I was a IT Director for a large hospital. The data center was located about ten miles from the main large hospital. One of our single IT technicians had that Military Truck for fun. One major Michigan winter snow only four wheel drive SUVs could get to work. Also that Duce and half had zero issues. I get a call from the Chief of surgery if I could get him because he is snowed in. My tech passes the Doctors house so I told him to look for the green truck. The Doctors children spotted that M35 Military truck driving up the street. Dad who did you call because the Army is coming. They picked up two more Doctors and took them to the hospital. The IT technician had that truck for a few more years. Sold it after getting married. The Chief Doctor repeated that story for years.
I know that in Alabama, there are at least two different types of diesel fuel. One is for commercial, highway use and the other is for farmers use. Certified farmers can buy diesel fuel at a huge discount. To avoid the fuel being re-sold to the truckers for a profit, a color additive was mixed with all farmers fuel. If a trucker is found to have farmers deisel in his tank, someone is in big trouble.
You don't have to be a "certified farmer," whatever that is, to buy off-road diesel in AL! Any store that offers it will let you buy it, you just don't want to run it on a road use vehicle!
That is the case everywhere, but the farm fuel is different from the diesel 1 vs diesel 2 question. Farm fuel is identical to the #2 diesel other than the dye.
Number 1 is more refined than number 2 and doesn't gel as easy. Any place that has free coffee is like that in small areas. They cackle like a hen house. You would have to hide the coffee to get them to leave. I remember them gathering in a local bar as soon as it opened to drink coffee and play penny anti. There were tables and cards. No one paid any attention because they were a fixcture and not in the way. Place was operated by a husband and wife. Younger farmers would sit in during lunch and gossip about farming. That's back when highschool boys could eat lunch there as well.
Lived in Hong Kong here for 25 years. And recently went on a trip to a national park in the states. Some small town town "guy" told me. "International people can't live and work in Hong Kong". And just a bunch of other wrong stuff. I think it's a thing unique to your country. All these small town people are so knowledgeable about the world. But they have never left the small town. Been to 159 countries. And the US is the one place this happens the most often. Really hard to talk to rural people there sometimes.
Where I grew up the difference between the 2 types of diesel fuel is on road use and off road use. Off road diesel was cheaper because it did not have all of the road taxes added to the costs. One had a dye added and it was illegal to use the off road fuel in over the road vehicles.
Kind of correct ,BUT diesel one is cold weather like he said . Off road diesel is red and is taxed very differently. There is also #3 bunker fuel ,used in big ship engines , it is black .
Never heard of the Diesel 1 and Diesel 2. I'm guessing what happens in the bigger cities is they just change the mixture with the seasons because they run through their storage tanks frequently. They just adjust the price as necessary. Perhaps small towns simply don't sell all that much so they have both because they aren't going to sell all their summer diesel by the time winter hits and vice-versa.
I always enjoy your stories about the UP! I usually stop for fuel in Negaunee and drive right through Chassell. Maybe I'll have to stop there and see what it's like!
In Montana it was off road and regular. Off road didnt have the tax , farm equipment and what not. Not supposed to use the offroadnfor on road . Get a ticket if the office dipped the tank and the wrong color fuel was in it. Scary times lol
Been driving a diesel pick up for 20+ years. Can’t say I’ve ever seen the 2 options at the pump. I’ve seen regular and bio diesel, but never 1/2. Also….. some very unique souls in the UP of Michigan. 😅
Drove a duce and a half in VN. Lost one to a rocket attack seconds after i jumped out and five into a slit trench. I kearned to drive split shift on that truck..
I lived in Superior, WI for a couple years beginning in 2008... they have a multii grade diesel too... no employee at the station could, or would, tell me which is which... I gave up and just bought the cheaper one with no problem all year long. I wonder if the "winter additives make it more expensive or is it the "purer" diesel that costs more. Diesel 3, I think, had pink dye in it for off-road. Great story 😅
Knowing where Chassell is, I'm sure this guy has been to Copper Harbor, but, I have to wonder if he really has. People in Copper Harbor certainly wouldn't object. You'd be more likely to get people wandering over to check it out. Was hoping you'd make it to End of the Road this summer so I could say hi in person, but alas, twas not to be.
We have our fair share of people like that in the small town I live in, call them the because I said so committee and I laugh at them because it’s normally stuff that’s so absurd sounding and they can’t back up their claims
86. I bought a VW Golf diesel took a trip the first weekend to New Hampshire to go skiing. When I get up there I needed to fill it back up again. Local gas station had pure kerosene. Ran it on that. Ran fine, but later learned that kerosene/diesel would’ve been a better mix as the kerosene does not provide lubrication. Always wanted to try running it on vegetable oil.
Twenty years ago (or more) we had several diesel VW's around town who would scrounge fryer oil from local restaurants. Get behind one of those hippy guys in traffic smelled like fish and chips, not in a good way.
It funny that they had 2 diesel blends, if they’re seasonal. Why would you stock winter diesel in Summer. Many high pollution metro areas, especially in CA, have summer and winter blends of gasoline. But they just have one tank, and fill it with the seasonally appropriate blend. No decision by the customer required. I see the comment from AL re: separate fuels for Ag use. Many states exempt fuels for Ag / off road use from the road taxes applied to fuel for road vehicles. That does make a big price difference.
Is diesel in MI the same as CA? Diesel #1 is red diesel for off road use only because it’s cheaper and untaxed, diesel #2 is clear diesel for road use and is more expensive and taxed
