Picking Fuel Tank Capacity....

I would select the larger ones to keep my options open......like a fuel deal. Also you'll save money by ducking the Comdata chg. ( less times at pump ) or worst case being stranded. ( snow etc )

If weight is an issue then short fuel the load.

JMO

 

larger is better, will it save you money probably not. but capacity is certainly not a bad thing. use your head if your right at gross don't top off run less than full. at the same time though i would not pass up a truck just because of smaller fuel tanks

 

All you really need is enough to get you through a day's driving and if you sleep in the truck, running the APU or idling overnight. Fuel up in the morning, run all day, and park the truck with enough fuel to get you through the night and to your next fuel stop...or if you're paid by the ton, to your next p/u and then to a fuel stop.

For a local truck, 100-120 gallons should be sufficient. OTR, I wouldn't want more than a 150-160 gallon capacity. When you start carrying more fuel, you become a more lucrative target for a fuel thief...and my philosophy on that is that they can't steal fuel you don't have in your tanks. I rarely have more than 1/4 tank when I park for the night...usually less than 1/8....ESPECIALLY if I'm out on the road.

 

I have twin 120's.

Don't think I can see a need for tanks much bigger than that.

 

well, its always been my belief (solely by using anecdotal evidence) that you get slightly better fuel mileage on full tanks than on half full tanks. if thats true, thats another point in favor of the larger tanks. its also an argument against the "you get 6.5 mpg regardless" school of thought. but its not much, and shouldnt influence the decision. weight, price deals, and convenience should be your decision making factors. how many loads can you NOT haul because of the added weight? not many, really. you cant factor in the weight of the added FUEL, only the added weight of the tanks themselves. you can always put in less fuel than capacity. so 150 gallon tanks CAN hold as much as the 100 gallon tanks, or they can hold more. its only the weight of the tanks themselves that you must consider when figuring what loads you would have to turn down.

 

Weight is fresh on my mind because I fueled, then got a load offer that pushed me to within 120 lbs. of legal gross. The shipper wouldn't let me leave the plant if I didn't gross 80,000 or under. But, you are right, how often does this occur?

 

with the kind of work i do i seem to wish i had more capacity more often than not i can carry 200 gallons. often times there can be as much as 100 miles or more out of route to go get fuel when your working out in the middle of bfe. otr its not as much of a issue, unless say your at a receiver or get shut down at a rest area off the beaten path in a blizzard and cant get anywhere for a couple days. it is nice to be able to carry enough fuel to cover more than a days worth of fuel at a time. not a necessity but a luxury. if weight is a concern you can always just not fill all the way up. as far as fuel theft iv never had it happen to me so i guess iv never been to worried about it.

 

depends if I am running a hopper bottom, van or if I am paid off weight.

 

More fuel capacity is usually better, if you are having weight problems, you should be able to shut off 1 tank and run on the other one, thus saving weight.
More capacity will pay of if you know HOW to purchase fuel correctly. Pump price less the state tax rate to find cost of the fuel. If you have a discount program figure that in also instead of the pump price. Sometimes fuel bought in higher tax states is cheaper when deducting the state tax.

 

Get loaded first, then see how much Fuel you can fill depending on the weight of the vehicle!