How often does a truck need to be serviced?

when the duct tape starts peeling off

 

Probably 15,000 to 20,000 miles. My company recently stretched it out to every 35,000 miles.

 

Depends on usage--and type of oil/lubes/filters you are using--anywhere between 10K+35K--too many variables to just give you a blanket answer--

 

Eight gallons of oil goes in the Cummins I've got in my Mack. I change it about once a year, which was probably excessive seeing as it didn't leave the driveway.

(See they weren't lying about the variables.)

I'm hoping I can use it enough to change it a couple of times this year.

 

Service intervals vary depending on how the truck is used. A local city truck will get more service than an OTR truck (in theory.) The guy who owns my OTR truck changes the oil at 30,000 miles. I don't think you'll meet two drivers that will agree on service intervals though. On top of that, just like auto makers, truck makers suggest really low ridiculous service intervals.

Dave if your thinking about buying a truck let us know what your considering and what kind of driving you will be doing.

 

I changed the oil and filters in my truck every 10k miles. They say you only need to change it every 25K or so miles now. Not sure I buy that. I'm not convinced the oil companies have made the oil that much better. An engine is still an engine regardless of the electronic,egr, emissions etc that are installed on it. Typically engines run 180 deg, but now they run at 195-205 depending and I don't care what they say; Heat is still oils greatest enemy followed by dirt. Engines are running hotter to burn fuel better seems to me that would tend to break down the oil quicker.I drove for a small company for a short time and they only changed the filters. Service mgr said that was all that was needed. Well, they were saving money on oil and filters and spending it on tow bills and rebuilding engines. Never did make any sense to me. I would rather be safe than sorry and frankly I just don't trust the "oil is better today than ever before" mentality. I would still change the oil every 10-12k miles. I talked with a CAT field service man a few years ago and his reply was "bulls###, that oil still needs changed every 12K miles at the most". Companies can do what they want, but ###### if I would run that engine 35K miles and not change the oil. I want that engine to run to it's maximum life and oil,filters and grease are still cheaper than rebuilding an engine. I can buy a helluva lot of oil and filters and grease for $12K, not to mention the down time and loss of revenue. But that's just me.

 

Do oil samples, that will prove to you that you're wasting your money.

 

Just reading an article in Trucker News about a company that has set their intervals at 70,000 miles and may go to 80,000 miles. Freighliner recommends 50,000 mile intervals.

 

There are many guys that run a by-pass filter system and do oil analysis, they are able to run well over 50k miles some have even gone over 100k. If the properties that allow oil to do its job are still within specs, why change it. I dont have personal experience with oil in this manner, but do know friends who do. My company I work for changes oil at different intervals depending, on the milage of the truck most are within 12k to 18k.