Extending Oil Drain Intervals: What is your experience?

[mndriver]

I have 12 grease points. S-cams and slacks. I hit them with the grease gun once a month when I come home.

otherwise my truck is maintenance free grease wise. The meritor driveline has proven itself reliable to well over a million miles.

 

[ironpony]

You still have to grease the truck regularly and that is included in the 400. You’re still going to spend 200 just for the grease job

$35 if I'm lazy and go over to the TA.

 

[Humble pie]

I have 12 grease points. S-cams and slacks. I hit them with the grease gun once a month when I come home.

otherwise my truck is maintenance free grease wise. The meritor driveline has proven itself reliable to well over a million miles.

$35 if I'm lazy and go over to the TA.

To me a grease job is as much about going underneath the truck to check things out. All that aside. How much do you actually save? I’m genuinely curious.

 

[ironpony]

To me a grease job is as much about going underneath the truck to check things out. All that aside. How much do you actually save? I’m genuinely curious.

Like I said, it depends on your circumstances.

DD15 interval was 50k miles, so I'd go through about 5 PMs in 2 years at around a bit less than $500 for Rotella T6 service plus filters. So that's $2500/2 or $1250... less a couple of EcoPure filters and oil analysis charges so say around $1100ish. More if you're doing drains more frequently.

 

[mndriver]

To me a grease job is as much about going underneath the truck to check things out. All that aside. How much do you actually save? I’m genuinely curious.

I don’t need a grease gun as an excuse to crawl around the truck. Just a bottle of windex.

 

[Humble pie]

Like I said, it depends on your circumstances.

DD15 interval was 50k miles, so I'd go through about 5 PMs in 2 years at around a bit less than $500 for Rotella T6 service plus filters. So that's $2500/2 or $1250... less a couple of EcoPure filters and oil analysis charges so say around $1100ish. More if you're doing drains more frequently.

1100 savings for two years?

 

[ironpony]

1100 savings for two years?

One year. That's a paycheck to a lot of folks.

 

[Electric Chicken]

One year. That's a paycheck to a lot of folks.

But it doesn't come out of a regular person's salary. It comes out of the business gross.

It's not like saving money by skipping oil changes in your sedan.

I mean, you can save $1100/year by brewing your own coffee.

 

[Humble pie]

One year. That's a paycheck to a lot of folks.

So you spend 125 bucks a year on filters and samples and add oil?

 

[ironpony]

So you spend 125 bucks a year on filters and samples and add oil?

Guesstimate. Don't really feel like dragging out old dusty, moldy spreadsheets. Call it $250 if you like.

 

[ironpony]

But it doesn't come out of a regular person's salary. It comes out of the business gross.

It's not like saving money by skipping oil changes in your sedan.

I mean, you can save $1100/year by brewing your own coffee.

For a sole proprietor, every dollar not spent on the business is a dollar in your pocket - whether you spend it on giant TVs, or squirrel it away against your next major breakdown.

 

[Electric Chicken]

For a sole proprietor, every dollar not spent on the business is a dollar in your pocket - whether you spend it on giant TVs, or squirrel it away against your next major breakdown.

I wouldn't run a semi under a sole proprietorship.

LLC or Inc. I get a salary out of company gross. Company gets sued, I keep my house.

 

[Mike]

1100 savings for two years?

For a sole proprietor, every dollar not spent on the business is a dollar in your pocket - whether you spend it on giant TVs, or squirrel it away against your next major breakdown.

This is where @ironpony hits the nail on the head.

Most people won’t do extended oil drains because it only saves $1000-$1500 per year.

Most people won’t focus on maximizing fuel economy in their driving habits because it only amounts to a few thousand a year.

Most won’t focus on low rolling resistance tires because that’s only an additional few thousand dollars per year.

The list goes on.

Some focus on every aspect of the business, and before you know it, you end up with more saved than what many out here make according to the average salary for a truck driver.

Back to the oil changes. Part of it is doing the oil analysis. Doing the oil analysis is very inexpensive, and can save you thousands by recognizing a problem in its infancy.

Same with OCD fuel mileage monitoring like I tend to do, but got away from over the past year. A small change in you 90 day average can alert you to problems.

The little things can add up.

 

[Electric Chicken]

This is where @ironpony hits the nail on the head.

Most people won’t do extended oil drains because it only saves $1000-$1500 per year.

Most people won’t focus on maximizing fuel economy in their driving habits because it only amounts to a few thousand a year.

Most won’t focus on low rolling resistance tires because that’s only an additional few thousand dollars per year.

The list goes on.

Some focus on every aspect of the business, and before you know it, you end up with more saved than what many out here make according to the average salary for a truck driver.

