The plastic jerry can was the greatest advance made in decades for the maintainer, especially when combined with the refuelling pods. The old steel cans would flake their lining, after being mushroomed off the back of the 5 tons. These pieces would either clog the screen on the horsecock (at which time the frustrated driver would either punch a hole in the screen or remove it altogether) or the pieces would go directly into the fuel system of the vehicles. The M113s were especially susceptible to them. They would get caught up in the quick disconnects at the powerpack, and starve the engines for fuel.
We still had problems with the plastic cans. The cans would be left with their tops off, or else get contaminated thru misuse like filling them with hull sludge. Guys would also use them for other liquids like antifreeze and not mark the can. It would end up being poured into a vehicle, and we (the mechanics) would then have to drain and purge the entire fuel system. Any small amounts of water in them would collect in the bottom of fuel tanks, and then freeze up the lines of the LSVWs at their low spots. But these are more the acts of carelessness of the operators than problems with the cans.
I have also seen where the plastic cans would catch fire when being filled on very cold, dry days. They did not ground like the old metal cans.
There were 4 or 5 different straps you could order for the cans to denote what liquid is in them. Besides the gas and diesel, and the naptha that Scotty mentioned, there was also one for decontamination fluid.
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