Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/748284
14 | Overdrive | November 2016 LOGBOOK Why do I have to top-off oil in my engine? Most of you probably check your oil level each day or when you fill your fuel tank. Low oil level can lead to faster degradation (oxidation) of the oil, faster consumption of the oil additives and potentially shorter engine life. When discussing the issue of oil consumption, we must keep in mind that there are only two ways oil is consumed in a diesel engine: oil is either burned in the combustion chamber or it leaks through seals or gaskets. There are also a number of factors or conditions that can affect the amount of oil an engine consumes. Some of the factors that affect oil consumption include engine idle time, driving conditions, load, terrain, engine operating temperature, oil volatility, fuel dilution, and miles on the engine. Another important point to remember is that no two engines are alike. You may have noticed that engine oil consumption has been reduced with late model trucks. New oils help control piston deposits which results in better oil consumption control. Newer piston and piston ring designs, along with changes in engine operating conditions, are also factors. Oil formulation can help provide the best oil consumption control. Premium motor oils are formulated to exceed the most current requirements of all North American truck engine manufacturers, as well as those of the American Petroleum Institute. Shell Rotella ® engine oils are formulated with a careful balance of detergent, dispersant, anti-oxidant and anti-wear chemistry designed to maximize engine protection. Adding a gallon of oil every few thousand miles was once common. We now see late model engines that will go an entire drain interval without requiring that any additional oil be added. However, we still recommend you check your oil daily and top-off as required. To further help monitor conditions in your engine, we recommend having an oil analysis program. It is one of the most effective ways to monitor the condition of your engine. A regular oil analysis program helps you build a historic database and watch for trends in a variety of areas. Ideally, you want to analyze a sample of used engine oil after every oil change. By Dan Arcy Shell Lubricants The term "Shell Lubricants" refers to the various Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. This monthly column is brought to you by Shell Lubricants. Got a question? Visit ROTELLA.com, call 1-800-BEST-OIL or write to The ANSWER COLuMN, 1001 Fannin, Ste. 500, Houston, TX 77002. INDUSTRIAL TRANSIT, a fi ve-truck fl eet based in LaGrange, Ga., was ordered to shut down for not adhering to driver qualifi cation, drug testing, maintenance and hours of service reg- ulations. The investigation began after one of the company's trucks crashed in Maverick County, Texas, resulting in a fatality and extensive property damage. UTAH-BASED TRUCKER Eddie D. Price was issued a shutdown order after he failed a drug test and subsequent verifi - cation, was involved in an accident with a pickup truck that severely injured the driver and passenger, and did not follow the mandatory return-to-duty process required by his employer, Superior Service Transport. Survey: Speed limiting common among large fl eets More than 85 percent of fl eet respondents to an American Transportation Research Institute survey, accounting for more than 107,000 power units, equipped their trucks with speed limiters in 2015. The survey results were released last month. ATRI's data came less than a month into the public comment period for a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Trans- portation to require nearly all U.S. trucks to be equipped with speed limiting devices. On Nov. 1, DOT extended the comment deadline 30 days, to Dec. 7. Comments can be made by searching for "speed limiter" at www.regulations.gov. Of the 85.1 percent of fl eets saying they used speed limiters in 2015, 85 percent said they use lim- iters on 100 percent of their fl eet's trucks, while another 7 percent use limiters on 70 to 99 percent of their trucks. The most common speed limit was 65 mph, ATRI noted. – James Jaillet The Federal Trade Commission last month fi led a complaint against broker James Lamb and several of his carrier business services companies, claiming they scammed thousands of owner-op- erators out of nearly $20 million. The agency alleges "tens of thousands" of owner-operators have been scammed by Lamb. FTC said Lamb and cohorts tricked small business truckers into paying unnecessary federal and state registration fees by pretend- ing to be associated with the U.S. Department of Transportation or other agencies. Their communi- cations "create and reinforce the false impression that they are, or are affi liated with, the U.S. DOT, the UCR system or another gov- ernment agency," FTC said. The agency said Lamb and his agents would threaten owner-operators with fi nes if they did not pay. Lamb, a broker advocate, did not return requests for comment. The numbers listed for two of Lamb's companies named in the FTC fi ling, DOTFilings.com and DOTAuthority.com, appear to be disconnected. Also named in the complaint are Excelsior Enterprises International and JPL Enterprises International. – James Jaillet FTC alleges broker scams