Commercial vehicles such as trucks cover distances of 200,000 km and more a year. This sort of mileage and the stresses and strains it causes can only be achieved with suitable resources. High-grade lubricants and the addition of additives, or aids for the engine, boost the performance of these vehicles. At the same time, they can also help to deliver savings in operating costs. That's not a naïve assumption, it's the reality: LIQUI MOLY GmbH subjected its high-grade products to a long-term test and used the results to develop an 'Oil Change Package' for commercial vehicles that will benefit both vehicle operators and the environment.
Fleet managers and haulage operators will need to have sharp pencils. After all, filling the average truck with its full complement of lubricants will take some 40 liters of motor oil and 40 liters of gear oil. Those are items that it is tempting to strike through because the potential saving is thought to be high. But the devil is in the detail: Anyone disregarding the contribution made by the operating products to the performance and value retention of the vehicles will be committing a huge error of calculation. Although not obvious at first glance, quality products considerably enhance the performance of commercial vehicles.
Quality comes through in tests.
Quality comes at a price, critics will counter. Yet quality means a favorable cost/benefit ratio. Ulm-based LIQUI MOLY GmbH has been investigating this subject intensively and has put its high-grade motor oils and additives to long-term benchmark tests. A tractor-trailer rig covering a mileage of approx. 200,000 km per year and with a service interval of 100,000 km was equipped with lubricants and additives from the company and tested over long-distance transport operations. In comparison to an identical vehicle using conventional motor oil and no extra additives, the test vehicle consumed 1.1 liters less fuel over 60 miles thanks to the LIQUI MOLY motor oil and the LIQUI MOLY additives. At a fuel price of € 0.90 per liter and over a mileage of 200,000 km, this delivers annual savings of € 2,000. Given the current price of fuel, that calculation is on the conservative side. In mid-July a liter of diesel cost up to EUR 1.18 in Austria, making the potential saving all the greater. And even when the costs of the appropriate low-friction motor oils and diesel additives from Liqui Moly which enabled this reduction in fuel consumption to be achieved in the first place are taken into account, it still leaves an actual saving of just under € 1,380. It’s money in the hand that fleet operators can well afford to hang on to, in view of the ever tighter financial squeezes from tolls, increasing fuel prices and ever tougher competition.
For a longer-lasting engine
The reason for the fuel savings lies in the improved low-friction effect generated by the superb lubrication qualities of these high-grade motor and gear oils. This effect is further reinforced by the higher performance of a clean and therefore more efficient fuel system resulting from the use of cleansing and care additives. And using them pays off in other ways too: Additives prolong the life of engines, enabling the vehicles to be used for longer. If the fleet operator uses high-grade resources, then, he is also helping to maintain the 'interior value' of his vehicles.
Less pollution, more image
The financial aspect is one of the advantages of 'changing the oil' in vehicles. The other advantage is not to be dismissed either - reduced pollutant emissions. Because the vehicles use less fuel, they also emit smaller quantities of CO2. That benefits the environment as well as haulage firms and fleet operators. Those who protect the environment set an example and gain an image that is easily converted into a competitive edge. It means a firm can save money while at the same time getting a good reputation for itself.
All-in service
A sophisticated 'oil change' comprises a number of different elements. To ensure the optimal combination, LIQUI MOLY has gotten together with customers from the commercial vehicle sector to develop a package that benefits both fleet managers and workshops. This 'Oil Change Package' contains everything needed to fill a truck with high-grade resources for the first time. It includes 40 liters of LKW Langzeit FE 5W-30 Motor Oil and 40 liters of the fully synthetic gear oil, Hypoid-Getriebeöl 75W-90. The package comes complete with oil and fuel additives from the PRO-LINE product range, LIQUI MOLY's range for workshop professionals. It also includes an engine flush, an engine wear protector, a gear oil additive and a Super Diesel additive.
Everyone benefits – both businesses that use commercial vehicles and the environment.