Fuel Quality Council

History

In 2017, Mansfield Energy Corporation contacted the Fuels Institute to discuss a pervasive problem popping up amongst their customers.Many fleets were experiencing diesel engine problems and downtime presumably as a result of fuel quality. Perplexed as to why this was happening and looking for answers, Mansfield reached out to the Fuels Institute and asked us to start an industry-wide initiative to investigate the issue and see if we could come up with any mitigation strategies.

Why Fuels Institute?

The Fuels Institute is known for bringing together transportation stakeholders to deliver objective, balanced research and analysis concerning fuels, vehicles and consumers. Because of our non-advocacy approach, we are a trusted source in the industry to tackle challenges facing the market in a collaborative way. When Mansfield approached us with this issue, we did what we do best – provided an unbiased forum in which all sectors of the market could come together to work toward a unified goal.

Council Members

Engine-Fuel Performance Survey

The Council’s engine survey is designed to identify the most common fuel-related issues experienced by diesel engines and their associated costs in order to begin mapping where fuel properties and engine needs may be misaligned. The survey, which is geared specifically toward fleets, is a short multiple-choice questionnaire. The data collected from this survey will serve as a benchmark to which we will compare the results of our diesel fuel sampling study. The survey is still open, and we would truly appreciate your participation – if you are a fleet, please take our Engine-Fuel Performance Survey.

Best Practices for Maintaining Fuel Quality

The Council recognizes that fuel quality is the responsibility of the entire distribution chain. To that end, the Council is writing and publishing best practices to ensure product integrity at each stage of fuel transport, starting with retailers and distributors. Council best practices are curated from widely accepted industry standards as well as “tricks of the trade” used and tested by key industry stakeholders. The published manuals will contain comprehensive and cost-effective steps anyone with or without fuel quality experience can easily follow and implement.

Diesel Fuel Sampling Study

The Council wishes to learn more about the specific fuel properties being introduced into diesel engines. While diesel fuel may be in line with ASTM specifications, there may be other, non-regulated properties contributing to engine wear and tear. The Council is conducting a fuel sampling study by collecting diesel samples from across the Country at captive and retail fueling sites to analyze them for properties identified by the Council as being particularly harmful to engine performance. The results of this study will be compared to our Engine-Fuel Performance Survey to enhance our understanding of the interplay between fuel quality and engine performance.

The Diesel Fuel Quality Council welcomes and relies upon the participation of anyone operating in the diesel market. Retailers, equipment manufacturers and maintenance providers, distributors, terminal and pipeline operators, refiners, biofuels producers, additive companies, engine manufacturers and more all have a seat at our table. Without the diversity of our members, the objective and inclusive-nature of our mission would not exist.

The Diesel Fuel Quality Council has two levels of participation:
Advisory Member               $2,500
Voting Member                   $10,000*

Voting Members control the financial and research operations of the Council, while Advisory Members participate in all the Council activities but do not get a vote on any Council actions.

If you are interested in learning more or becoming a DFQC Member, please contact Amanda Appelbaum.

*Gold Members of the Fuels Institute receive a 50% discount of the cost of DFQC Voting Member status

John Eichberger
Executive Director
jeichberger@fuelsinstitute.org
703-518-7971

Amanda Appelbaum
Director, Research
aappelbaum@fuelsinstitute.org
703-518-7974

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