What is this truck doing in my neighborhood gas station?

[berkeman]

I was getting gas today on my way home from work, and the apparatus on top of this box truck parked in the parking lot caught my eye. Just as with unusual antennas, when I see something like this I need to take a closer look to see if I can figure out what it is being used for. (Luckily no security guards came running out to ask me what my problem with the truck was...)

There appeared to be a generator inside the truck somewhere supplying power to whatever was in the box portion of the truck, and it appeared to be parked there for an extended period of time for whatever reason. The big (air?) circuit on the top of the box made no sense to me, since it's heavily insulated, so why pipe it outside of the box? Apparently not for cooling, but then why?

Based on something that I noticed as I was driving away from the gas station (see the spoiler below if needed), I have an idea for what it may be doing. But even with that, it still doesn't look right, and it's hard to believe the EPA would approve something like what I'm thinking...

Thoughts? Has anybody seen one of these before? I suppose I could have gone into the office and asked about it, but, well, you know...

Spoiler

The two white PVC tubes in the lower right of the picture were going from the truck box to a pavement cover for the underground gasoline storage tanks. Maybe an inlet and outlet for filtering the air inside the underground storage tank space? Still doesn't make sense to me...

 

[Dullard]

California is extremely vigilant about HC emissions. My guess is that your local gas station has had a failure of their permanent (CARB mandated) vapor recovery system and the truck is a 'loaner.'

 

[Averagesupernova]

A search on the DOT number revealed a little info.

 

[berkeman]

A search on the DOT number revealed a little info.

Okay, searching on the DOT number (good idea!) says it's a meat truck. Hmmm...

https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/Carrier/132504/CarrierRegistration.aspx

Cargo Carried

• GENERAL FREIGHT
• HOUSEHOLD GOODS
• METAL; SHEETS, COILS, ROLLS
• MOTOR VEHICLES
• DRIVE AWAY/TOWAWAY
• LOGS, POLES, BEAMS, LUMBER
• BUILDING MATERIALS
• MOBILE HOMES
• MACHINERY, LARGE OBJECTS
• FRESH PRODUCE
• LIQUIDS/GASES
• INTERMODAL CONTAINERS
• PASSENGERS
• OIL FIELD EQUIPMENT
• LIVESTOCK
• GRAIN, FEED, HAY
• COAL, COKE
• X MEAT
• GARBAGE, REFUSE, TRASH
• U.S. MAIL
• CHEMICALS
• COMMODITIES DRY BULK
• X REFRIGERATED FOOD
• X BEVERAGES
• PAPER PRODUCTS
• UTILITY
• FARM SUPPLIES
• CONSTRUCTION
• WATER WELL
• OTHER

 

[Tom.G]

If there is meat in the underground tanks, those dinosaurs have not been properly aged.

 

[256bits]

If it looks like the car in the background has its hood opened -
( Hey it could have been an electric car getting a boost )

- it is the reflection off the windshield of the black van farther behind.

PS. that ain't no antenna - that's just a lamp post.

 

[Tom.G]

Why not just ask the gas station operator?

 

[Asymptotic]

I've no idea what the insulated piping is about (or why they aren't advertising the service on the door), but the truck could belong to a fuel polishing service along these lines. http://valleyoil.com/services/fuel-testing-polishing/