Transportation of fuel

[spyderman8]

The non-commercial transportation of fuel seems to be a bit of a legal minefield. Some petrol stations have signs stating that they won't allow you to fill 20l cans - only those pathetic 5l green plastic things - which wouldn't get you very far on track. I bought a couple of new 20l gerry cans off eBay, added extra "flammable" stickers and carry a 2l extinguisher of the correct type (plus I'm a trained fire warden, so I know which way to point it). I've found some legislation but its not entirely clear whether it applies to private cars. Does anyone really know what the rules are?

[HustleRussell]

The simple answer is 'no, nobody knows'. We had a thread on this not too long ago.
However there are over 100 people in my race club, of which I have been a member for 4 years, all of whom use 20L steel cans as far as I can tell, and I haven't heard a single story of legal trouble with these cans.
I usually have 2 or 3 full cans in the boot on the way to an event.

ETA: My opening sentence is misleading. I seem to remember the laws are quite explicit but nobody has heard of them being repeated outside of a rule book or enforced in the real world.

[jonnyleroux]

I was told a couple of years ago (by someone who supplies fuel to the motorsport community for a living) that the limit of 333L per vehicle still stands as long as it's in containers no bigger than 20L each. This certainly rings true with the VOSA documentation, too.

The 20L limit is purely company-specific (regardless of what the attendant will tell you), some fuel stations are twitchy about it, others are not. Generally not worth arguing with them, regardless of who's got the law on their side, in my experience.

Jonny
BaT

[spyderman8]

Thanks guys. I seem to recall the 333l figure too - but assumed that was for commercial purposes. Guess I'll just carry on what I'm doing.

One thing I did learn over the weekend: never leave the cans in the sun!

[HustleRussell]

spyderman8 said:

One thing I did learn over the weekend: never leave the cans in the sun!

Petrol fountain?

[BullyB]

I always hide my cans behind the car and use the pump furthest away from the counter. Only problem is when you hit the £99.99 limit....

[jagracer]

The only time I've ever had any problem is when I tried to buy fuel at the first garage in Attleborough. They'd only let me fill one 20lt jerry can so I went to the Tesco down the road and filled the other. Other times now I go to a pump away from the checkouts and try and keep the cans out of sight.

[gruffalo]

I tried at the Sainsbury's at Attlebrough, they wouldn't let me fill up a 20L can, against their policy it seemed.

But then they wouldn't let me fill my car up either as the filler is in the boot.

Another day no problem at all, seems to depend on the person sat at the tills.

[spyderman8]

HustleRussell said:

Petrol fountain?

The team noticed it was bulging and poured water over it, then left it in the shade before opening it. Fortunately!

[agent006]

spyderman8 said:

One thing I did learn over the weekend: never leave the cans in the sun!

Not filling it right to the brim will help this. I had a similar thing at Colerne a few years ago and managed to cover one side of my car in petrol, but then I'd been a dimwit and completely brimmed the can late the night before.

[spyderman8]

There were two next to each other, one full, this one half full.

[Wh00sher]

I find a way to make yourself really popular at filling stations is to take your track car there on a trailer. Fill the car, THEN get 4x Jerry cans out and start filling those...

I`ve only ever had one attendant tell me I couldn`t fill Jerry cans. As already mentioned, no point arguing, they are `following company policy...` I just went somewhere else.

[agent006]

Wh00sher said:

I find a way to make yourself really popular at filling stations is to take your track car there on a trailer. Fill the car, THEN get 4x Jerry cans out and start filling those...

Or do as I used to with my LPG Range Rover. Fill 100L Petrol tank, fill 95L LPG tank, fill 60L track car tank on trailer at the pump behind, fill fuel can.

[QBee]

gruffalo said:

I tried at the Sainsbury's at Attlebrough, they wouldn't let me fill up a 20L can, against their policy it seemed.

But then they wouldn't let me fill my car up either as the filler is in the boot.

Another day no problem at all, seems to depend on the person sat at the tills.

Filled my TVR up at that exact petrol station with no problem (filler in the boot). Indeed, I have never been told "NO" at any petrol station - I generally have more difficulty getting out of the kiosk without a lengthy smiling chat.....

[Zumbruk]

I've had problems filling jerrycans at Sainsbury in Bedford (Clapham) and at a local Shell station. I simply don't buy fuel there any more - the local village station is much the same price for super unleaded and they don't seem to GAS about what you fill.

It seems the garages are interpreting the law;

Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928

Makes provisions that petroleum sprit must not be kept unless there is a
petroleum license in force and that such conditions are attached and complied
with. You may store up to 14 litres without the need to obtain a petroleum
license.

The Petroleum (Motor Vehicle) Regulations 1929

You may also store 2x9 litres of petroleum in metal containers if this is for
your own vehicle.

So it looks like jerry cans are probably not allowed.

[spyderman8]

Zumbruk said:

The Petroleum (Motor Vehicle) Regulations 1929

You may also store 2x9 litres of petroleum in metal containers if this is for
your own vehicle.

I think that's been superceded - hence the pathetic green plastic cans you now see everywhere.

[QBee]

Agree with the need to have your own fuel with you.

It's not actually so much the £1.60 a litre they charge......we are all just wasting fuel track daying, so what does it matter that it's 10% more expensive? Just do 10% fewer mies at the end of the session if it really bothers you..
It's more the time you have to waste getting more fuel.

I did an evening at Cadwell Park recently, 2.5 hours on track.. Got there with an almost full tank (12 galleons) but no spares.
Driver's briefing ".....oh, by the way,our pumps are closed this evening. Nearest filling station with Super will take half an hour to get there and back"

My 5 litre Chimaera averages 8mpg on track.
It also starts to stutter on left hand bends if the tank is less than 1/3 full.
After 1.5 hours I was needing more fuel.

Thanks Cadwell. I took 25 litres extra to Snetterton's similar evening last week.

[Zumbruk]

More useful stuff here;

http://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/petroleum-f...

How many containers can I fill at a petrol station?

Petrol filling stations may have their own internal policy on the types and numbers of containers they are prepared to fill - frequently one or two 5 litre plastic and/or one or two 10 litre metal. This is a decision made by the filling station operator and is not a legal requirement.

Petrol filling stations usually have to abide by a licence condition to allow only 'suitable' containers to be filled. This is usually interpreted as metal containers up to a maximum size of 23 litres or plastic containers up to a maximum size of 5 litres. A licence condition has the same effect as a legal requirement. The licence condition does not limit how many containers one customer may fill.

[spyderman8]

That sounds promising - good find!

[PhillipM]

I've had one or two stations object to us filling the car and 2/3 jerry cans.
That's fine by me, filling the tow car, the racer, and 2/3 jerry cans is a fair bit of cash, I go elsewhere now, they must not want my money, screw 'em.