--- title: "Diesel Tanks for Ute & Trade Fleets Australia | Joey" description: "Pick the right portable diesel tank for trade utes and small fleets: tray-fit sizing, payload, theft prevention, and the day-to-day setup that saves hours." lang: en-AU json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Diesel Tanks for Ute and Trade Fleets: The On-the-Road Setup", "description": "Pick the right portable diesel tank for trade utes and small fleets: tray-fit sizing, payload, theft prevention, and the day-to-day setup that saves hours.", "datePublished": "2025-01-15", "dateModified": "2025-01-15", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Joey Fuel Tanks" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Joey Fuel Tanks", "url": "https://joeysupplies.com.au" }, "mainEntityOfPage": "https://joeysupplies.com.au/guides/diesel-tanks-for-ute-trade-fleets" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://joeysupplies.com.au" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Guides", "item": "https://joeysupplies.com.au/guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Diesel Tanks for Ute and Trade Fleets: The On-the-Road Setup", "item": "https://joeysupplies.com.au/guides/diesel-tanks-for-ute-trade-fleets" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will a 400L tank fit in a Hilux or Ranger tray?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — footprint is 1,150 × 800 mm, height 680 mm. Fits behind the headboard on every common dual-cab tray with room for a small toolbox." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need a special licence to carry a portable diesel tank in a ute?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Generally no, for typical portable volumes — diesel is a combustible liquid rather than a Dangerous Good in the volumes most trade fleets carry. Rules vary by state and quantity though, so confirm with your state regulator if you're moving larger volumes commercially. Joey doesn't issue regulatory advice." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can the tank stay in the ute when I take it through a car wash?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — Joey tanks are sealed against typical weather and washdown exposure. Keep the filling cap and pump cover closed and you'll have no issues." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long to break even on a tank for a single-ute trade business?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Most owner-operators with one ute clearing 30,000+ km/year break even on a 210 L tank inside 12–18 months on fuel savings alone, sooner once you factor in time saved at servos." } } ] } ] --- [![Joey Fuel Tanks](/assets/joey-logo-ClkqcDSo.png)](/) [Diesel Tanks](/category/diesel)[Petrol Tanks](/category/petrol)[Delivery](/delivery)[About](/about)[Contact](/contact) [Home](/)[Guides](/guides)Diesel Tanks for Ute and Trade Fleets: The On-the-Road Setup INDUSTRY # Diesel Tanks for Ute and Trade Fleets: The On-the-Road Setup 6 min read Updated 15 January 2025 For trades and small fleets running diesel utes between jobs, the right portable tank is the difference between two stops at a servo a week and zero. Tray-mounted, locked, with a 12V pump that runs off the ute's own battery — set up properly, you fill up at depot rates, refuel anywhere, and stop losing 20 minutes per stop to the cardlock queue. Here's the practical setup guide for trade ute fleets. ## Tray fit and payload — the boring stuff that matters Most 1-tonne dual-cab utes have a tray payload around 900–1,200 kg depending on canopy, tools and tow ball weight. A full [210L tank](/product/diesel-tank-210l) is ~210 kg; a full [400L tank](/product/diesel-tank-400l) is ~388 kg. **210L** fits behind a headboard on every common dual-cab tray (1,100 × 800 × 450 mm). Leaves room for a toolbox and racks. **400L** needs a full tray or a long-bed tray (1,150 × 800 × 680 mm). Best for trades running a tray-only ute without a canopy. Check your ute's payload sticker before you load up. A 388 kg tank plus tools, racks and two passengers eats into payload fast. ## Mounting it down properly A loose 200+ kg tank in a tray is a serious crash hazard. Bolt or strap it down to engineered tie-down points — most trade ute trays have rated rings rated for the load. Ratchet straps over the tank into rated tie-downs is the minimum. For permanent installations, bolt-through-tray