Top 10 FAQs: Your Custom Lube Truck Build

During our custom-building process, we often encounter a range of questions from our customers regarding their new lube truck or skid. These questions are vital to ensuring you get the correct lube equipment for your specific application, industry, and certification level. Read more about our top 10 FAQs below.

1.      I want my lube/fuel truck to be non-CDL . What are my restrictions?
         The truck needs to be under 26,000 lbs. gross weight for a non-CDL license.

2.      Do my oil tanks need to stainless steel?
         
Stainless steel is an expensive option for oil tanks, but not needed. Steel will work just fine. However, DEF and antifreeze tanks are highly recommended to be stainless steel due to the corrosive nature of those particular liquids.

3.      Do my fuel and oil tanks need to be DOT placard?
         For diesel fuel >110 gallons and for oil (any one oil tank more than 300 gallons) needs to be DOT placard.

4.      Are air-operated pumps a better option than hydraulic-driven pumps?
         Both air and hydraulic-driven pumps are effective and efficient. The air-operated pumps are less expensive and more popular in regions with a warmer climate. The hydraulic-driven pumps are more expensive and are recommended in colder climates. However, hydraulic pumps are highly dependable and have an extended longevity, so they provide an overall better function for the investment.

5.      Does the fuel tank on my fuel/lube truck need to be DOT 406 certified?
         
Our recommendation is that if you are using a truck with a high capacity fuel tank for highway use, or entering secure and restricted areas, then a DOT 406 fuel tank is recommended, but not required. If your truck with a high capacity fuel tank is used for a single location (i.e. sand pits, rock quarries, etc.) then a non DOT 406 certified rectangular tank is an less expensive option.

6.      Can you provide a custom built fuel/lube truck, or are you limited to certain build platforms?
         
The answer is yes, to both. We have a few standard build platforms to work off of, but the majority of our builds are customized to what best fits our customer’s application. This is ultimately what sets us apart from competitors in our industry space.

7.      Do we have to provide our own chassis for your body?
         
We are a body manufacturer and very seldom handle the chassis side of the build. The majority of our customers have a chassis dealer they work with. They will contact us regarding our build requirements for the chassis, build it accordingly, and drop ship the chassis to our location to complete the build. Having said this, we order stock chassis throughout the year that may or may not be available to complete a build.

8.      Do you offer an alternative to a PTO-driven hydraulic air compressor?
         
Yes, Enpak or Vmac are both options. It’s a stand-alone power source to run your system without having to run your truck’s engine to provide power. Initially, it is more expensive, but the cost savings from not having to run your truck’s engine all the time is a plus. A stand-alone air compressor is also an option to a PTO- driven hydraulic air compressor.

9.      Do you offer in-line filtration for the products on the truck?
         
Yes, we have 10 & 5-micron HP filters on all oil products that are quoted on most builds.  This can be specified at time of quote. We also offer air inlet filtration on all new product tanks. Both inlet and outlet filters help our customers meet the demands of manufacturer’s warranty processes (CAT, Volvo, Komatsu, etc.)

10.   What’s the timeline for a custom lube truck/skid?
         As expected, timelines will vary depending on the product type, part availability, and current production pipeline at any point during the year. However, part of our advantage over other lube equipment manufacturers is our industry-leading time schedules, from PO to delivery. We aim to have your product to you as quickly as possible, and within your specific budget regarding delivery method.

Want to learn more? Ready to start your custom build? Contact us today and let’s chat!

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