As a fleet manager, keeping your vehicles on the road longer and running smoothly is vital to maintaining your fleet’s efficiency and controlling costs. Managing lubrication is one of the most effective and overlooked aspects of fleet management. A fresh approach to lubrication management can help you optimize your fleet’s performance, reduce costs, and adhere to dynamic emissions standards. Taking actionable steps will help you optimize and improve your fleet’s efficiency.
Choosing the right lubricant
Every vehicle is unique. The engine oil you choose should align with the specific OEM requirements of each of your vehicles. As part of your fresh approach to lubrication management in 2025, prioritizing the right type of lubricant for each of your vehicles is essential.
- Engine oil: Following OEM recommendations, the appropriate SAE viscosity grade and API designation is critical for choosing the right oil for your fleet. Consider lower-viscosity engine oils for their advancements in additives, cost savings, improved engine durability, and flexible formulation. In 2025, it’s important to keep in mind that the new PC-12 oil category can help you comply with the latest emissions standards.
- Grease: When selecting grease, make sure you consider the grease’s ability to handle extreme pressures, as well as its overall mobility, pumpability and ability to resist corrosion and washout.
Actionable Tip: Lean on the Experts: Establishing strong relationships with your lubricant vendors and suppliers who specialize in maintenance for engines and equipment can be vital in the proper maintenance of your fleet.
Real-Life Example: CITGO® Lubricants’ technical experts’ consultative approach focuses on maximizing the total value of fleet lubrication management by delivering custom lubrication recommendations and tangible operational improvements. Since 2018, CITGO Lubricants has worked closely with MDS, Inc., an asset-based logistics provider, to deliver expert recommendations and ongoing support. When the Tennessee fleet was looking to control the maintenance and repair costs of their trucks and trailers, CITGO Lubricants recommended CITGO CITGARD® 700 Synthetic Blend Heavy Duty Engine Oil SAE 10W-30 and Mystik® JT-6® Heavy Duty SynBlend 460 #2 Grease products. Switching to the right lubricants increased oil drain intervals to 75,000 miles with zero failures attributed to lubrication.
Implement preventative lubrication management practices
Preventative maintenance is one of the most cost-effective ways to keep your fleet running efficiently. A regular lubrication schedule should be part of your 2025 maintenance plan.
Actionable Tip: Use condition-based monitoring (such as oil analysis) to assess when lubricants need to be changed or replenished, versus relying on time-based intervals.
Reduce fuel consumption and emissions through lubrication management
As the pressure to reduce emissions increases, lubricant selection can have a significant impact on your fleet’s sustainability goals.
- Choose lubricants that meet the latest standards. These lubricants are optimized for energy savings and can help you reduce fuel consumption across your fleet.
- High-quality lubricants, like PC-12 oils, can help you comply with the stricter regulations for 2025 and beyond. These oils are designed to reduce emissions and optimize your vehicles’ performance.
Real-Life Example: Selecting the right lubricant can contribute to your sustainability efforts without compromising performance. CITGO Lubricants guided Foodliner®/Quest Liner®, one of the largest bulk food grade and specialty chemical carriers in the United States, in transitioning their fleet to low viscosity CITGO CITGARD 700 MFE Synthetic Blend Heavy Duty Engine Oil 10W-30. This resulted in a whopping 24.3% increase in drain intervals while maintaining fuel efficiency, leading to better fleet sustainability without compromising performance.
Implement advanced diagnostic tools and technology
In 2025, it is critical to invest in advanced diagnostic and preventative tools and technology to streamline maintenance processes. This technology can help quickly identify issues and perform accurate diagnostics and optimize maintenance schedules.
Actionable Tip: Using CITGO LubeAlert® Fluid Condition Monitoring Service can help increase operational efficiency and production and decrease maintenance costs and unexpected downtime. Backed by decades of data-driven knowledge, LubeAlert identifies trends in a variety of equipment, providing valuable insights into equipment condition and conveniently helping to plan your maintenance activities.
Top lubrication mistakes and how to avoid them
Lubrication mistakes can have significant consequences for both your fleet’s performance and your bottom line. To optimize your lubrication management in 2025, it pays to know some of the most common lubrication mistakes and how to avoid them:
Mistake: Inconsistent servicing, like neglecting to check oil levels, can lead to overfilling or underfilling, which can harm engine components, affect performance, and lead to contamination, overheating, and excessive wear.
How to Avoid It: Establish a consistent and proactive lubrication schedule to ensure optimal lubrication levels and lubrication maintenance.
Mistake: A common mistake fleet managers make is not adhering to the correct drain intervals. This can compromise engine performance, longevity, and efficiency.
How to avoid It: Follow the OEM’s recommendations based on both time and mileage.
Mistake: A missed opportunity in today’s fleet management is not leveraging data. Data can provide invaluable understanding into oil condition, performance and help you forecast maintenance needs. This data provides insights into performance and maintenance needs and helps identify emerging issues.
How to Avoid It: Implement data analytics programs, like oil analysis and software tools, that regularly test the condition of your lubricants.
Real-Life Example: Foodliner®/Quest® Liner was looking to extend their mixed fleet’s 24,000-mile oil drain intervals and reduce fuel costs. Seeking to make more informed adjustments and gain insights into the use of low-viscosity oils, they consulted experts at CITGO Lubricants. CITGO presented them with data-driven insights using CITGO LubeAlert® on the benefits of switching to CITGARD 700 Synthetic Blend Heavy Duty Engine Oil SAE 10W-30. Through a strategic approach, they transitioned their fleet and extended their intervals from 24,000 miles to 90,000 miles, increasing driver uptime, lowering maintenance costs, and improving delivery times.
In conclusion, optimizing your fleet’s performance in 2025 requires a strategic focus on lubrication management. By selecting the right lubricants, adhering to preventative maintenance, and avoiding common lubrication mistakes, managers can reduce fuel consumption, improve efficiency, and mitigate operational costs in their fleets.
