-up trucks.
Size and shape do not matter in this issue. The only thing that matters is if your vehicle is on-road or off-road. If you are honest, you will pick the right answer every time.
When you are in a pinch, you can try to run diesel #1 in your truck. There are no fines for using that fuel option as it is not part of the on-road off-road debate. Whether that is cheaper or not remains to be seen.
But when you are at a truck stop and are faced with the pump’s question tractor or reefer fuel, make sure to pick the former option. Being honest is the best policy and you can enjoy your vacation a lot better when you are.
The Cost Of Reefer & Tractor Fuel
We can only give you the statistics for the time of this writing. All fuel prices are subject to change and hopefully, they will come down from the levels we are about to report.
Keep in mind that each state applies its own fuel taxes so all states may be above or below the national average, In some reports, reefer fuel is costing $2.97 to $2.99 per gallon and in other reports, it is between $2.61 and $3.12 per gallon.
It sounds expensive but when you compare those prices with the price of tractor diesel, then you can see why people get tempted. The current price for diesel #2 is roughly $5.57 per gallon.
That difference makes a huge impact on any budget. The savings is between $2 and $3 per gallon approx. And if your fuel tank takes 40 gallons you would be saving between $80 and $120 per tank.
Now you know why people are tempted to take the chance. That extra money goes a long way when you are on vacation. Especially when you are traveling long distances.
If you travel 12 months of the year, you are looking at saving thousands of dollars.
Be Careful Of Internet Websites
In researching this topic, we came across many websites whose content is erroneous and very misleading. You have to be careful when regarding their content as they are not producing anything of value and present wrong information as fact.
They do not know the topic very well and have not done their research. One place they have not done this is in the area of cost of the different diesel fuels and the quality of the fuel.
Some websites state that reefer fuel is a lower quality diesel when it is not. So be careful when you do your own research. There is a lot of false information out there.
Where To Find Reefer And Tractor Fuel
Generally, if you are not driving a tractor-trailer, you will find tractor fuel at regular gas stations. Those stations will just advertise this fuel as diesel and nothing more. There is not more to know when you are driving regular vehicles that have diesel engines.
It is when you get out on the road that you may encounter this issue. Truck stops would be the most common place to find both reefer and tractor fuel. The reason for that is they get trucks with refrigeration units on their trailers or boxes.
They need that special fuel if they are on the long haul. Their reefer units can burn through a tank of reefer fuel in 3 to 4 days depending on the settings. There may be odd exceptions to these rules but for the most part, this is where you will find reefer fuel.
You will also know by the price difference if they put all three fuels on their sign boards.
Some Final Words
When it comes to diesel-powered RVs, there is no dilemma. Just confusion. Your rig will only need tractor fuel. There will be no exception to that fact. If you pull into a truck stop and pay at the pump, you may be asked reefer or tractor fuel but you know the answer to that question already.
If you make the wrong choice you run the risk of paying a huge fine depending on the state you are in when caught. Make the right choice and have a great time seeing the country.
