LOUISVILLE, KY. With a new engine oil category and two new engine oil standards coming into the marketplace at the end of the year, Chevron Products Co. is making a big push at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) here to extend its PC-11 educational awareness program.
Looking to educate owner-operators of fleets of all sizes, Chevron has a full schedule of education and entertainment slated for Thursday through Saturday to help prepare MATS attendees for the upcoming change, known as PC-11.
On Thursday, Chevron Lubricant’s Senior Staff Engineer and Chairman of the ASTM Heavy Duty Engine Oil Classification Panel, Shawn Whitacre, presented “PC-11Explained, A Change for the Better.” Whitacre explained what drove the need for a new category of oils, the latest developments in PC-11, why these oils are better and the benefits to the end user.
The emphasis is on eliminating potential “confusion” regarding the differences between the new API CK-4 (the replacement for the current standard ,CJ-4) and FA-4 (designed specifically for the latest heavy-duty engine technology) sub-categories, Whitacre explained to Fleet Owner. Specifically, truck operators will need to understand which is appropriate for their equipment.
“The conversation can start happening now, talking to your OEM representative and understanding what the OEM position will be regarding the new offerings,” Whitacre said. “Along side that, you should be talking with your oil marketing representative about the options that will be available.”
The discussion is currently a little complicated because the truck and engine makers have yet to complete their testing of the new oils and make official recommendations. Broadly, the FA-4 was designed to be used with the generation of engines that have been offered since 2010, although some OEMs may recommend it only for 2013 and newer engines.
But customers don’t need to get too involved in the technical specifications, Whitacre noted.
“At the end of the day, what they are going to have to focus on is the SAE viscosity grade, whether that 15W-40, 10W-30, 5W-30, 5W-40, whatever—and the API specification,” he said. “CK-4 versus FA-4 really defines whether you’re talking about conventional viscosity or the new, high-temperature/high-shear (HTHS) viscosity. That’s why we have the two specifications, something that’s consistent across the market and readily identifiable.”
Among the three days of activities at the Chevron Delo Booth:
- “Fact or Fiction” PC-11 Panels -- Chevron will host “Fact or Fiction,” a panel discussion created to dispel misperception around the next generation of engine oils. Chevron will bring together a group of industry experts to address some of the biggest misunderstandings and to answer audience questions. Panelists will include prominent editors from trucking publications, including Fleet Owner’s Sean Kilcarr.
- “Real vs. Reality” Game Show -- Chevron will hold a competition (two on Friday) with long time Delo users and reality TV celebrities currently featured in Chevron’s “Reality of Delo” marketing campaign. MATS attendees will challenge the experts in a game show for a chance to win cash and prizes. Celebrities scheduled to attend will include: Lisa Kelly from HISTORY Network’s Ice Road Truckers, Edgar Hansen from Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch and Freddy Dodge from Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush.
- PC-11 Central -- Shawn Whitacre, Len Badal and other experts will be in the Chevron Delo booth throughout the show to answer questions first hand, discuss the benefits of the upcoming API CK-4 and API FA-4 categories of HDMO and to help owner/operators and fleets prepare for the upcoming oil change.
