Is it possible for a tanker driver to put diesel into a petrol tank or vice versa at a garage? I am assuming that there is some safety mechanism to prevent it - or is there?
They don’t carry different pipes do they…and all then connection pipes look the same…you don’t see them carrying different coloured pipes, One set for diesel and the other for petrol…So yes it is possible if he’s connected to the wrong tank…Cannot think of any safety mechanism to avoid they type of mistake
so when you think about it I bet if you took a sample of fuel it would have a minor percentage of the opposite fuel…
Yep does happen called across over , there are no different coupling for petrol or derv .always get a receit when buying fuel it happens more than you would think .
Some tanks need an adapter for the hose apparently, small way of reducing the risk of a crossover.
I’ve heard of some new forecourts that have devices that sample the product before it will let the driver drop, same principle with Jet A-1, I might be wrong.
I remember this happening at Asda in Aberdeen.It was on the news for 2 days,not much happens in Aberdeen.
I did many years on contract to a large supermarket on fuel delivery and we had a yellow hose for derv and it had a different end to fit the tank in the ground. The derv was not always in the same compartment on the truck and all the compartment fittings are the same so it was still possible to fit the yellow hose to a compartment of petrol. We were supposed to drop the derv first and then the petrol but with every job timed to the minute this was rarely done.
Since I have been retired I think some of the paperwork for the driver only deliveries says that compartment No 2 has to go in tank No 5 etc as another way of trying to stop cocktails.
It certainly used to be possible back in the 80’s as all pipes and connections were the same. You could carry 6 or 7 different products in 6 or 7 different compartments. It was up to the driver which product went in which compartment and it was up to him to remember what was where. That was top loading.
As far as I know now every product is marked in it’s own compartment and they are all labelled. Never heard of different coloured hoses.
Numbum:
I did many years on contract to a large supermarket on fuel delivery and we had a yellow hose for derv and it had a different end to fit the tank in the ground. The derv was not always in the same compartment on the truck and all the compartment fittings are the same so it was still possible to fit the yellow hose to a compartment of petrol. We were supposed to drop the derv first and then the petrol but with every job timed to the minute this was rarely done.
Since I have been retired I think some of the paperwork for the driver only deliveries says that compartment No 2 has to go in tank No 5 etc as another way of trying to stop cocktails.
Interesting what you say Numbum. What year did all this happen?
I’ve heard of it a few times once on local radio and through a mate on tanks.
Firm I worked for had a split tank in the yard for white and red and delivery driver put red in white tank
albion1971:
Numbum:
I did many years on contract to a large supermarket on fuel delivery and we had a yellow hose for derv and it had a different end to fit the tank in the ground. The derv was not always in the same compartment on the truck and all the compartment fittings are the same so it was still possible to fit the yellow hose to a compartment of petrol. We were supposed to drop the derv first and then the petrol but with every job timed to the minute this was rarely done.
Since I have been retired I think some of the paperwork for the driver only deliveries says that compartment No 2 has to go in tank No 5 etc as another way of trying to stop cocktails.Interesting what you say Numbum. What year did all this happen?
Hello Albion,
I retired early in 2008 and I am sure we still used the yellow hose for derv then but it is worying how quick you forget many of the things you did every day once you retire. I only put the product in the wrong tanks once in 30 odd years. This was in toploading days when the prat in the office booked a load out with the derv and two star petrol in compartments one and six but opposite ends to where the loading arms were on the gantry. To save moving the lorry during loading the driver loading it for me swopped the compartments over , which we often did, but he forgot to change the paperwork. The grade indicators on the compartment valves are rotated by hand and I often wonder if kids have realised this and turned a few around if the lorry was left unatended when loaded. Health and Safety would have a ball with us years ago. Used to go to one small country garage and if the tanks filled up and there was only about 300 litres left in the truck the owner would roll out a couple of 40 gallon drums and fill them up from one of the pumps to make room for it. The outlet on the old tanks was at the rear end of the compartments so if we unloaded at a garage facing downhill there was always product left in each compartment. One garage owner made us go down the road and turn round and stop outside again in the road facing uphill. He then drained all the compartments out with a bucket and poured it into one of his tanks.
