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Overheard a trucker at the diner talking about his oil change interval
I was grabbing coffee at the truck stop on I-80 yesterday and this older guy was telling his buddy he still changes his oil every 5,000 miles on his 2018 Freightliner. His buddy just laughed and said he was throwing money away. It got me thinking because I see this all the time. The guy with the newer truck was running his oil for 15,000 miles based on the fleet manager's schedule and oil analysis. I pulled the book for that engine later, and sure enough, the extended drain is right there if you use the right oil and filter. I mean, idk, maybe it's just me, but it feels like a lot of guys are stuck on the old school numbers and missing out on some real cost savings. What's the longest interval you've seen work on a highway rig without issues?
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miller.paul6d ago
Man, that old school thinking costs people real money. I ran my last rig on a 25,000 mile schedule for years with zero problems, just strict oil analysis every time. The key is you absolutely cannot skip the oil testing, it tells you everything. If your oil and filter meet the spec, you're just leaving cash on the table changing it early.
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the_leo6d ago
You're right about oil analysis being the key, but most folks won't do it. They'll just hear the 25k mile part and run cheap oil until their engine turns to dust. It works if you're strict with the testing and use top tier full synthetic, but that's a tiny fraction of people. The standard 5-10k change is a safe rule for everyone else who just wants to drive and forget it.
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