{"id":107522,"date":"2026-10-30T10:40:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T17:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/?p=107522"},"modified":"2026-10-30T10:40:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T17:40:28","slug":"spill-containment-for-mobile-refueling-and-fuel-transfer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/spill-containment-for-mobile-refueling-and-fuel-transfer\/","title":{"rendered":"Spill Containment for Mobile Refueling and Fuel Transfer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Most fuel on the ground at a yard or job site doesn&#8217;t come from a tank failure. It comes from the few minutes when fuel is moving. A nozzle clicks off late. A hose drips when it&#8217;s uncoupled. A pump fitting weeps. Here&#8217;s where those spills happen and how to set up a fueling spot that catches them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where fueling spills actually happen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>At the fill point<\/strong> of the vehicle or machine being fueled: overfills and splash-back.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>At the hose and nozzle<\/strong> when the hose is uncoupled or laid on the ground.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>At the pump and fittings<\/strong> on the fuel truck, skid tank or transfer tank.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>During tank-to-tank transfer<\/strong>, when a line is moved between containers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>None of these are big spills. They&#8217;re small and they happen over and over, which is exactly what a low drive-in berm is built to catch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Set up a fixed fueling spot with a drive-in berm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your vehicles come to the fuel, our recommendation is simple: pick one fueling spot and put a foam wall berm on the ground there. Vehicles drive in over the foam walls, get fueled inside the berm, and drive out. Any drip or overfill lands in the berm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>What gets fueled there<\/th><th>Berm to look at<\/th><th>Capacity<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Pickups, vans, UTVs<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/products\/foam-wall-containment-berm-4h-10x20-pvc\">10&#8242; x 20&#8242;<\/a><\/td><td>498 gal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Service trucks, crew-cab long-bed pickups<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/products\/foam-wall-containment-berm-4h-10x30-pvc\">10&#8242; x 30&#8242;<\/a><\/td><td>748 gal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Box trucks, small fuel trucks<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/products\/foam-wall-containment-berm-4h-10x40-pvc\">10&#8242; x 40&#8242;<\/a><\/td><td>997 gal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Truck with trailer, longer straight trucks<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/products\/foam-wall-containment-berm-4h-10x50-pvc\">10&#8242; x 50&#8242;<\/a><\/td><td>1,246 gal<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Fueling semis or tankers? Call (800) 869-9633 and we will recommend the right containment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more on fitting a vehicle inside a berm, see our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/drive-in-spill-berm-size-for-trucks-and-vans\/\">guide to drive-in berm sizes by vehicle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When the fuel goes to the equipment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When a fuel truck or skid tank goes out to the machines, there&#8217;s no fixed spot for a berm. Here&#8217;s what works instead:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Put a small berm under the fuel truck&#8217;s pump and hose reel while it is parked to fuel. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/products\/foam-wall-containment-berm-4h-10x10-pvc\">10&#8242; x 10&#8242;<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/collections\/mini-foam-wall-containment-berm\">mini foam wall berm<\/a> is light enough to carry on the truck.<\/li>\n\n<li>Lay sorbent pads under the machine&#8217;s fill point before you open the cap.<\/li>\n\n<li>Carry a spill kit sized for the truck, and know where the nearest storm drain is so it can be covered.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A simple fueling routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Park on level ground, inside the berm if there is one. Set the brake and chock the wheels.<\/li>\n\n<li>Check the hose, nozzle and fittings for cracks or drips before you start.<\/li>\n\n<li>Stay with the nozzle the whole time fuel is flowing.<\/li>\n\n<li>Stop before the tank is full to leave room for expansion.<\/li>\n\n<li>Hang the nozzle up or set it on a pad, never on the bare ground.<\/li>\n\n<li>Wipe up drips with a sorbent pad right away and dispose of used sorbents properly.<\/li>\n\n<li>After rain, remove standing water from the berm so it keeps its full capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rules and plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your site has an SPCC plan, a stormwater permit or a fire code requirement for fueling areas, those documents decide how much containment you need and where. Use the gallon ratings above to match a berm to what your plan calls for, and check with your environmental manager if you are unsure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can a fuel truck park inside a foam wall berm?<\/strong> Yes, if the berm is long and wide enough. The foam walls compress under the tires so the truck can drive in and out. Our PVC foam wall berms are 10 feet wide and up to 50 feet long, which suits pickups, service trucks and smaller fuel trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What should I put under the hose reel on a fuel truck?<\/strong> A small berm or a drip pan under the pump and reel, plus sorbent pads where the nozzle is set down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do I keep a fueling berm from filling with rain?<\/strong> Check it after every storm and pump or soak up the water. A berm full of rainwater has no room left for a spill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you sell spill kits for fuel trucks?<\/strong> Yes. Browse our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/collections\/spill-kits-universal-oil-hazmat-spill-containment-kits\">spill kits<\/a> or call (800) 869-9633 for a recommendation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shop fueling containment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>See every size in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/collections\/foam-wall-containment-berm\">foam wall containment berm collection<\/a>. For help laying out a fueling spot, call (800) 869-9633.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most fuel on the ground at a yard or job site doesn&#8217;t come from a tank failure. It comes from the few minutes when fuel is moving. A nozzle clicks off late. A hose drips when it&#8217;s uncoupled. A pump fitting weeps. Here&#8217;s where those spills happen and how to set up a fueling spot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Spill Containment for Mobile Refueling & Fuel Transfer","_seopress_titles_desc":"Where fueling spills happen in the field, and how a drive-in foam wall berm, sorbents and a simple routine keep fuel off the ground.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107522"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107522"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107522\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107526,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107522\/revisions\/107526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}