Checked against the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) on 15 October 2026. Published by MDG Services on 23 October 2026.
What to do when a tank lorry is short or shows water
One procedure covers both problems: a dip that reads short against the calibration certificate, and water found with the paste. Dip and water-test every compartment first; the full order is on receiving a tanker.
- Make the shortage good. Run product through the dispensing pump until the level is right. Water taken out counts as part of the shortage MDG 1.2(xi).
- Write it on the invoice. On the back of every invoice copy, record each compartment's observed dip and the quantity pumped in MDG 1.2(xi).
- Both sign. The dealer or representative and the driver sign the shortage record MDG 1.2(xi). If the driver will not sign, 1.2(xi) gives no step. The note on sample drawal says a lorry whose driver refuses to sign is not decanted; call the supply location or the sales officer MDG 2.3.
- Then decant into the correct underground tanks MDG 1.2(xi).
If the outlet is dry when the lorry arrives, measure the shortage by drawing product from another compartment into a calibrated measure MDG 1.2(xi).
Note: MDG does not describe the hose or the measure, or say who bears the cost of a shortage. Ask your oil company how it wants this done at your outlet.
What the record can look like
MDG prints no format. It asks for the observed dip and the quantity pumped in for each compartment, plus both signatures. For example:
| Compartment | Product | Observed dip | Quantity pumped in | Signed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (example) | Petrol | The reading you measured | 35 litres (example) | Dealer or representative, and driver |
Water in your own tanks is a daily check: see water finding paste. Purchase invoices for this and the previous financial year are among the records to keep MDG 5.1.12: see records to keep.
Watch the one-minute explainer
Questions dealers ask
01What is a dip at a petrol pump?
MDG does not define the word. General knowledge, not MDG text: a dip is the level of product or water read with a dip rod lowered into a tank or tanker compartment. MDG asks for dips in every lorry compartment MDG 1.2(vii) and a daily record of each outlet tank's product and water dips MDG 1.3.
02What is a dip rod and how is it checked?
It is the Weights & Measures-certified rod that comes with the tank lorry. Check its markings at the foot and at the proof level, and compare it with a standard measuring tape MDG 1.2(vi) MDG 1.2(vii).
03Does MDG require a dip chart?
MDG does not use the term; for a tank lorry it asks for the calibration certificate, which shows product level and proof level details MDG 1.2(v). General knowledge, not MDG text: a dip chart usually turns a dip reading into litres, so for your own tanks ask your oil company which chart applies.
Read the official text: Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (PDF on Bharat Petroleum's website) (also published on iocl.com).
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