How do you dispose of an old fuel/oil delivery truck body?

[WesternOregonian]

Hi, 

Have any of you ever disposed of an old fuel/oil delivery tank? How did you do it? 
 

I have come across a couple trucks over the years that I thought would make good restoration candidates. The dilemma is they were fuel or oil delivery trucks during their working life and still have the old tanks mounted. I have no use for a tanker truck and would prefer to install a different body after restoration.
So how does one dispose of a dirty and rusted old 2500-3500 gallon steel fuel/oil tank? The couple scrap yards I’ve talked to have said no they won’t take them. Maybe that is the reason these old trucks were still sitting around; too complicated to scrap them.

Please keep in mind I’m not talking about destroying an antique streamlined oil delivery truck. Just 1960-80’s steel tankers. 
My apologies if this has been discussed before. I tried searching but found it difficult to get the terminology drilled down to exclude discussions about truck fuel tanks. 

Thanks,

WesternOregonian
 

[70mackMB]

WesternOregonian, Welcome to BMT  !   l would think if it was empty and l mean dry and vented empty. You could cut it up then take it to the scrap yard. They may not want to deal with possible haz-mat residue left inside. Someone on here might know the proper way to dispose of one.    .....Hippy 

[tjc transport]

truck oil tank is no different than underground oil storage tanks. they need to be cut open, cleaned and then cut down to workable size scrap metal.

[Lmackattack]

All I can tell you is dont get the epa involved or go to any scrap yard who might get them involved. Your best bet is to let them drain as long as possible so you reduce the oily sludge mess. sheer them up into smaller chunks if possible and then crush them flat so they don't look like a tank. Put them in mix scrap loads. When I do it this way the yards never even know because it just looks like normal scrap.

 

If they are heavy with sludge in the bottom. fill it plenty with exhaust fumes from a truck before using a partner saw or plasma cutter to make a large doorway into the tank.  This will remove oxygen inside and reduce its chance on flashing over. Once you have a doorway you can shovel the slop into buckets. And the tank is now safe to cut with a torch

 

You just need to dismantle them so they don't resemble a tank and they pose no safety issues.

 

 

 

 

 

[WesternOregonian]

Thank you all for the replies. It looks like the consensus is that old tanks need to be cut up for disposal. That sounds like a lot of work and I think the price of the truck would have to reflect that difficulty.

Thanks again for the insights.

Cheers, 

WesternOregonian

[mrsmackpaul]

I have welded plenty of fuel tanks, so I  don't think a larger tank is any different 

Put plenty of air flow into it, leaf blowers etc to really vent it out well and while the venting is taking place, air still blowing, hook in with the gas axe

Make some big holes quickly,  4 foot square size holes and then just break it down

And I would make it the shape and size that doesn't resemble a tank at all

 

Paul

 

[JoeH]

Propane tanks you depressurize, pull the valves off, fill with water to displace any potential gas, drain, cut em up with your choice of tools. 

These tanks you have, depending how much residue they have, need to be cleaned out and torched.  You just need to make it not a "tank" anymore. So cut a large section (like the whole top of the tank) out of the top and drop it inside the tank. Then the whole thing can get carried to the junk yard.

They should have a belly valve that is either cable or air opened/spring close, good way to drain any liquids out.  It could very well be water condensation that's accumulated in the tank from years of sitting.  I have a 4000 gallon tanker on my property that took on water from sitting.

[JoeH]

Scrap yards won't take tanks. Once they're cut open they aren't tanks.  But they do need to drain so they can't hold rain water/other residual liquids. So a few holes in the underside should do the trick just fine.

Edited March 26 by JoeH

[hicrop10]

First things first,keep your mouth shut and cut them up and off to the scrap yard they go.No one the wiser.

[Freightrain]

I've scrapped old air compressor tanks.  They need like a min 12" hole cut in them.

I've scrapped old fuel tanks from vehicles.  I cut them into square pieces and then no one knows they were tanks.