Thanks for your reply Numbum. Interesting to hear how things changed over the years. I often wonder how I am still alive with the lack of health and safety in the 80’s. Guys loading spirit with no earth leads etc and plenty splash loading!
Glad it’s all improved now though.
Latterly I worked on aircraft refuelling which was bottom loading but we only carried the one product so no problems that way.
Glad I am now retired like yourself. Far better life. 
I was always told that it costs the forecourt a fortune in customer claims when this happens - and that if a tanker driver had stuck the wrong fuel in the storage tanks under the forecourt to cause it, then they would be sacked on the spot.
No not sacked on the spot not in my experience .if you try and cover it up you will get sacked but otherwise no .
I’ve heard (in my zero experience) that this the main reason for dismissal on fuel tankers.
I doubt many drivers get the chance to get it wrong 3 times! 
Nothing to do with fuel at pump, but I remember many years ago a sweet factory near me had a delivery of heating oil and driver connected hose up to sugar tank 
wing-nut:
Nothing to do with fuel at pump, but I remember many years ago a sweet factory near me had a delivery of heating oil and driver connected hose up to sugar tank
Ha ha I remember a driver from one of our other depots connected up to what he thought gas oil tank but it was a kerosene tank which was already almost full.
After connecting and starting to pump the fuel he promptly jumped in the cab and fell asleep (not allowed)
It was windy and the fuel coming out of the overflow which was high up was spraying over a nice little thatched cottage!
Needless to say nobody could wake him up over the engine noise and the the cottage was drenched in kerosene and ruined.
That driver was sacked. 
I once started to fill my Suzuki katana sports scooter ( 2 stroke ) up with diesel 
,I realised pretty quick and filled it with petrol ,but being as the tank was small on them I still thought it was going to need to have the tank drained etc ,but it started ,ran crap but did run ,and eventually after keeping topping up with petrol ran ok
Even now though after this incident ,and being careful what I put in ,2x petrol cars ,1x diesel car I still have that moment where I think have I got the right pump .
Must admit I’m not even sure if a petrol pump will fit a juke ,or whether a diesel one will fit a fiesta ,corsa ,and I don’t want to make the mistake to find out the answer 
.
Evil8Beezle:
I’ve heard (in my zero experience) that this the main reason for dismissal on fuel tankers.I doubt many drivers get the chance to get it wrong 3 times!
You wouldn’t get sacked. You would get investigated. But not sacked. But true, normally after you do it once. They will sack you for something. On their watch list then lol
Tankers have little click wheel marker thingies next to the outlet for each compartment. The driver sets these as he is filling up, so in theory the only way to cross over is if you connect to the wrong inlet at the filling station. If you are paying attention, it shouldn’t happen, but everyone makes mistakes.
I once connected my waste oil tanker to what I was told was the waste oil tank by an employee of the place. It was an offset fill, so I couldn’t actually see the tank the pipe was attached too. After half an hour, a mechanic comes out and starts looking around where the pipe was connected and looks a bit worried. I go to see whats wrong and he says Im connected to the brand new oil tank.
Well, that’s 2500l of brand new oil wasted then, says I. Once its gone through my pipes into my tanker, its useless. Safe to say the employee who told me which tank got a bit of stick!
A guy I used to work with was a heating fuel delivery driver. He went to a big country house somewhere and again, it was an offset fill, with the pipe up the top of a grass bank and the tank a good 30 feet below in the basement of the house which was set into the hillside. He starts offloading and after about 15 minutes people are running out of the house screaming and crying. He shuts down and goes to see and it turns out the tank was already full, and someone had ordered by mistake.
Almost 2000l of heating oil had flooded the basement.
It cost somewhere in the region of £70k to sort out, as it had also leeched out into the ground and into the carp pond further down the slope.
All the basement had to be dug out and the soil removed, plus all the plaster in the basement and first floor had to be ripped out and redone, as the kero had soaked up it. Thank goodness for insurance!
dogface:
No not sacked on the spot not in my experience .if you try and cover it up you will get sacked but otherwise no .
You’ve got no chance of covering up a ■■■■-up like that if there’s a string of broken down cars down the road from the forecourt, and the forecourt is the initial one getting claimed against by those disgruntled drivers! 