Here at Greg’s Petroleum Service, one of our primary products is commercial fuel. While we pride ourselves on offering our clients only the best in commercial fuel needs, logistics, transportation, oil franchise assistance, and more – that is not all we do. In fact, oil, lubricants, and other liquids used in day-to-day machinery operations form another essential core of our business.
While past blogs have focused heavily on your business’ fuel needs, today we wanted to take a closer look at another necessary heavy liquid: Oil. Many businesses that run motor vehicles powered by commercial fuel may not be completely aware of the needs of their engine. Are they utilizing an oil that is far too heavy or light for the application? Is viscosity a problem if they are encountering maintenance issues? Let’s dig a little deeper into the topic.
From commercial fuel to oil, viscosity counts
There have been a lot of shifts lately within the construction industry. Whether it be through commercial fuel economy or emissions, regulators, OEMs, and manufacturers understand that there has been a shift. Over the past 30 years, a focus on reduced emissions has changed the way many industries do business.
As one example, diesel engines now run so clean that they are no longer the prime focus of regulators in addressing the emissions debate. The eyes of the inspectors now shift to truck driver tactics, aerodynamics, low-rolling-resistance tires, and more.
But did you know that lubricants can also play a major role in fuel consumption reduction? When a newly proposed commercial engine oil hit the scene a couple of years ago (PC-11), the industry celebrated with even greater fuel efficiency in test vehicles.
How the shift from diesel has changed the face of the game
There has been so much progress in the diesel commercial fuel and lubricant sector, that the gains made today would have been unthinkable even a decade ago. For example, Fuel consumption savings of up to 4.5%, depending on the class of vehicle can now be touted.
Consider the implications there. On Class 8 commercial motor vehicles, fuel savings of just 1% can result in an annual savings of $900. That may not sound like much, but when spread across an entire fleet, those are real savings that can have a positive effect on your fleet’s bottom line. What’s not to like about that?
Still, it is important to consult your OEM before making any big changes to the viscosity of your oil. Putting oil into a large commercial motor vehicle without prior research could cause serious mechanical problems down the road, including issues with your oil pressure indicator. When running at low RPMs, you might find your engine unexpectedly powering down. A simple consultation with your OEM can prevent this from happening.
In the end, if you want to use a less viscous variety of oil, it’s critical that you have a solid plan in place. If you manage a large fleet, ensuring you make the transition in a way that doesn’t result in a lot of downtime is critical.
Rather than making the change on all vehicles at once, choose a test group to try it out on. You will want to select a group of vehicles that operate within a wide range of conditions and driving types.
The fact is, choosing to switch to a lower viscosity fuel is about far more than fuel efficiency. Greg’s Petroleum Service has spent many years becoming experts in lubricants. Let us help you determine what is right for your fleet! For commercial fuel or any other lubricant, oil, or other product we provide in the Bakersfield, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clarita and Ventura areas, call Greg’s Petroleum Service or click here to learn more about our Commercial Fuel Delivery.