mounting with backing plates is the right answer. Position the tank forward in the tray over the rear axle, not at the tailgate — keeps the ute's handling predictable when full. ## The 12V pump setup that just works Joey tanks ship with a 4 m alligator-clip cable that reaches the ute battery from the tray on every common dual-cab. No hard-wiring needed for occasional users. For daily-use fleet utes, hard-wire the pump to a switched accessory circuit with a 40 A fuse within 30 cm of the battery. Auto-electrician job, 1 hour, around $250–$350. Run the engine when transferring more than 100 L — the pump pulls 20–25 A under load and a tired battery struggles. ## Theft prevention on the road A locked filling cap is the first line. The second is making the pump nozzle hard to access — many fleet operators run a simple lockable steel pump cover or chain the nozzle to the tank. Park strategically: at site, near the office or under CCTV. Overnight, in the depot or a locked compound. If you're seeing unexplained fuel loss, the digital flow-read bowser logs every transfer. A weekly review against your job sheets catches discrepancies early. ## Fleet economics Trade fleets typically save $0.10–$0.25 per litre running off a bulk-filled portable vs cardlock or retail. For a ute doing 40,000 km/year at 10 L/100km, that's 4,000 L — $400–$1,000 a year per ute. Add the time saving: 10 minutes per refuel × 2 refuels per week × 50 weeks = 17 hours of paid trade time per ute, per year. On any chargeable trade rate, that's the tank paid off inside year one. Larger fleets (5+ utes) usually centralise on a 1,000 L depot tank and run smaller portables in field vehicles. The 1000L gets filled by a bulk supplier on contract; field utes top up from it before heading out. ## Frequently asked questions ### Will a 400L tank fit in a Hilux or Ranger tray? ### Do I need a special licence to carry a portable diesel tank in a ute? ### Can the tank stay in the ute when I take it through a car wash? ### How long to break even on a tank for a single-ute trade business? ### Spec a tray tank that fits your fleet Tell us your ute model and weekly fuel burn — we'll match the tank, freight it to you, and get you off the cardlock queue. Call 0468 462 047. [VIEW 210L TANK](/product/diesel-tank-210l)[SHOP ALL DIESEL TANKS](/category/diesel) ## RELATED PRODUCTS [ ![210L Diesel Fuel Pod JD210 — 210L portable diesel tank with 12V pump](/__l5e/assets-v1/87015f50-d7de-4de3-a84d-30875218e2f0/jd210-studio-3.jpg)In Stock 210L ](/product/diesel-tank-210l) [ ### 210L Diesel Fuel Pod ](/product/diesel-tank-210l) Compact 210L diesel fuel pod with 40 LPM 12V transfer pump — portable refuelling unit for utes, trailers and small farms. $1,099 exc GST Add to Cart [ ![400L Diesel Fuel Pod JD400 — 400L portable diesel tank with 12V pump](/__l5e/assets-v1/c5657196-203e-4b27-bb4d-9550721f6f35/jd400-studio-extra-1.jpg)In Stock 400L ](/product/diesel-tank-400l) [ ### 400L Diesel Fuel Pod ](/product/diesel-tank-400l) Heavy-duty 400L diesel fuel pod with self-priming 12V transfer pump and lockable filling cap — built for farms and fleets. $1,599 exc GST Add to Cart ![Joey Fuel Tanks](/assets/joey-logo-ClkqcDSo.png) ### Top Products - [210L Diesel Tank](/product/diesel-tank-210l) - [400L Diesel Tank](/product/diesel-tank-400l) - [1000L Diesel Tank](/product/diesel-tank-1000l) - [210L Petrol Fuel Pod](/product/petrol-tank-210l) - [330L Petrol Fuel Pod](/product/petrol-tank-330l) ### Categories - [Diesel Tanks](/category/diesel) - [Petrol Tanks](/category/petrol) ### Buyer Guides - [What Is a Fuel Pod?](/guides/what-is-a-fuel-pod) - [Best Portable Diesel Tank](/guides/best-portable-diesel-tank-australia) - [210L vs 400L vs 1000L](/guides/210l-vs-400l-vs-1000l-diesel-tank) - [Diesel vs Petrol Tanks](/guides/diesel-vs-petrol-transfer-tanks) - [How to Safely Transfer Diesel](/guides/how-to-safely-transfer-diesel) - [12V Diesel Pump Guide](/guides/12v-diesel-pump-guide) - [All Guides →](/guides) ### Information - [Delivery Info](/delivery) - [About Joey](/about) - [Contact Us](/contact) ### Our Company - [About Us](/about) - [0468 462 047](tel:+61468462047) ### Get in Touch [info@joeysupplies.com.au](mailto:info@joeysupplies.com.au) Sydney, NSW Australia [](#)[](#)[](#) Copyright 2026 © Joey Supplies Pty Ltd ABN 60 699 458 207 · ACN 699 458 207 [Terms of Sale](/terms) [CALL NOW ](tel:+61468462047)