buying bulk kerosene

Anyone know where to buy bulk kerosene in the Southeast ie Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia or Tennessee? Shipping would be great but i can travel with trailer. The only online place is in Chicago and they will ship for free but will charge an unloading use of lift gate $50 fee and a residential $50 fee even is you have shipped to a farm. So much for free shipping.

 

Just have to call around and find a store that has a K1 pump.
I Google searched "kerosene near me" and got 3 hits. I have only been to 1 of those gas stations and I don't remember seeing kerosene bit I wasn't looking either.

 

Often the places that supply Propane and other compressed gasses carry fuel oil/ K-1 Locally here our Closest Ace Hardware Keeps a 5,000 gallon K-1 Tank Full to pump from, Two of the Hucks Gas Stations have K-1 Pumps, One of the Speedways and one of the Caseys. I use the Ace as they are typically the lowest cost. Also use them for filling my 20-100pound propane tanks Filled the 100# tanks a month ago for $83 Per and filled the truck transfer tank (250 Gallons) at $3.79 per gallon for the K-1. If I remember correctly Speedway Gas Stations have a store locator with K-1 on their website. A lot of the farm coop type places also have bulk k-1 pumps and if they don't they are usually more than happy to tell you who does.

I can't remember who Ace Hardwares K-1 supplier is, I knew several years ago LOL, called them once but they had a minimum 800 gallon order to deliver and K-1 is our last line of heating and is mostly used in the salamanders in the high tunnels when it gets really cold. Rarely use more than a 100 gallons per year now days and what is left over in the spring either gets mixed in the diesel bulk tanks or transferred to 55 gallon drums and stored in the fuel shed. I guess if K-1 is your primary heating source then 800 gallons and keeping a 800gallon+ bulk tank would make sense though.

 

You don't want to buy the K-1 that they sell in the stores in 2.5 and 5 GAL plastic/metal containers...it's like $7.00 per gallon!

 

Yeah I'm going to check out the local places for me and see:
1 if they actually do have kerosene.
2 see how much costs.
3 gitsum.

 

here in the panhandle of WV. all the sheetz stores have k1 pumps

 

find the gas station chains that sell K1 >>> then call the corporate office to check on their bulk system - many serve as wholesalers to commercial accounts - might get a tank delivery to your place or can pick up/fill a drum .....

you have anything like a Farm Service (FS) in your area? - probably don't regularly carry K1 but can get you a drum ....

any Amish or Mennonites? - they buy K1 and purified naptha for their Colemans ....

in regard to picking up a drum - need to watch the FED interstate rules regarding that kind of cargo - 50 gallons could be the limit - many states follow the same rules for their roads ....

 

Can’t even get kerosene here in California

 

How much are lookin at getting ?? Call a Heating Oil company,, they should have it.

 

Thanks for the tip about FED interstate rules. I will ck it out.

 

Thanks for everyone's replys. I want bulk Kerosene in 55 gal drums. I already know where there are several stations that have a pump and will let me fill 5 Gal containers. Red dyed and not as good as K1. Last time I checked it was $4.99/gal. It went as high as 5.49. The place in Chicago wants $549/55 gal drum. Free shipping with the drum as I said but a $50 lift gate charge and $50 residential charge even to a farm.

I have checked websites and stations for kero and will call my propane supplier to see if they know of someone.

I don't have a tank so need the drums. Not my primary source of heat at the farm, but want it for backup. Have a second house that uses Kero more often and need it for that. Been using the local gas stations Kero pumps for several years.

Just wanted to get a bulk supplier for drums.

 

the guys that try putting two of the truck bed tanks on-board usually land up in trouble sooner or later - the 50 gallons is about the norm around the country ....

 

That place in Chicago wants $10.00 a gal. to cover the cost of the free shipping....ain't nothing free! A drum of kerosene is heavy and trucks don't haul it to your house for free! Just make multiple visits to the local stations to fill your own drum...or someday there won't be any local sources of kerosene!

 

I store quite a bit of different fuels in 55gal drums. First thing I did was build some 'drum pallets' to make moving them in/out truck, and to where I store them, a whole lot easier and safer.



Then I load 2 or 3 in the truck, go to either the farm co-op about 15 miles away for diesel or gasoline, and bring it home. Have 2 drums of kerosense but can't remember where I got them it's been so long ago....at least 20 years.
My truck has high side tool boxes on it + ladder rack, so you can even see the drums except from the rear, and never had an issue with 'the law'. Regular pickup, I'd throw a tarp over them.

Around here, on Craig's List, I see 275gal oil tanks for sale pretty regularly.....the oval kind. I'd say you can also buy them new from a local fuel distributor if you want to go that route, then have a fuel distributor bring you K-1.
I get gasoline and diesel delivered to my home gas station by either the farm co-op or a local fuel distributor.

