Truck Fuel Tank
An old commercial used to say that trucks fuel American commerce. And what fuels trucks then? Well, fuel of course. So, in a way, you could say that a trucks fuel tank was actually a vital part of American commerce.
The truck fuel tank, or the fuel tank in general, is an often overlooked part of the automobile. Fuel tanks aren’t fancy, they don’t make a car or truck go faster, or look sleeker, or stop on a proverbial dime. They are even overlooked in favor of what goes in them – fuel. While you see tons of commercials, news articles, television segments and products all talking about fuel, the need for fuel conservation, and how to increase gas mileage, how many of those talking heads actually pay any attention to the actual fuel tank? Hardly any, that’s how many. Nevertheless, truck fuel tanks are, of course, integral to trucks and, extrapolating beyond that, integral to commerce.
A truck fuel tank, or a fuel tank used in any type of automobile for that matter, has to be designed and tested for safety. After all, truck fuel tanks are used to hold highly flammable liquids near an internal combustion engine. While cars and trucks don’t blow up nearly as often in real life as they do in the movies, automobile fires are a very real danger and for that reason car and truck fuel tanks need to be thoroughly designed and tasted with the safety of drivers and pedestrians firmly in mind. A group called Underwriters Laboratories approves fuel tank designs with their “UL Approved” designation. If you are in the market for a truck fuel tank or some fuel tanks in general, it is best to be sure that the design you are looking at is UL approved before purchasing.
Just as the stomach is part of the body’s digestive system, the truck fuel tank is part of the truck’s engine system. Fuel is stored in the truck fuel tank and then sent to the engine in order to power it. There are two ways that fuel is sent to the engine. If using a fuel pump, fuel is propelled from a truck fuel tank to the engine. If using pressurized gas, fuel is released from the truck fuel tank into the engine.
Another consideration when it comes to truck fuel tanks is safe filling. It would be, of course, very bad if sparks were generated while a truck’s fuel tank was being filled. Fires at the gas pump or all too common, and if you have ever witnessed the scene of a gas pump fire, you will realize just how destructive they can be – to the gas pump and to the vehicle that was attached to the gas pump at the time of the unfortunate fire.
Storage of fuel is another important consideration when it comes to truck fuel tanks. While commuter cars and trucks can get by on the standard 10 to 18 gallon fuel tank, commercial trucks or industrial machines often hold more. Amount of fuel storage available is another very important consideration when it comes to evaluating a truck gas tank. By the same token, the truck or other automobile or machine should provide a way to accurately measure fuel in a tank. While for regular automobile owners, running out of gas is a bummer, running out of gas when driving a commercial truck or industrial machine can turn into a life or death situation for the driver and those around the vehicle.
The next time you stop to gas up your car or truck, give a thought to that old workhorse, the safe, secure and tough fuel tank.
