The most expen$ive oil in the world

I stopped by a local heavy equipment dealer last Thursday and asked "Got oil?" They said "Sure. What flavor would you like?" So I asked for the Cat's milk. The parts guy looks it up on the computer and said they didn't have any (what I expected). Then he says if I want it, it will cost over $100/gal because they would have to import it, pay duties and inspection fees, shipping, etc. (I kept as straight a face as possible.) My reply: "Really??" Yes, he went on that no one else had the stuff. Then he checked further in his computer and found 4 gallons spread out across the country 1 in ND, 1 in OH, 1 in KY, and 1 in FL if I remember correctly. Still trying to keep a straight face, I explained that it wasn't all that hard to get in other parts of the country. So he did a few more keystrokes and said "Oh, I guess I lied." and takes an order for a case of the liquid gold and said it would be in on Monday.

Monday's here and I returned. The guy at the "will call" counter says they did not order it. They can't get. It's hazardous material and they don't have a hazardous materials license. UPS won't deliver it to them. If I wanted it I would have to have a direct trucking shipment to my house. Or I could cover their cost of getting a hazardous materials license. (Hmmm...they have other containers of oil.) Then he gives me the name and number of the equipment company in Bismarck, ND, for me to contact and find out if they'll ship it to me.

Having had my laugh for the day, I went across town to the Mobil distributor and bought a case of Delvac 1 for the comparatively pauperly sum of $78.29 (includes tax).

What oil do you consider to be "the cat's milk?"

Caterpillar Synthetic. The Cat version of Delvac 1.

Their UPS guy is smoking crack. Cardwell Distributing ships Delo 400 Synthetic all over the country, using UPS. It's not "hazardous material."

UPS is a bit goofy sometimes, though. For example: They won't ship firearms, but they WILL ship ammunition. Now, I ask you...which is the "dangerous" part? The gun, or the bullets?

-mickey

Originally posted by mickey:
Now, I ask you...which is the "dangerous" part?

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you posed that question to the heavy equipment dealer, they probably would have replied "the oil on the gun".

LOL

Originally posted by MOGolf:
Then he says if I want it, it will cost over $100/gal because they would have to import it, pay duties and inspection fees, shipping, etc..

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wow, I guess the price has really climbed since last month when I got a case for under $100.

Don't blame it all on UPS, Fed Ex is getting ridiculous too. I recently got caught trying to ship a fire extinguisher (I was told I couldn't ahead of time), and they returned it. If I rememeber correctly, it wasn't that it was pressurized, it was that it contained chemicals. I argued that if there was an emergency, they would be happy to have a fire extinguisher on board, but they didn't buy the argument.
I was frustrated and didn't pay much attention, but the point I got was, it didn't matter who the reciever was, the shipper had to have a person on staff that has been certified in hazardous materials. It is all due to some regualting body that checks airline based shipments, and if the shipping company gets caught without a HAZMAT form on the shipment, they get hit with a fine, and the shipper gets hit with up to a $25,000 fine.

What a load of bull. I picked up a gallon of Cat synthetic today at Ringhaver CAT in Orlando. I ordered it over the phone last week and know for a fact 6 gallons were in Tampa at the time. They shipped it up here somehow. I can't imagine a sealed container of common engine oil (well, CAT synth isn't exactly common, but you get my point) could be classified as a big hazard. Do quarts of oil arrive at Walmart in a Hazmat truck?

-Rob

The point is walmart has their own trucks, and can guarantee it will be land based. The people in Walmart's distribution terminals probably do have Hazmat training though. And actually, I don't think it is that big of a deal to have a certified Hazmat person on staff, probably a drug test and 10 minutes of reading (about the same as a certified VW mechanic based on this website). I think Fed Ex was trying to tell me that things sometimes get flown even if it is so called "ground" service. All I know is that all shipping companies are getting a bit funny recently, but I don't believe that is the reason for MoGolfs problem. I completely agree that the counter guy was out to make some money. Probabaly saw him drive up in something other than a pick up truck and thought, VW tax.

