Know your fuel level without driving to the tank.
A dry diesel tank stops the whole operation — the tractor mid-field, the generator mid-outage, the crew mid-job. Meterra mounts a non-contact ultrasonic sensor on top of the tank and sends the level, the usage trend, and a low-level alert straight to your phone, so refills get scheduled on data instead of a dipstick and a guess. Nothing sits in the fuel, and there's no power or Wi-Fi needed at the tank.
Why fuel tanks get monitored last — and shouldn’t
Water gets the attention because animals depend on it. But a fuel run-out has a way of stopping everything at once: the tractor during planting, the pump during irrigation, the generator during the outage it exists for. And unlike water, fuel gets refilled by a delivery truck on a schedule — which means the real cost of guessing isn’t just a dry tank, it’s emergency delivery fees and jobs standing still while you wait.
A level sensor turns that into a boring problem. The tank reports its level on a schedule, the trend shows how fast you’re actually burning, and a low-level alert gives you time to schedule a normal delivery instead of paying for a rushed one.
How it works on a fuel tank
The Tank Level Sensor mounts on top of the tank and reads the distance to the fuel surface with ultrasound — the same non-contact approach it uses on water and fertilizer. Because nothing touches the fuel, there’s nothing to foul or corrode, and installation is a basic-tools job on the tank’s top fitting or a simple bracket.
From there it behaves like every Meterra sensor: readings over low-power cellular to the dashboard and app, history and estimated volume per tank, and alerts at the thresholds you set. Most operations set two — a reorder level that leaves comfortable delivery lead time, and a rapid-change alert that flags a drop faster than equipment burns, the kind you want to know about the morning after, not the week after.
Tell us your tanks — size, shape, and where they sit — and we’ll confirm fit and coverage before anything ships.
The hardware for this job
Every device reports to the same Meterra dashboard and app.
Tell us your site and we'll map the right sensors and coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of fuel tanks does it work on?
The common ones on farms, ranches, and job sites — vertical and horizontal bulk diesel tanks, gravity-feed stands, and generator day tanks. The sensor reads the surface from above, so tank shape matters less than having a mounting point on top. Tell us the tank and where it sits and we'll confirm the right fit for your setup before anything ships.
Does anything sit in the fuel?
No. The ultrasonic sensor is non-contact — it mounts on top of the tank and reads the distance to the fuel surface. Nothing is submerged to foul, corrode, or need cleaning, and the same sensor type reads water, fertilizer, and even dry goods like feed and grain.
Can it tell me if fuel is disappearing overnight?
You can set a rapid-change alert alongside the normal low-level alert. A tank that drops faster than your equipment uses fuel — especially overnight or over a weekend — is worth knowing about the morning it happens, whether the cause is a leak or a theft. The dashboard history shows exactly when the level moved, which is useful information to have in hand either way.
Does it need power or Wi-Fi at the tank?
No. The sensor runs on its own battery power and reports over Verizon's NB-IoT low-power cellular network, with LEO satellite as the option for true dead zones. We confirm coverage for your location before recommending a setup.
How much does it cost?
It's the same ultrasonic Tank Level Sensor we use on water — $299 at US launch pricing, including three months of connectivity and full dashboard and app access, then connectivity from $10/month per device with discounts on annual subscriptions. Every sensor is backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty.
Can I see fuel and water on the same dashboard?
Yes. Fuel tanks, water tanks, troughs, ponds, and feed bins all report to the same dashboard and app, grouped by property — one screen for everything with a level, with each sensor keeping its own history and alerts.
Related Meterra solutions
- Tank Level Sensor — the $299 non-contact ultrasonic sensor this page is about.
- Silo & Feed-Bin Monitoring — the same sensor on grain, feed, and dry bulk.
- Water Tank Monitoring — supply and storage tanks on the same dashboard.
- Farm Water Monitoring — the whole farm — fuel, water, and feed in one view.
- Savings Calculator — what checking sites by truck actually costs a year.