Inspect your Jerry cans!

ffg · Post by **ffg** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:14 pm

Think I'm right in saying you can't legally transport more than (I think) 10 litres in cans in your car anyway. (Yes I know, it doesn't stop me either...)

Brian Hope · Post by **Brian Hope** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:03 pm

ffg I think you are wrong there. No time to check now but when I did a while ago you were in fact allowed to transport quite a lot of fuel in a car. The info is on the web somewhere if you fancy googling for a while. As you say though, immaterial one way or the other in the real world.

J.C. · Post by **J.C.** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:42 pm

It depends on the container.These are military spec.The armed forces don't use steel ones anymore,haven't done for years,because of the contamination problems stated.
Some garages (shell) will tell you it is against the law(metal or plastic,the average till operator can't tell the difference) it is NOT. it IS against their policy so even armed with a letter from HM Customs Hydrocarbons div, they will not serve you.
In that respect it makes no differance if they are steel or plastic.BTW proper ones are anti static and hence o.k. not to be confused with any old plastic can.

Nick Allen · Post by **Nick Allen** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:30 pm

Some garages (shell) will tell you it is against the law(metal or plastic,the average till operator can't tell the difference) it is NOT. it IS against their policy so even armed with a letter from HM Customs Hydrocarbons div, they will not serve you.

So how about the LAA asking these companies to waive this restriction for its members, on the grounds that we are responsible aviators?

Ian Law · Post by **Ian Law** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:53 pm

I leave my Jerry can in the boot while filling up.
Guess you might also put in 10 litres at one filling station and the rest at another, to avoid arousing any suspicions?

Having Googled this issue, I see that storing(& transporting) 20 litres of petrol in a single can is normally illegal, unless you have bunded/outdoor storage facilities. Looks like it has to be stored in no more than 2 x 10 litre metal tins, so I will have to get hold of a couple of new 10 litre Jerry cans to stay legal.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:33 pm

Nick, No ! That would rock the boat a bit and the word will get around to the rest of the companies, then we will all be stuck for Mogas.

J.C. · Post by **J.C.** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:47 pm

I ACTUALLY took a letter form Customs and Excise into my local Shell garage just to prove a point,hence my earlier post.
When I had proved the point the manager still would not let me fill my cans because she had a directive from head office. Hence she had to reluctantly agree it was company policy but not Law .
When I asked if there was any company policy about landing the plane on the forcourt she replied she wasn't aware of any such policy but she would ask!

mikeblyth · Post by **mikeblyth** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:09 pm

Could go at 02:am and use credit card in the machine

Nick Allen · Post by **Nick Allen** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:38 pm

Point taken Bill, though perhaps in these recessionary times the oil companies might be persuaded they need all the customers they can get.
That said, Mike's idea of nocturnal anonymity is just brilliantly simple!

Rod1 · Post by **Rod1** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:24 am

Ian Law

You quote is for storage, not transportation. The fuel will be stored in an aircraft fuel tank, which is ok, trust me!

Rod1

macconnacher · Post by **macconnacher** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:57 am

If I remember Tony Francis built a special tank in his car which he filled at the garage just opened the boot and filled up. If asked he said this was an auxillary car fuel tank. Taking out a can and filling it up brings your action to the notice of the fourcourt staff. Be careful.

Bill McCarthy · Post by **Bill McCarthy** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:20 am

When the supermarkets put on a "spend more than £50 in store and get 5p per litre off your fuel" promotion, I know of a few who take several jerry cans along and one a 50 gallon barrel ! There was a maximum 200 litre delivery then the pumps would trip out, but I think they have reset these now to 100 litres.

The Westmorland Flyer · Post by **The Westmorland Flyer** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:45 am

The limitation on fuel quantities refer only to storage, not, strange as it might seem, to transportation. There is therefore no legal reason for forecourt staff to refuse to let you fill up. There remain two issues:

1. Forecourt operators routinely, for whatever reason, misinterpret the legal restrictions on storage as including transportation and accordingly implement restrictive company policies. Forecourt staff are usually told to say that it is a legal requirement, when in fact it is no such thing.

2. Many forecourts state that only red plastic cans (often with a 5 or 10 litre size limit) can legally be filled. This is also not true - any container designed for fuel is legal.

I have run into this problem trying to fill 20 litre jerry cans with petrol for my lawn tractor. Remonstrating with the forecourt staff invariably results in blank stares and insistence that they are only applying the law. Usually there is no one with management discretion on site.

So yes, there is a strong case for the LAA negotiating a facility with the principal petrol forecourt operators.

Light Aircraft Association

Inspect your Jerry cans!

Cans