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Understanding the Risk of Fuel Cross Drops at Gas Stations

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A fuel mix—also known as a cross drop—occurs when a fuel delivery driver accidentally dispenses the wrong type of fuel into the wrong underground storage tank. These mistakes can lead to severe financial losses, damaged customer vehicles, and station shutdowns. But how do these errors actually happen?

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Common Causes of Fuel Mixes:

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1. Tank Lids Aren't Uniform Across Gas Stations

At many gas stations, the tank lids for diesel, regular, and premium fuel can often be any color (White lid with an X at Kroger is unleaded / White with an X at QT is non ethanol), (Diesel lids can be green, yellow or even blue), (Blue lids can refer to mid-grade, E-85, E-20 or Dyed Diesel). Also, lids can be poorly labeled or haven't been painted in years. Under tight schedules,  drivers can easily confuse tanks.

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2. Human Error Under Pressure

Fuel haulers are under constant time pressure, often delivering to several stations per day. A moment of distraction or misreading a label can result in a costly mistake.

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3. Poor Visibility During Deliveries

Deliveries often happen late at night or in bad weather when visibility is low, increasing the risk of misidentifying tanks.

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4. Lack of a Verification System

The current color coded system is outdated. Without a secondary confirmation method—like scanning a Tank Top ID QR code to confirm fuel type—drivers rely solely on memory and visual cues, which can often fail.

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The Impact of Fuel Cross Drops:

• $10,000–$50,000+ cleanup costs

• Damaged customer vehicles (repairs can costs up to $6,000+ per vehicle)

• Station closures (lost revenue and damaged reputation)

• Legal liabilities and potential lawsuits

• ​Possible FTC and EPA fines 

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How Tank Top ID Solutions Prevents Fuel Mixes:​

At Tank Top ID Solutions, we’ve developed a patent-pending Smart Lid system that makes fuel mixes a thing of the past.

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• Color-coded tank lid refurbishing for instant visual ID

• QR codes on every fuel lid

• Driver scan confirmation before fuel drops

• Confirm Drop button ensures fuel type matches before the driver delivers

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No Match? No Drop.

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Don’t Become the Next Headline!

Protect your station from costly cross drops. Schedule your free demo today and see how Tank Top ID Solutions can safeguard your business.