If anything the Hazmat crap has to be taken care of on the shipping side not the receiving side.

Originally posted by eidie2:
And actually, I don't think it is that big of a deal to have a certified Hazmat person on staff, probably a drug test and 10 minutes of reading (about the same as a certified VW mechanic based on this website)

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well actually, Theres no drug test in vw's training luncheon

I think I know why they considered it hazardous. I once went to order some diesel fuel conditioner and they told me that if I ordered it in gallons, there would be a seperate haz-mat charge. If I ordered in 1L size, then no haz-mat charge. I think it just has to do with the size of one container opening accidently.

This is another example of a good idea taken to absurd extremes by bureaucrats and fanatics. Keeping people, and the environment, safe from "hazardous materials" is a fine thing. But bottles of MOTOR OIL?

I smell the Sierra Club! (Smells like cigarettes, only sweeter, in case you're wondering. Yah, mon.)

Here's another example: If you chop up a road, the chunks of asphalt are "hazardous materials." If you grind it into tiny bits, though, it's "roadbase" and you can spread it around on desert roads and leave it exposed to the elements forever.

It beggars the imagination.

-mickey

cat's milk sounds like it would taste pretty F'n nasty, so i'm not sure i'd pay 100 bux a gallon for it.

While I can not speak specifically about the gallon of cat oil; I do know a bit about haz mat shipping. Yeah, there is training, no I have not been drug tested (mainly for drivers with CDL), and the government is not really concerned about your one quart of oil spilling in the UPS truck. They are concerned about the truck of oil flipping over on the hiway, spilling and catching fire. The firefighters need to know what is burning. That is why trucks hauling haz mat (as defined by DOT) have those four digit placards on all four sides of the truck. Each number is for a specific chemical or group. There are different numbers for North American shipment (NA) and overseas (UN). Sometimes they have the little picture with a flame (for flammable/combustible). Most small consumer items are "other regulated material" or ORM. There are about five classes (A-E) of that stuff. A gallon of windex is ORM-E, a five thousand gallon truck of ammonia is NA 2672 I think. By looking over the cliff at the truck, you get the number and notify fire, they bring the right equipment to protect the firemen. From the NA number they know if the spill is large enough to call the EPA (here in USA). DOT used to be cautious about what flies in planes, now they are especially cautious. Remember the plane that went down in the everglades a few years back because the oxygen generators were mis-labelled and caught fire, I think the airline got penalized. Oh well, this got a bit long.....An earlier post was right, if they do not know if the shipment is flying, they need to be cautious about labelling.

Engine oil is not hazardous. Engine oil is not classified as hazardous by DOT, OSHA, IMSHA, etc. etc. It can be shipped via any form of transmportation safetely, without additional charge. That is NOT to say UPS will get it there undamaged, however.. You will pass tractor-trailer bulk tankers fully loaded with engine oil, unplacarded... None required..
George

Want to hear something funny ?? My fiancee's mom and dad do long hauling ( Montreal to California usually ) and on a few occasions they had a truckload of Coke. They had to have haz-mat placards on for that ( and no its not for the exploding can theory, its because Coke is extremely acidic ) Now that's scary $h!t !!!

NBTDI, the CAT 5-40 synth is relabeled Delvac1 from what I understand; usually sells for a couple bucks less per gallon than Delvac.

Originally posted by NB TDI:
Ok what is going on i thought that delvac is the best??

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">DELVAC1 = Catepillar's Synthetic 5W-40 + boron tracer (according to George !)

Ok what is going on i thought that delvac is the best??

Originally posted by Colonel Klink:
NBTDI, the CAT 5-40 synth is relabeled Delvac1 from what I understand; usually sells for a couple bucks less per gallon than Delvac.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually it turned out to be the Delvac 1 cheaper by $1/gal than I was originally quoted for the Cat's milk. I'm sure my Golf will purr just as well.

[ February 21, 2002, 22:16: Message edited by: MOGolf ]

Originally posted by eidie2:
I argued that if there was an emergency, they would be happy to have a fire extinguisher on board, but they didn't buy the argument.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">AHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!