How to build a portable fuel station for pit area use

A truck and tractor pulling pit needs a fuel point that is fast enough for a busy class, tidy enough for a public showground and safe when a hose gets kicked or a cap goes missing. A portable fuel station for pit area use should be treated as a temporary hazardous-goods installation, not a garden shed with a drum and a hand pump. It must store fuel cleanly, dispense the correct grade, contain a spill and give organisers a clear way to shut everything down.

At a showground in Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Toowoomba or Bendigo, the ground may be gravel, the air may be full of dust, and summer heat can make a long refuelling queue uncomfortable. Volunteer crews, utes, semitrailers and road-train combinations all share the same service lane. A fuel distributor may deliver by tanker, while the organiser supplies a generator, fencing and a working crew. Before fabrication, identify whether the pit needs diesel, petrol or both, calculate peak demand, check venue rules and speak with the council, emergency service, insurer and relevant state or territory authority. Requirements differ across Australia, so local approval and the supplier’s instructions take priority over a generic checklist.

Start with a risk assessment and fuel budget

Begin with a written risk assessment and fuel budget instead of choosing a tank because it is cheap. List every pulling machine, support vehicle and generator expected to refuel, then use team records or engine-supplier data to estimate litres per event day. Add a reserve for extra runs, warm weather and a delayed delivery while ensuring enough room to fill only to the supplier’s safe level. Diesel is generally treated as a Class 3 flammable liquid in the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, so storage, notification and transport duties must be checked rather than assumed. Keep competition diesel separate from petrol, label every container clearly and confirm that each fuel, hose, filter and pump is compatible.

Walk the proposed location before ordering equipment. Look for a level base that will not rut under a loaded tank, safe vehicle approaches, drainage, overhead lines, underground services, hot exhausts and spectator gathering points. Keep a clear route for a fire appliance and ambulance, and mark an exclusion area around the pump. The council, venue operator or fire service may require a site plan, dangerous-goods notification, fire assessment or an approved storage arrangement. The Great Lakes Truck and Tractor Pulling Association’s event planning guidance is a useful starting point for assigning those tasks to named volunteers.

Select a purpose-built tank and spill containment

Purchase or hire a fuel bowser or tank specifically designed for fuel storage, not a generic water tank, plastic drum or unlined metal container. Ask the supplier for certified capacity, compatible fuel, vent arrangement, locking fill point, drainability, tie-down points and test documentation. Keep vents clear and never cap, weld or alter them. Internal baffles can limit fuel movement during transport, but rely on the manufacturer’s design rather than making modifications. Keep the tank upright and secure it at rated points on its base or trailer, with hoses and fittings protected from impact.

Fuel needs secondary containment. Use a commercial mobile bund or spill pallet sized for the container and a credible spill, and have the calculation account for rainfall or firewater where local dangerous-goods rules require it. Put the tank and pump on a stable, non-combustible surface and follow the supplier’s directions for drainage and bonding. A shallow tray or a few bricks will not reliably contain a full drum. Keep absorbents, drain covers and labelled waste containers beside the point, and send contaminated material to an approved disposal service.

Install a controlled pump and filtration setup

Fit an approved diesel pump with a flow rate that suits the machines without excessive splash-back. Include a marked nozzle, fuel-rated flexible hose, inlet and return connections, emergency shut-off, drip tray and filter suited to the fuel and pump capacity. Mount the pump securely in the containment area and protect the hose from traffic, hot parts and sharp edges. Cap unused connections, inspect them before each shift and discard hose that is hard, cracked or showing fuel bloom. Garden hose, improvised funnels and open siphons are not substitutes for rated equipment.

Keep the path from delivery to nozzle clean and documented. Confirm whether the tank has a water separator or settling arrangement, and have the supplier set the filter and test the flow. Ask the engine team which diesel grade and filtration standard it expects. Never blend fuels or use a petrol tank with a diesel hose system. During filling, vehicle engines stay off; a generator that powers the pump may run only from its approved location under the electrical and fire plan. A short pre-fill briefing prevents spills and loose connections.

