A diesel tank hires by the month: roughly $150 to $350 for a 500 gallon double wall cube and $400 and above for a 1,000 gallon tank, with delivery quoted separately. It comes off the same counter as the generator it feeds, and the sizing question is a simple one: how many days of running do you want between deliveries of fuel.
Cube, skid tank or towable
A double wall cube is the common site tank, stackable, forklift pocketed and available from about 250 to 1,000 gallons. A skid tank is larger and stays where it is craned. A towable trailer tank moves with the crew and suits work strung out along a road or a pipeline. All three are hired by the month rather than the day.
Size the tank from the burn rate
Take the generator's consumption at the load it will actually carry, multiply by the hours a day it runs, then choose a tank that covers several days with a margin. Sizing to the exact week means somebody is arranging fuel on a Friday afternoon. Buying too much capacity means a large volume of diesel sitting still and slowly going off.
Containment and where the tank stands
Rental tanks are double walled precisely so the outer skin is the containment, and that is what keeps a spill on the site rather than in a drain. Stand it on firm level ground, clear of traffic, away from drains and watercourses, and with room for the fuel truck to reach it. Keep a spill kit within sight of it.
Who fills it, and how the fuel is billed
Fuel is nearly always a separate account from the tank hire, whether with the same company or a local supplier. Ask about a keep-full arrangement, where deliveries are scheduled against usage, and about the minimum drop size, which decides how small a tank is worth having. The return condition usually specifies a fuel level too.
Questions people ask about diesel tank rental
How long will a 500 gallon tank run a generator?
It depends entirely on the set and its load. A 20 kW machine working moderately gets days out of that volume; a 200 kW set at high load can empty it inside two. Get the burn rate at your expected load from the generator's spec, and work back from the days you want between deliveries.
Do I need a permit for a temporary diesel tank?
Rules differ by state and by fire jurisdiction, and quantity, location and duration all feed into it. A double wall rental cube on a short construction job is usually straightforward, but the local fire marshal decides. Ask the rental company what other sites in that county have needed; they will generally know.
Can a rented diesel tank be moved once it is full?
Not with fuel in it, unless it is a purpose built towable and the road rules for it are met. A full 500 gallon cube weighs several tons and is not a forklift move across rough ground. Position the tank correctly on the first day, because relocating it later means pumping it out first.