I’m not sure yet. I’ve read a lot of examples from other oil bypass systems and how clean it keeps the oil. That’s my primary motivation, clean oil, not so much the longer oil drains. They’ve made a lot of positive changes in cleaning up the combustion and lowering EGR flow but you still get trash the 20-40 micron full flow isn’t getting. The Amsoil product is 98.7% efficiency down to 2 microns and anything smaller than that is 33% efficiency. That’s a huge improvement. There is a Schaeffer rep in my area and I’m planning on using their full synthetic at the next oil change. They have an oil called Ultra Performance 10W30 and it has their highest detergency and soot handling. Now that I have the bypass, I’m willing to spend a little extra for the full synthetic. I got my sample back yesterday with 55k miles on the oil. There was no change, except for the TBN and TAN, from the previous sample with about 25k on the oil. This one the TAN hadn’t exceeded the TBN yet. All evidence of break in is gone as of the oil change at about 98k, this change was at 152,100 It was a really clean sample.
Been getting a bunch of emails from NASTC recently. I guess they’ve hooked Road Ranger and adding all their locations. Multiple emails adding Road Ranger locations.
Road ranger is no longer part of the pilot flying j family. Pilot flying j sent out an announcement last week about this.
Filled up tonight in Effingham on 1874 miles, 10.64 mpg. That was from Egan, LA to Lafayette to New Orleans, back to San Antonio with the one pallet, deadhead to Waco, 68k to OKC, empty to Pryor, then 76k to Effingham. Unfortunately I’m on my way to PA. I’ll make it to OH and have to wait. Beginning Saturday at noon until noon Sunday, truck traffic is banned in PA.
Daimler Trucks North America Introduces First SAE Level 2 Automated Truck in North America with the Freightliner New Cascadia | Demand Detroit Saw this today from Freightliner. Level 2 autonomous is available for order and they also have an active suspension that lowers the truck at speeds over 55mph.
The fleet I used to work for was having a lot of the bottoms being ripped off the new Cascadia bumpers since they sat so low. I'm guessing it was mostly at low speeds, but if they combine the already low bumper with a lowering suspension, it might not work out so well on some highways.
I’m not a fan of autonomy or feel it will solve the perceived problems the talking heads are so concerned about. Freightliner has said they will release this level 2 product and will be investing heavily in level 4. They will be skipping level 3 and dropping their platooning investments. So far, there hasn’t been much talk of pursuing level 5, except for very controlled environments.
Wisconsin is the Omnishambles this morning. Loaded, I’m fine, empty is when it sucks. I’m getting loaded now and heading to Arkansas. Need a reset and run some errands. I would have thought they’d be more prepared seeing as they had so much warning. I’ve got my thermal leggings on, baselayer, thick shirt, goose down vest, and heavy coat on, so I’m nice and toasty.