Forty degrees below zero can be pretty common across the northern tier of states in the U.S. and Canada, especially this past winter. Those extremes can wreak havoc on biodiesel, and, for that matter, any diesel product.

But this article from Biodiesel Magazine says Thermex Engineered Systems Inc. has come up with a way to heat biodiesel during transit that can be retrofitted to upgrade existing uninsulated fuel tankers:

The biodiesel is heated by multiple HeatProbes, a patent-pending immersion heater that takes advantage of waste heat from the truck engine’s coolant, which is installed through a two-inch tank port. The supply and return lines are joined to the vehicle’s coolant lines, allowing the heat from the running engine to be transferred to the biodiesel in the tanker—negating the use of steam hook-ups or other limited-use heating alternatives.

A HeatProbe system can be installed on any tanker truck or trailer, according to Thermex Engineered Systems, and multiple probes and tanks can be plumbed up in parallel sequence. Trailers can also be equipped with a stand-alone heating package that includes an onboard coolant heater mounted on the tanker service rail. This is useful for extended layovers and will also accommodate towing by any tractor with or without quick-coupler connections.

Thermex says the system is good for any equipment or vehicle powered by biodiesel that runs in cold weather can use the HeatProbe system, because the fuel is heated “in-tank” to overcome any cold filter plug point issues and to prevent product clouding.