Back to the oil changes. Part of it is doing the oil analysis. Doing the oil analysis is very inexpensive, and can save you thousands by recognizing a problem in its infancy.

Same with OCD fuel mileage monitoring like I tend to do, but got away from over the past year. A small change in you 90 day average can alert you to problems.

The little things can add up.

Don't ever stop anywhere and spend money on yourself then because every little bit adds up.

I'm not going to buy LRR tires if they handle or ride like garbage just for MPGs. That savings would end up going to a chiropractor.

 

[Mike]

Don't ever stop anywhere and spend money on yourself then because every little bit adds up.

I'm not going to buy LRR tires if they handle or ride like garbage just for MPGs. That savings would end up going to a chiropractor.

Good LRR tires ride just fine. You drag around spring ride cans with a day cab, never going to be a smooth ride.

Going a bit off topic here, but my truck was riding very rough. Part of it was ride height. Fixed that, but was still being thrown out of my seat on rough roads. Replaced tractor shocks. Ride improved, but still not good. Replaced trailer shocks, rode like a Cadillac compared to before. Nothing but LRR tires from front to back and I can ride 700 miles now and be less fatigued than 400 miles previously.

Company equipment will never be kept up like that. It’s not the tires, it’s not the shocks, it’s not the ride height, it’s not the type of equipment, it’s all of it.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Good LRR tires ride just fine. You drag around spring ride cans with a day cab, never going to be a smooth ride.

Going a bit off topic here, but my truck was riding very rough. Part of it was ride height. Fixed that, but was still being thrown out of my seat on rough roads. Replaced tractor shocks. Ride improved, but still not good. Replaced trailer shocks, rode like a Cadillac compared to before. Nothing but LRR tires from front to back and I can ride 700 miles now and be less fatigued than 400 miles previously.

Company equipment will never be kept up like that. It’s not the tires, it’s not the shocks, it’s not the ride height, it’s not the type of equipment, it’s all of it.

Yeah nothing is Cadillac smooth but doing everything you can to the tractor helps when you don't get to choose your trailer.

 

[Oxbow]

This is where @ironpony hits the nail on the head.

Most people won’t do extended oil drains because it only saves $1000-$1500 per year.

Most people won’t focus on maximizing fuel economy in their driving habits because it only amounts to a few thousand a year.

Most won’t focus on low rolling resistance tires because that’s only an additional few thousand dollars per year.

The list goes on.

Some focus on every aspect of the business, and before you know it, you end up with more saved than what many out here make according to the average salary for a truck driver.

Back to the oil changes. Part of it is doing the oil analysis. Doing the oil analysis is very inexpensive, and can save you thousands by recognizing a problem in its infancy.

Same with OCD fuel mileage monitoring like I tend to do, but got away from over the past year. A small change in you 90 day average can alert you to problems.

The little things can add up.

As long as that $1500 per year savings doesn't cost you 30K after 4 years.

Fuel I agree with.

Cost per mile of tires could well offset the savings in fuel.

Saving dimes that cost dollars in the long run is not an astute business practice.

That said, I'm not saying that you will come out behind in the long run with the extended oil changes, just that there is no way to be sure because you cannot quantify the likelihood of shortened engine life.

 

[Humble pie]

This is where @ironpony hits the nail on the head.

Most people won’t do extended oil drains because it only saves $1000-$1500 per year.

Most people won’t focus on maximizing fuel economy in their driving habits because it only amounts to a few thousand a year.

Most won’t focus on low rolling resistance tires because that’s only an additional few thousand dollars per year.

The list goes on.

Some focus on every aspect of the business, and before you know it, you end up with more saved than what many out here make according to the average salary for a truck driver.

Back to the oil changes. Part of it is doing the oil analysis. Doing the oil analysis is very inexpensive, and can save you thousands by recognizing a problem in its infancy.

Same with OCD fuel mileage monitoring like I tend to do, but got away from over the past year. A small change in you 90 day average can alert you to problems.

The little things can add up.

Actually I’m surprised it’s that much. I figured it would be half that

 

[Electric Chicken]

Keep in mind that a mega plans on disposing of its trucks before the warranty runs out and has 15/hr techs to swap parts at home base, with many home bases.

They're not gonna care about excessive wear on the crankshaft as long as it lasts until they ditch it.

Their business decisions make sense for them because they scale for short term benefit, not because they're long term wise.

 

[Oxbow]

It boils down to a risk/reward situation, and Mike is doing his due diligence in assessment.

The potential early loss of an engine, tow bill, hotel rooms, unscheduled downtime, having to repower a load to deliver, etc. is not palatable to me though.