A towable fuel tank is a trailer mounted diesel cube with a pump, a hose and a meter, used to keep generators, compressors, light towers and earthmoving plant running without a fuel truck calling daily. Rental sizes usually run from about 250 gallons up to 990, and hire commonly lands between $60 and $150 a day depending on capacity and pump. It carries fuel; it does not supply it.
Why 990 gallons is the common size
Tanks sold into rental fleets cluster just under the thousand gallon mark, because crossing that line changes how the load is treated in transport and on site. That is why yards stock 250, 500 and 990 gallon trailers and quote a static cube above it. Ask the counter which threshold applies to your move before ordering the biggest one.
Pump, meter and hose decide how useful it is
A tank with a slow pump is a lost morning. Look for a pump rated around twenty gallons a minute, a hose long enough to reach a machine parked where it works, an automatic nozzle and a meter you can read for allocation. Twelve volt pumps run off the towing vehicle; larger ones want their own battery or a generator feed.
The fuel is yours, the trailer is theirs
Hire covers the trailer, not the diesel in it. You arrange delivery from a fuel supplier, and the tank normally goes back empty or with the balance charged. Agree in advance who drains it, what happens to fuel left over, and whether a wash out is billed if the wrong grade went in.
Double skins and where it can stand
Rental tanks are double walled so a leak is caught inside the outer skin, which is what lets them stand on a working site. Site them level, away from drains and traffic routes, chocked with the hitch supported. Keep an absorbent kit and an extinguisher beside them and keep ignition sources clear while filling.
Questions people ask about towable fuel tank
Can I tow a full one?
Rarely. A 990 gallon tank of diesel weighs several tons on its own, well past what a pickup is plated for, and most yards move them empty and fill on site. Plan the position first, get the trailer there dry, then book the fuel delivery to that spot.
Do I need one if the yard delivers fuel?
If the machines are few and near the gate, a fuel truck visit is simpler. A trailer earns its hire when plant is scattered across a site, when a generator runs overnight, or when the site is far enough out that a delivery cannot come at short notice.
What size suits a single generator?
Work from the consumption figure at the load you will actually run, multiply by the hours you want between refills, and add a margin. A mid sized towable generator on a long shift often runs comfortably from a 250 or 500 gallon trailer without a daily visit.