When To Change the Oil on a Heavy-Duty Truck

Engine Service on Heavy Duty Trucks

Regularly maintain your truck for optimal performance

The problem with servicing heavy-duty trucks is that there are many different trains of thought on when they should be serviced and which filters should be changed.  Because a commercial truck can drive more than 100,000 miles per year, it is important to keep the truck running smooth and on the road.  Every hour the truck is off the road, drivers and companies are losing money so it's important to keep trucks regularly maintained.

What is the general rule of thumb for interval between servicing heavy-duty trucks?

There are several different Manufacturers that make the engines for heavy-duty trucks.  The three main manufacturers are Cummins, Caterpillar and Paccar.  Each manufacturer has specs on their engines and the recommended time between services.  These can usually be looked up easily by engine type.  If you aren't able to get the specific information on your motor you can use 20,000-30,000 miles as a general rule of thumb.

When to service your heavy-duty truck--running hours vs miles driven vs operating time

For this example we are going to use the Paccar MX-13 engine.  In the operator's manual it suggest changing the oil every 25,000 miles, 800 hours or every 12 months.  It is very important for operators with trucks equipped with cranes or other operating equipment to keep a close eye on operating hours.  It is easy for drivers and service people to forget to service a vehicle with high running hours but low miles.  Here at Jackson Group Peterbilt in our Utah Valley Peterbilt location we maintain a fleet of service vehicles.  One of their vehicles hadn't been serviced for years because they were basing maintenance on miles driven and not engine hours.  When the mechanics finally serviced the truck, many of the filters had started to rust making them extremely difficult to get off and the oil was filthy.

Variations in when to service a commercial vehicle

Always remember your truck may need to be serviced more often than what your manufacturer recommends.  If you are hauling particularly large loads on a regular basis and putting heavy strain on the engine you need to get it serviced more often.  You may need to service your heavy-duty truck more often when you work in a vocational setting where the environment is very dusty or dirty.  Some people believe using special types of oil will extend the time between necessary services.  We suggest being cautious and following the guidelines given by the manufacturer.  You may also want to change the oil more often if the engine has a lot of miles on it.

Best practices for maintaining heavy-duty equipment

Remember to use good judgement when maintaining your truck.  Keep it maintained on a regular basis and more often when hauling very heavy loads or while working in dusty or dirty environments.  Always make sure to be familiar with your truck, the motor and the maintenance history.  Be sure to thoroughly perform the pre-trip inspection.  When dealing with maintenance, always lean towards the side of caution.  It is far less expensive to service the truck than replace the motor.