Where Do Trucking Fleets Spend Their Money?

Lubrizoil Heavy Duty Diesel Oils surveyed over 100 major U.S. fleets of trucks to determine their expense breakdown. The results are as follows: 37% is spent on fuel, 25% on maintenance, 16% on depreciation, 14% on overhead, 7% on tires and only 1% on lubes.

It’s quite interesting to think that something as important as lubricants only make up one percent of total operating expenditures, especially considering the impact it has on the other costs. The three areas where the largest expenditures are made are fuel, maintenance and depreciation. All three of these areas are directly affected by the quality of the engine oil.

When seventy-eight percent of your costs are concentrated in three areas, it is definitely in your best interest to find a way to reduce these costs. Using AMSOIL synthetic lubricants is one such way.

Fuel Economy
The high lubricity of AMSOIL Synthetic Diesel Oils reduces friction, allowing more energy to reach the wheels, and in turn, improving the vehicle’s fuel economy. Independent research shows AMSOIL lubricants provide up to an 8.2 percent increase in fuel economy ( a 3.42 percent increase just comparing the motor oil alone). This adds up to a significant savings. If a fleet of vehicles spends $2,000,000 a year on fuel, AMSOIL could save them up to $164,000. That’s enough savings to buy a year’s worth of AMSOIL lubricants for the fleet with cash left over!

Maintenance
Twenty-five percent of a trucking fleet’s expenses involve maintenance. Depending on a problem, maintenance can be very costly. Along with the actual cost of the maintenance, the downtime also has to be figured into the total expense. After all, you can’t get any work done when your truck is in the shop. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants have been proven to keep wear rates down by providing superior wear protection compared to conventional lubes. AMSOIL lubricants provide the ultimate protection in temperature extremes. As a result, trucks running on AMSOIL products spend less time in the shop, reducing maintenance costs and downtime. An over-the-road test showed that trucks using AMSOIL Synthetic 15W-40 Heavy Duty Diesel and Marine Motor Oil, AMSOIL By-Pass Oil Filters and used oil analysis realized a 29 percent reduction in oil related maintenance costs. AMSOIL extended drain intervals reduce costly downtime even further.

Depreciation
Fleet tests have shown trucks using AMSOIL products have lower rates of wear metal generation that trucks using conventional lubricants. Engine tear-downs reveal trucks using AMSOIL have significantly less ring deposit, ring wear, ring breakage, bore polishing and liner wear. The tear-down of Haywood Gray’s Mack engine after 409,000 miles without an oil change is just one of many impressive testimonials AMSOIL receives. The lower engine wear rates improve engine durability, providing longer intervals until first engine tear-down, greater intervals between overhauls, and longer engine life. Replacing trucks in a fleet is very expensive, so trucking fleets are constantly looking to extend the life of their trucks. AMSOIL keeps those trucks running like new and on the road longer.