Provide safe power, grounding and weather protection

Choose engine-driven, battery or mains power for the pump, then have the system specified for an outdoor fuel point. A generator belongs outside the fuel-handling area on a stable non-combustible base, with its exhaust and hot surfaces directed away from people and stock. For electrical equipment, use a qualified electrician, residual-current protection, weather-rated fittings and cables routed where vehicles cannot crush them. The temporary wiring should be assessed against AS/NZS 3000, while generator output and cable ratings must match; a domestic extension lead is not a temporary electrical installation.

Bond and earth the tank and pump, and bond a vehicle being filled where required by the equipment instructions; have the work checked by a competent person. Do not improvise an earth stake beside a fuel hose. Use an open-sided, securely anchored canopy for shade without enclosing fumes, and keep timber, plastic and other combustibles away from the motor. Have procedures for lightning, high wind and flash floods. Stop operations when wind spreads fumes or the exclusion zone can no longer be maintained.

Control access, fire risk and spill response

Fence the fuel point and use signs that identify the fuel, emergency shut-off and no-smoking rule in plain English. Assign a trained marshal to control entry; children, spectators, photographers and vehicles without a refuelling task stay outside the barrier. Shut down vehicle engines during dispensing, keep generators and hot exhausts away, and exclude smoking and pyrotechnics. Provide extinguishers suitable for flammable-liquid and electrical risks, mounted where a trained person can reach them without standing in a spill. Tell the crew how to call 000, give the site address and name the person who can order an evacuation.

Keep a spill kit at the point: diesel absorbents, drain covers, booms, a shovel, waste bags and a method for stopping flow at the tank or pump. Nobody should chase a leak across the pit or try to catch fuel entering a drain. Isolate the source if safe, raise the alarm and follow the event’s emergency plan; contaminated absorbents and soil go into approved containers. Record the quantity, cause and cleanup, notify the venue, fire service or environmental authority when required, and inspect again before reopening.

Commission, transport and maintain the setup

Commission the station with the fuel supplier or competent installer before the first engine arrives. Check tank integrity, locking caps, vents, bund condition, pump and filter, hose markings, nozzle, emergency stop, extinguisher, signage, bonding and spill kit. Test the pump and flow meter, inspect for leaks by the manufacturer’s approved method and take a clean fuel sample if the system has been idle. Supervise the first fill while watching for drips, unusual heat, pressure, noise or a change in the meter reading. Keep a dated inspection, delivery, defect and repair log with the safety data sheets and supplier contacts.

Transport the tank upright on a roadworthy ute, flatbed or semitrailer using rated tie-downs and chocks. Use the manufacturer’s hose-draining or capping instructions and comply with local road and dangerous-goods rules for fuel levels. Never allow the tank to become a loose projectile or ride beside an occupied passenger compartment. After the event, follow the supplier’s draining and cleaning directions, replace filters or hoses at the prescribed interval and store an empty tank dry and ventilated, away from buildings and ignition sources.

Fit the station into Australian event operations

In Australia, hiring a complete package from a fuel distributor is often more practical than assembling a tank from parts. The quote should specify delivery, pump and filter capacity, bunding, compliance paperwork, lighting, spill equipment and a backup pump or swap option. Regional shows rely on volunteers, so name a fuel supervisor, relief operator, bund checker and gate controller. Brief them in the language used on site—fuel point, shut-off and spill drill—and make clear that nobody has a go at a live nozzle. A simple radio channel beats a complicated chain of instructions.

Coordinate the fuel window with the schedule, scrutineering and vehicle movements. Keep the tanker delivery route separate from spectators and the public exit, and arrange a quiet filling period before gates open or after the final class. The association event updates page can sit beside the official schedule and registration information when confirming dates and operational notices; members can publish final fuel-point rules, contacts and event photos afterwards. Keep the supplier’s phone number, fire-service contact and site address in the event folder, then review the arrangement after the first run for heat, dust and congestion.

Use this design as the basis for a written pre-event fuel plan. Mark the tank location, capacity, fuel type, delivery time, pump operator, emergency shut-off, spill station, fire access and first-aid contact on the site map. Give that map to the fuel supplier, venue, insurer, emergency service and crew leader, and commission the installation before any vehicle enters the pit. Record the final inspection in the event log; keep the station closed until the supervisor confirms the bund, hose, signs and access are ready.

Start the next event by obtaining quotes from an Australian fuel distributor, arranging local approvals and booking the equipment early. When the pump is live, keep the public behind the barrier, the spill kit within reach and every litre accounted for.