Abbott is a MORON!

You can use diesel fuel in an oil furnace in a pinch. We have used it more than once, when prematurely running low on oil for heat if we can’t get a delivery right away. We NEVER use home heating oil in our diesel trucks or heavy equipment machines.

Running a diesel truck on home heating oil is mechanically possible, but it is illegal for on-road use and can damage modern truck engines.

From Wiki to explain it better than I can:

Why It Works Mechanically

• Chemical similarity: Home heating oil and standard highway diesel (No. 2 diesel) are both middle distillate fuels derived from crude oil.

• Combustion: Both ignite under high compression inside a diesel engine, meaning heating oil will successfully make a truck move.

The Legal Problem

• No road taxes: Highway diesel includes federal and state road taxes. Heating oil is untaxed or taxed at a lower rate for residential or commercial heating.

• Red dye: Heating oil is usually dyed red so law enforcement and the Department of Transportation (DOT) can easily spot tax evasion during roadside inspections.

• Fines: Getting caught with red-dyed heating oil in a street-legal truck results in heavy per-gallon fines and potential vehicle impoundment.

The Mechanical Risks

• Lack of additives: Heating oil lacks the detergents, anti-gel properties, and lubricity boosters found in pump diesel.

• Engine damage: Modern high-pressure fuel injectors and expensive emissions control systems (like Diesel Particulate Filters) can wear out or clog prematurely.

• Older vs. newer engines: Older, mechanically injected diesel motors tolerate heating oil better, but modern common-rail electronic injection systems suffer serious long-term wear.