Posted: May 11, 2026
Making the decision to fuel your vehicle or piece of equipment with diesel fuel is a great and solid choice for many people. After all, diesel fuel offers quite a few advantages to its customers. For example, it can help improve engine efficiency, reduce wear and tear on an engine and keep your vehicle’s fuel system clean.
However, before you start filling up a truck or a generator with diesel fuel you have to understand some key information that will help your equipment perform better, last longer and operate more effectively.
Let’s take a look at what that information is so that you can make a smart and educated decision about the diesel fuel that is going in your engine.
A cetane rating tells you the ignition capabilities of a given fuel. Diesel fuels with higher cetane ratings are able to combust more easily under cold conditions than diesel fuels with lower cetane ratings. Therefore, anyone who plans on using a vehicle in tough weather conditions should consider a diesel fuel with a high cetane rating.
Most of the diesel fuel that is used in vehicles has a cetane rating between 40 and 55.
There are two grades of diesel fuel: Diesel #1, which is also referred to as 1-D and Diesel #2, which is also called 2-D. These two grades of diesel fuel have different cetane ratings.
Diesel #1 has a higher cetane rating and usually contains additional lubricants and additives such as demulsifiers. This often makes it more expensive compared to 2-D. Diesel #1 also doesn’t contain any paraffin, which is a wax that can make fuel gel and thicken in cold conditions.
Diesel #2 performs less effectively than Diesel #1 does in cold start conditions, which makes its cetane rating lower. It is also usually more affordable than Diesel #1.
In addition to understanding diesel fuel grades and cetane ratings, you also need to distinguish between off-road diesel fuel and on-road diesel fuel and know when it is appropriate to use each kind.
On-road diesel fuel (otherwise sometimes referred to as clear diesel fuel since it is not made with any colored dye) is for vehicles that drive on an actual road, street or highway. This includes trucks, trailers and buses.
Off-road diesel fuel should be reserved for engines in vehicles that stay and drive off of a road. This includes construction vehicles, tractors, earthmovers and generators. Off-road diesel fuel is made with a red dye so that people can easily distinguish it from on-road diesel fuel.
Medway Oil & Propane provides farms, construction sites, paving companies, landscapers and manufacturing companies here in Eastern Massachusetts with the diesel fuel they need to keep operations up and running. Our customers can either fill up with diesel fuel at our filling station here in Medway (it’s open 24 hours a day!) or they can have fuel delivered directly to their worksite.
Medway Oil & Fuel is here to help your business thrive with the diesel fuel services we offer throughout the area. Contact us today to learn more.
