DEF Survey

DEF Survey – State Responses

The Virginia DOT is seeking feedback on your agency’s use of Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Please take a few minutes and answer the following questions and send me your responses. Your feedback is appreciated. Thank you for your time.

  1. Do you have a policy regarding storage, containment and use of DEF fluid?
  2. Do you allow secondary containers to be used for DEF? For example, purchasing in a 55 gallon drum or tote and filling secondary containers?
  3. How do you handle refilling DEF tanks on equipment in the field?
State Policy Secondary Containers Refilling DEF Tanks
AL ALDOT does not have a specific Departmental policy. However, our practices are fairly consistent State-wide:

2-1/2 gal containers, secured inventory in a climate-controlled environment, if possible.
None of our locations are using secondary containers as far as I know
Construction and ag equipment is serviced in the field by a service truck from the District Office Shop, or by the operators

    
CO We do not have a policy specific to DEF fluid. We have both 55 gallon drums and 2.5 gallon containers supplied through our Store rooms. The 55 gallon drums come with a plastic hand pump to fill the trucks. We have the 2.5 gallon containers in our store rooms. We also get DEF at the fueling stations that carry it at the pumps.
CT Must be stored on containment pallets or within secondary containment depending on what the garage is ordering. Currently have 4 fuel station coming on line that have bulk storage , they will be able to fill at same time they fuel truck No if garage is using 55 gallon they pump directly from drum to truck 2 ½ gallon containers are brought to worksite
GA GDOT has guidelines in place We only purchase in 2 ½ gallon containers and do not refill them. We have 2 ½ gallon containers in our warehouse issued out to field operators
ID No policy, so containment and distribution vary by District. Some are using bulk delivery, others are still purchasing in small containers. We try not to do this. At the sites with bulk, they fill directly from the bulk. If bulk cannot be accessed, then we purchase the small containers. I think they are 1.5 gallon. Small containers.
KS We do not have a formal policy on storage or containment. We stress avoiding contamination but it is a lesson we have to keep relearning. We don’t have a policy against it so it does happen. We have a mix of practices around the state. We have quite a few places that stock DEF in bulk. Some of the districts have purchased hand carts with electric pumps for dispensing DEF. In those locations, we can dispense directly from bulk into trucks, however, some of the dispensing has to be done on the side of the road (mowing tractors). In those cases, we purchase and use the 2 ½ gallon containers. We will also reuse those containers as a secondary jug to take to the field.
LA No written policy, but most districts have now moved to using 2.5 gallon containers only. We encourage districts not to use larger containers, we previously were purchasing 55 gallon drums and had difficulties with contamination issues. In addition to 2.5 gallon containers, we do allow for DEF to be purchased at the pump where available, with use of our Fueltrac cards.
MD Yes somewhat, Our DEF is an inventory item and therefore subject to applicable OSHA/MOSH regs concerning the storage of fluid. All of our stockrooms are semi-environmentally controlled. Our operators as part of their equipment training are instructed on the replenishing of the DEF tanks on applicable equipment. We do not. In the future, we may purchase 55 gallon drums and meter the distribution. At that point we would have approved containers for the intermediate transport of DEF. All of our DEF is currently issued in 2.5 gallon containers. Given the burn rate of DEF this is not onerous or inconvenient at this time.
ME No Policy MDOT purchases only 2 ½ gallon containers Using 2 ½ gallon containers
MI MDOT does not have a policy for DEF. MDOT purchases DEF in 1 or 2 ½ gallon containers. No bulk purchases. Operators are encouraged to use the fuel card at stations that have DEF available.
MN MnDOT has no official policy regarding DEF. Depending on the location’s needed volume, we would typically us the drum or 2 ½ gallon jugs and we have nothing in place to disallow the transfer from a drum to another type of container for the filling of a vehicle. 2 ½ gallon jugs
MS While we don’t have a formal policy for storage/ containment, we do follow all local, state, and federal rules/laws applicable. All DEF is kept in our secure and controlled warehouses and is given out as needed. In Mississippi we use the 2.5 gallon containers of DEF. The jugs are poured directly into the DEF tanks of whatever vehicle/equipment being serviced with no secondary container use as far as I am aware.
MT NO we don’t have a policy Yes some areas buy 55 gal drums and fill smaller containers. They monitor the shelf life on the product to make sure it doesn’t go bad. Other areas buy the smaller containers for easier handling. Small containers often carried in a pickup or truck.
NC NCDO does not have a written policy, but our unwritten policy on DEF is to only use the small containers.    
NH No formal policy. No, we distribute in the original 2.5 gallon containers. The original 2 ½ gallon containers are used to fill the equipment. We do not re-use the containers.
NV Nevada’s answers are like most everybody else’s, we have no “written” policy on DEF use or storage, we leave that decision to the local crews and what works best for them. Mostly 2 ½ gallon jugs, but a couple of drums with pumps, and all the field trucks carry 2 ½ gallon jugs, but there has been talk of fuel type dispensers at the fuel islands in the larger areas, but I’m trying to resist that idea as much as possible, for a couple of different reasons. 1) large amounts of DEF would exceed the shelf life, and 2) We’ve already seen 2 ½ gallons go into fuel tanks with typical results, no telling what 30 or more gallons would do? All the field trucks carry 2 ½ gallon jugs.
PA Yes, general information. Just reviewed and its needs updated. No. Areas that have the 55 gallon drum must pump directly from drum to the truck. Working towards installing bulk tanks at our fuel islands. 2.5 gallon container or fuel truck. We worked with manufacture to remove oil storage tanks to add DEF storage. It uses the truck antifreeze with heat exchanger to keep DEF warm. We have currently have one truck and 2 more will be delivered later this year.
TX No policy. Our operators fill DEF. I wouldn’t recommend buying DEF in 55 gallon drums – it could possibly go bad before it is used up, plus the likelihood of contamination is increased. 4
UT No we don’t have one. Our maintenance sheds buy the DEF in 55 gallon containers and then use a plastic container to dump the DEF into the vehicle. This is not a good practice as we have had issues with the fuel systems and we are trying to change the way DEF is handled but for now that is how they do it. For vehicles in the field they buy the 2 or 3 gallon containers and fill it up.
VT In Vermont we do not have a specific policy. It is up to our customers to procure DEF and they manage it in a variety of ways. Some do it by the tote and some do it by the pallet of 2 ½ gallon containers. We do not have our own fueling locations and so rely on commercial vendors. A few of them have started having DEF available at the pump and our customers take advantage of that where they can.    
WV We have guidelines. No, we purchase in 2 ½ gallon jugs to avoid product contamination. Fill using the 2 ½ gallon jugs stored in our warehouses.

 

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