Why People Are Bringing Empty Milk Gallons to the Gas Station

It feels like no matter where you look, it’s impossible to escape shrinkflation. In order to lessen the blow of rising prices, many companies have been accused of reducing the volume of the product they sell. Smaller food portions, fewer ounces in packaged goods, thinner paper products, and smaller household-product quantities.

People already question whether gas stations are selling watered down gasoline, but are you really getting a gallon when the pump says you are?

Because drivers can’t see the gasoline entering a vehicle’s tank, the pump display provides the main measure of how much fuel is bought. A new social media trend shows drivers pumping what the dispenser says is one gallon into an empty milk jug, then pointing to a fill line that appears too low.

Learn why a milk jug isn’t a reliable test, how officials check pumps, and what drivers should do instead.

Why Milk Jugs Can’t Accurately Test a Gas Pump

The viral test looks simple: Pump one gallon of gasoline into an empty milk jug and compare the amount in the jug with the pump reading.

The problem is that a milk jug isn’t a measuring device. Its shape, handle, and empty space near the top make it difficult to judge an exact gallon by sight. A social media video also may not show every part of the test.

If a pump appears to dispense too little, officials need to test it with proper measuring equipment.

How Officials Test Gas Pumps for Accuracy

Gas pumps are checked by state or local inspectors using containers made to measure fuel accurately. They pump a set amount of gasoline into the container and compare it with the amount shown on the pump. That’s much more precise than judging the level inside a milk jug.

Drivers who think a pump gave them too little fuel can keep the receipt, write down the pump number and fuel grade, and report the station to the state or local office that handles weights and measures.

Why Putting Gasoline in a Milk Jug Is Dangerous

Milk jugs aren’t made to hold gasoline. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns against putting gasoline in inappropriate containers, including household containers that aren’t meant to hold fuel. Traditional fuel canisters might not always be accurate either.

Gasoline emits flammable vapors, and a milk jug lacks the construction and safety features of an approved fuel container. The National Park Service also warns that a milk jug may not safely contain gasoline or its vapors.

Anyone transporting gasoline should use a proper fuel container and place it on the ground while filling it.

Sources

• National Institute of Standards and Technology, “How Do You Measure Fuel at the Gas Pump?”
• National Institute of Standards and Technology, “Everything You Want to Know About Commercial Retail Motor Fuel Dispensers”
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Fuel Container, Gasoline and Other Liquid Fuel Safety”
• National Park Service, “Fire Prevention 52: Gas Cans”

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