Husky DieselMax

Murminator

Timber King
Moderator
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
5,615
Reaction score
2,498
Location
NE Edmonton
I document all of my fuel use so I know from tank to tank exactly what my vehicles burn. I also haul the same weights on the same runs. When I get fuel that comes from refinerys Saskatchewan the trucks always go further between fill ups. If you do a little research you will find out that the tar sand diesel fuel does not have as much energy in it that crude oil diesel has. If you talk to truckers that travel a lot they will tell you the same thing. Some farmers that I know who burn a lot of fuel get their fuel trucked in from Saskatchewan because it is better fuel.

The old high sulfer diesel fuel gave me the best fuel economy in all of my diesel units. When I was in the states traveling a few years ago I got the odd tank of this and we got better than 40% more mileage per tank. Even without the sulpher you can tell good fuel from poor fuel.

Most people do not document their fuel use and quote the "lie meter" on many forums. You have to start a fuel log book to know exactly what is going on. Then after many tanks of fuel you can actually see any changes in fuel economy.


While reading this thread I was thinking this the whole time

I happen to know a lot of truck drivers :rolleyes: and they swear when in southern sask you have to fill up at a co-op they say it is denser and your MPG goes way up. They say the Co-op refinery in Regina produces a better diesel than Alberta refineries ...maybe it has something to do with the Sask mandatory 2% bio-diesel?
 

pfi572

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
6,064
Reaction score
15,264
Location
Grande Prairie
It's the Cetane levels in fuel that make fuel better or worse.
Go across border into states and same results. Better fuel , better milage.
Even dealer reps for diesel motors told me out fuel is ****ty in the north and couldn't believe the difference in first tank after crossing border .
Sask. Must be the same?
 

tex78

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
17,557
Reaction score
16,989
Location
DA Moose B.C
I've seen since ultra low sulfer diesel came out, my older truck gets less mpg and piros are way higher

Just junk fuel
 

ABMax24

Active VIP Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2013
Messages
4,883
Reaction score
14,168
Location
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
you are absolutely correct in stating that you need to keep a fuel log to know exactly what your fuel consumption is. But that being said I challenge you to tell me what fuel is being delivered to the service stations.

On this note, I worked with a guy a couple days ago that used to work at the Prince George Refinery, he said that the trucks that picked up fuel there would run it as far as the Edmonton area, particularly during diesel shortages, so I think its safe to say you can never be certain of where your fuel came from.
 

Cdnfireman

Active VIP Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2012
Messages
2,726
Reaction score
9,529
Location
Alberta
Diesel fuel is a commodity that is moved from area to area depending on supply and demand for any given time of year. During seeding and harvest in the west, fuel comes from as far away as Montreal. During the winter home heating oil season in eastern canada and the states, diesel moves that way. Refiners are very wary of overproducing because it reduces the spot price for diesel. It's because of this there's often shortages in specific markets, and refiners will actually buy from the competition to fill the tanks at their stations. It's probable that you've pulled into a shell station and then filled up with petro-can fuel. They all do this when forced to do so by market conditions. My girlfriend works for shell and says it happens all the time. When shell scotford goes on turnaround, they buy from others to meet their needs.
Specialty diesels like husky diesel max and shell v-power are their regular diesels with a different additive package that increases cetane levels. It's mixed in at the tank farms when the fuel is transferred to trucks.

Long story short, the diesel you just bough could have come from anywhere depending on time of year and market conditions.

As for for mileage claims, fuel economy is the most argued about stat ever. Fuel logs are a great tool for measuring consumption, and even if you drive the same route with the same load every time, your economy will differ due to wind, temperature, humidity etc. Chances are you don't record all that in your fuel logs. And for the guys that go to a different region, fill up and claim better power/ mileage, add altitude and air density to the variables as well.

There's a theoretical sweet spot for every engine where the right air temperature, density, humidity etc will make that engine perform best. And when the stars all align like that, look out, that cummins in your dodge will not only perform better than anything else, it might actually put fuel BACK into your tank.(sorry! couldn't resist).

Is there differences in fuel quality? You bet, but they're small and rare unless something went wrong in the handling process. Most of the time it's all the same stuff.
 

pipes

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
26,691
Reaction score
37,474
Location
Bonnyville Alberta
Diesel fuel is a commodity that is moved from area to area depending on supply and demand for any given time of year. During seeding and harvest in the west, fuel comes from as far away as Montreal. During the winter home heating oil season in eastern canada and the states, diesel moves that way. Refiners are very wary of overproducing because it reduces the spot price for diesel. It's because of this there's often shortages in specific markets, and refiners will actually buy from the competition to fill the tanks at their stations. It's probable that you've pulled into a shell station and then filled up with petro-can fuel. They all do this when forced to do so by market conditions. My girlfriend works for shell and says it happens all the time. When shell scotford goes on turnaround, they buy from others to meet their needs.
Specialty diesels like husky diesel max and shell v-power are their regular diesels with a different additive package that increases cetane levels. It's mixed in at the tank farms when the fuel is transferred to trucks.


Long story short, the diesel you just bough could have come from anywhere depending on time of year and market conditions.

As for for mileage claims, fuel economy is the most argued about stat ever. Fuel logs are a great tool for measuring consumption, and even if you drive the same route with the same load every time, your economy will differ due to wind, temperature, humidity etc. Chances are you don't record all that in your fuel logs. And for the guys that go to a different region, fill up and claim better power/ mileage, add altitude and air density to the variables as well.

There's a theoretical sweet spot for every engine where the right air temperature, density, humidity etc will make that engine perform best. And when the stars all align like that, look out, that cummins in your dodge will not only perform better than anything else, it might actually put fuel BACK into your tank.(sorry! couldn't resist).

Is there differences in fuel quality? You bet, but they're small and rare unless something went wrong in the handling process. Most of the time it's all the same stuff.

Thanks. great bit of information. I'm glad that you posted it up because there are people that believe otherwise. A good example of what you are say is true is the Co-op card lock station at Uclulet BC. AS far as I know Co-ops refinery is in Regina. I doubt that they would truck fuel all that distance.
 

mb1

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2007
Messages
777
Reaction score
153
Location
Edmonton
Yes that's good info from cdn fireman.

On the bio diesel topic, it's possible that a company must sell a certain amount of it, but not necessarily where or when. Maybe they would put it in the product in the northern half of a province but not the southern half.

A ULSD plant might be able to run on different feedstocks as well, economics drive many factors behind what is produced every hour. And it changes. No guarantee you get the same stuff every time from the same station. EVEN if you could prove it came from the same plant.


'12 T4
Husaberg 570FE
 
Top Bottom