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Numerous factors can influence fuel quality. Doing a little homework can ensure you get the quality you need. "I try to stay up on all of the additives, different companies, different products," says Fell. "Know what products are available to you. Know what the options are - what they can and can't do. Then work with your fuel vendors to ultimately get it into the fuel that is going to be delivered to your machines."

Selection criteria
Ryan Central evaluates fuel based on several criteria. "In our business, a big part of that is service," says Fell. The company wants the fuel supplied directly to equipment in the field, which keeps potential contamination from storage and handling to a minimum. It also looks at the energy content of the fuel.

"There can be a very wide variation in diesel fuels and their quality," says Dave Harvey, manager, fuels quality, technology & technical services, Citgo. He advises first consulting with the prospective suppliers to determine conformance to the ASTM standard. Next, take a look at the energy content of the fuel. "A higher British Thermal Unit (BTU) content of a diesel fuel translates directly into a higher energy delivery per gallon or pound of fuel." A key question is whether that energy is sufficiently high to deliver a noticeable improvement in work performed per gallon.

Cetane number, API gravity, cloud point and lubricity are just a few factors to consider when comparing fuels. "If a company is buying fuel from a supplier that has a good track record, they should ask the supplier to provide as much information as available regarding the additive package that they are supplying," says Roger Gault, Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA). "If alternate sources of supply are evaluated, the additive package can be compared in addition to price."

Likewise, when selecting winter blends or biodiesel, you need to compare options. "Biodiesel offers the same performance as regular diesel in blends of B20 and lower," says Amber Thurlo Pearson, National Biodiesel Board. "Biodiesel in its pure form, or B100, is said to have a 10% decrease in fuel economy. However, most biodiesel is sold to end users as a blend of B20 or lower, which has the same fuel economy."