 

Agreed! That's also why they charge the extra $50 for both lift gate and residential.
I sent them an email and asked why they considered a farm residential. They said if there is a house its residential.

I like your setup

If I can't work something else out I will just keep buying multiple 5 gal at a time and maybe fill a drum myself.

 

I have also been thinking about using diesel fuel in my heaters. I know it works with an additive of alcohol or mixing a small amount of Kero with it. anyone had experience with this..

 

Use a tarp, Camo this time of the year like T-Addy suggested
If you get stopped just tell them you have MIL's old ass in there and is this the road to the dump?

 

I run a 250 gallons transfer tank on the ford year round and have NEVER in the last 40 years of running a transfer tank in the truck bed had a LEO look at it. Have had them swab truck tanks more than a few times looking for Red Fuel being used as road fuel. LOL they like to set up down the road from several auction barns and pull diesel burners over for tank swabs, you don't want to get caught with the red fuel in the truck tanks...... real healthy fines there. Not going to say it never happens but I have never had a transfer tank checked in any way and don't know anyone that has. I have had them check to see if there is a draw pipe going from the transfer tank to the truck fuel tank or to the fuel lines. If you want to get into the technicality of the fuel transport laws generally anything over 50 gallons requires a CDL/ Or Correct Intrastate license with a Hazmat Endorsement and Placards on the tank or vehicle. I have 1993 Diesel Placard Stickers on my transfer tanks and and most farmers run CDL licenses for hauling the grain and driving the field chemicals around on straight trucks and semis. Personally I run F plates on Red, The big ford and the Ford Box truck and Semi Trailer Plates on all of the trailers. Even just running the Box Truck with the food trailer hooked to it, I have to have the CDL With Hazmat Endorsement due to the ten 100 pound propane tanks chained in their cage inside the box truck and have 1075 flammable gas placards on the box. Reality however 99 out of 100 cops will not look twice at transfer tanks, a 55 gallon drum or two in the bed of a truck or care even a little bit about the propane tanks. They are more interested in Weights, the Plate, the annual inspection of the Truck fulling ST plated trailers and insuring that you have paid the proper State or if Applicable Federal Extortion Money. But there is always that one guy that will be more than happy to keep you on the side of the road for as long as possible

The Red Dyed is still K-1 and the same as the K-1 you buy in the drums and can 5 gallon metal cans. The Red Dye just marks it as Tax Exempt Fuel. If I have need of New Steel Drums I usually just order them from 55 Gallon Drums, 30 Gallon Drums, Food Grade Drums in Stock - ULINE - Uline I like the Stainless Steel drums for a few applications. Long terms sealed fuel storage being one application.... But they get real deep into your wallet real fast. The Non stainless barrels are A LOT cheaper I get most of those from larger farms, Some Rural Kings have barrels with the lids still on and are pretty low cost (I use the ones with snap ring lids for making charcoal.) For K-1 I usually just use Blue Chemical plastic drums. Cops do tend to take a interest in a pick up truck with steel drums in the bed.

A low profile transfer tank of 70-100 gallons is fairly cheap and not really noticeable in the truck bed, And a hand pump moves the fuel pretty fast from one tank to another. I have never had a gas station or any other fuel place limit me to filling only 5 gallon cans. Whether it be Gasoline, Diesel or K1 Have had to do it in 3 separate transactions before as some stations have 100 gallon transaction limit on their pumps. Can't say for all FS but Southern FS stop handling fuel oil several years ago. Was a real PITA for me as I have a Big Southern FS facility 6 miles down the road in the middle of nowhere that I got my K-1 from and still have come and fill my Bulk Propane Tank, Red tax exempt Diesel and Gasoline bulk tanks. So kind of sucks that I have to drive 25 miles to Ace to fill up the transfer tank with K-1 since Southern FS stopped handling it. Next closest place with affordable or at least cheaper k-1 is a independent farm coop Elevator at 37 miles out that runs on average 3-5 cents per gallons less than Ace. I can find no difference in the burn of the pump k-1 and the $8-$10 per gallon big box store clear k-1 in BTUs or Burn times per fill up. Also see no difference in the soot and crud build up in the salamanders. Not trying to argue, just sharing my personal observations and glancing in a mirror and thinking DAMN MY EYEBROWS HAVE GONE OLD MAN CRAZY OVER THE LAST YEAR! Look like a couple of shrubs growing above my eyes! Slowly puts the mirror back in the desk drawer!!!

 

You can get 55 gallon drums for free/cheap I bet you can get an empty one shipped to you for fairly cheap.

 

I got all of my regular steel drums from a fair sized pallet operation down the road from me. They buy lubricants by the drum, and they are actually a disposal problem to them, and they're glad to get rid of them. These are in very good condition only having had engine/transmission oil in them one time.