Trying to crank a dump tuck that has sat for about 4 months? - 1

I've got a early to mid 90's ford 8000 dump truck that I'm trying to get started. I last drove this truck about 4 months ago and it started and ran just fine. Its got about 1/4 tank of fuel in both fuel tanks. The batteries are dead but when I hook jumper cables up, it will turn over fine. I sprayed a shot of wd40 followed by a small amount of starting fluid in it yesterday and it will crank and run for a split second until the starting fluid is gone but then it dies again. It has a CAT engine but i'm not sure what size. This truck is used to move stuff around on my farm. Any ideas on how I can get this truck running?

Diesel fuel goes bad fairly quick, so you will probably need to keep it running with the starter spray longer, to get the fuel to cycle thru the engine. Maybe get some new fuel & pour it slowly directly into the engine.

Probably has lost its prime. Meaning all the fuel in the lines has run into the tanks. Look for a priming pump in the fuel line near the main fuel pump. Some diesels have a bleed screw instead of a primer. This will let air out while the engine is cranking so fuel will reach the engine faster. Having the tanks full will help the process.

4 months ain't nothing… That SHOULD not have any effect on it. First, Get the Battery situation in order,… And be real careful with the starting ether