Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/687054
16 | Overdrive | June 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. WHO'LL GO TO DALLAS? Online voting for Overdrive–Red Eye Radio's Trucker Talent Search, a singing per- formance contest for truckers, closes June 15. Visit TruckerTalentSearch.com for more details and to view the videos submitted by this year's 35 contestants. Three fi nalists, selected through a combination of the online audience voting and a judging panel, will attend The Great American Trucking Show in Dallas in August. They will compete live for fi rst place, which includes a cash prize, plus a studio recording session provided by AxleOutPro. Overdrive-Red Eye Radio s A FINAL RULE to establish a commercial driver's license drug and alcohol clearinghouse was sent to the White House Offi ce of Management and Budget in May. The rule will establish a database of CDL holders who have failed or refused a drug test and require carriers to upload this informa- tion to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at least annually. It also would require carriers to query the database when hiring drivers. THE PARK MY TRUCK APP, expected to launch late this summer, will be aimed at helping truck drivers fi nd parking information and available spaces. The app will allow any parking provider, public or private, to report availability. Park My Truck is being developed by the Truck Parking Lead- ership Initiative, representing three major trade groups. INTERNATIONAL TRUCK will offer over-the-air programming, enabling drivers to use a mobile interface to update engine control modules. OTA programming, available through an International Link device, initially will be available for limited Cummins 2017 engines this fall, with plans to expand to additional model years. U.S. CARGO THEFTS numbered 221 in the fi rst quarter, up 8 percent from a year ago. The average value of the thefts, $112,467, was down 56 percent, according to FreightWatch Internation- al's quarterly report. PETERBILT CUSTOMERS can build their own Model 579 with a new free app available for iPads. Customers can choose specs, colors and confi gurations. A TOTAL OF 590 trucks participated in the 27th Annual Mother's Day Convoy, which traveled 26 miles from Lancaster to Ephrata, Pa., to raise money for Make-A-Wish for Philadelphia, Northern Delaware and Susquehanna Valley. The previous Guinness World Record was 416 trucks in a 2004 convoy in The Netherlands. The organization expects the money raised to exceed last year's total of $300,000. RoadPro is the presenting sponsor of the convoy.