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    Diesel anti-gel additive dosing calculator: the right dose from your label

    Copy the dosing ratio from your additive's label, enter the fuel going into the tank and the expected low on your route. The calculator works out the ounces to add, switches to the label's stronger dose when it's cold enough, and splits a #1/#2 blend.

    Read it off the bottle

    EXAMPLE label, not a real product

    Every additive has its own ratio. Copy the numbers from your product's label; never guess them.

    fl oz
    gal
    fl oz
    gal
    °F
    fl oz
    gal
    °F
    %

    0 if you run straight #2 or a winter blend from the pump

    Add to this fill

    19.2 fl oz

    Normal label dose. 0.128 fl oz per gallon, about 0.6 bottles of 32 fl oz.

    Many labels say to add the treatment before fueling, so the fill mixes it, and before the fuel gets cold. Your label wins over this calculator.

    Tonight vs the label, and what's in the tank
    -10°5°

    #2 below, #1 above, additive in green

    Cold lanes need planning beyond the tank. Our dispatchers flag weather on the route before an offer reaches you, and you approve every load.

    Get winter loads planned for me

    Gelled fuel stops a truck in a parking lot, usually on the coldest morning of the trip. Diesel contains wax that starts to form crystals as it gets cold, and those crystals can clog filters and lines. An anti-gel additive helps the fuel keep flowing, but only at the right dose. This diesel anti-gel additive dosing calculator takes the ratio from your product's label and turns it into ounces for the fuel you're adding, switching to the stronger dose when the label calls for it.

    How it is calculated

    1. Label ratio: ounces of additive ÷ gallons of fuel they treat, straight from your bottle.
    2. Stronger dose: if the label lists one below a certain temperature and your expected low is below it, the calculator uses that ratio instead.
    3. Ounces to add = gallons going into the tank × the ratio in use.
    4. Bottles = ounces ÷ bottle size.
    5. Blend: if you mix #1 diesel into #2, the gallons of each from the share you set.

    The calculator holds no product data. The example label on the page is a placeholder, not a real product.

    A worked example

    One fill on a cold nightExample

    1. LABEL32 fl oz treats 250 gal; 32 fl oz per 125 gal below -10°F (example)
    2. FILL150 gal going in, low of 5°F expected
    3. DOSENormal: 150 × 32 ÷ 250 = 19.2 fl oz
    4. COLDERAt -20°F: 150 × 32 ÷ 125 = 38.4 fl oz
    5. BOTTLES0.6 of a 32 fl oz bottle, or 1.2 at the stronger dose

    These are EXAMPLE label numbers. Use the ratio printed on your product.

    How to read the result

    The ounces are for this fill only. Treat every fill on a cold route, because untreated fuel bought later dilutes the dose in the tank. When the thermometer shows the low crossing the label's line, the dose jumps, so check the forecast for the coldest point of the route and the night you'll be parked, not just today's high.

    Winter fuel habits that prevent a no-start

    • Treat before it's cold. Additives are meant to prevent gelling; once fuel has gelled, follow the label's instructions for gelled fuel or get help.
    • Fill up before parking. A fuller tank holds less moist air, which means less water to freeze.
    • Drain the water separator. Water in fuel freezes and blocks flow.
    • Carry spare fuel filters. A clogged filter on a cold morning is easier to fix with a spare on board.
    • Buy local winter fuel. Stations in cold regions often sell fuel blended for the season. Fuel bought in a warm state may not be.

    Hotshot anti gel: small tanks, small mistakes

    A pickup tank takes a fraction of a tractor's fuel, so the dose per fill is a few ounces, easy to overshoot or skip when you're in a hurry. Keep a measuring cup or a bottle with marked ounces in the truck, run the calculator once for your usual fill, and write the number on the cap. Hotshot runs also cross climates in a day, so treat fuel bought in a warm state before you head into the cold.

    Winter fuel and your costs

    Additive is a small cost per gallon, and winter blends can lower fuel economy slightly. Update your mpg for the season in the trip fuel cost calculator so your fuel budget stays honest, and read our freight cost analysis (coming soon) for how running costs move with the season. Winter freight shifts too; US freight shipping statistics (coming soon) shows how much moves by truck year-round. And if you haul LTL-sized freight, the freight class and density calculator helps you check what you're being paid to carry.

    Cold northern lanes can still pay well for carriers who plan for them. Our car hauler dispatch team, like every desk here, flags weather on the route before an offer reaches you, and you approve every load. Send an application.

    Questions about this calculator

    How much diesel anti gel should I add?
    Exactly what your product's label says for the amount of fuel, and the label's stronger dose when it calls for one in severe cold. Labels give a ratio like a number of ounces per a number of gallons. Enter that ratio and the gallons you're adding, and the calculator does the arithmetic. Different products use different ratios, so never reuse one brand's dose with another.
    What is the best hotshot winter diesel additive?
    We don't rank additive brands. Look for a product made for the temperatures on your route that treats the problems you have, such as gelling, icing in fuel filters, or both. Read the label for the dose and the temperature range it claims. Whatever you choose, dose it right: too little won't protect the fuel.
    Do hotshot trucks need anti gel?
    Any diesel truck running where temperatures drop low enough to gel fuel can, including hotshot pickups. Pickups often have smaller tanks, so the dose per fill is small and easy to get wrong in a rush. Fuel stations in cold regions often sell a winter blend, but carrying your own additive covers fuel bought farther south.
    Is semi truck anti-gel additive different from a pickup's?
    The chemistry is often similar; the amounts differ because the tanks do. A tractor with two large tanks needs far more additive per fill than a pickup. Some products are sold in bottle sizes made for big tanks. Check the label covers your engine's fuel system and use its ratio for your gallons.
    Should I blend #1 and #2 diesel in winter?
    Some drivers and some fuel suppliers blend #1 diesel into #2 for better cold flow, and many stations in cold areas sell a winter blend already. Blending can lower fuel economy a little, since #1 carries less energy. If you blend, follow your engine maker's guidance and still treat the fuel as the additive label says.