AMSOIL Boosts Bottom Line for Grain Hauler

Burnell Keller of Castroville, Texas hauls a lot of corn. Saving downtime and maintenance costs boost his bottom line.

Since the 1960s, Keller Grain, Inc., at Castroville has bought high quality white and yellow corn from local farmers and trucked it to processing plants across the state of Texas. "These trucks put on about 12,000 miles a month," said Keller, the company's owner.

He was running Exxon XD3-30 motor oil in his Freightliner and changing it every 10,000 miles. He heard AMSOIL products could cut his operating and maintenance costs in half, provide better fuel economy, easier starts and extended oil drains at least three times longer than he was getting.

"We were fixing to extend the drain to 15,000 miles," Keller said. "But a sample of the Exxon motor oil analyzed at 10,000 miles came back saying the oil needed to be changed. I said, let's give AMSOIL a whirl."

After an engine flush, Keller installed AMSOIL 15W-40 Heavy Duty Diesel and Marine Oil in his Freightliner, with more than 400,000 miles on the engine.

"We did this procedure three times at a 15,000-mile analysis and filter change only," Keller said. "Each time the oil sample report came back saying the oil was good for continued use."

After the third round of analysis, the oil was changed. Keller plans to continue with 15,000-mile analysis and filter changes and to continue to use the same oil for an interval of 50,000 miles.

"That's about five times longer than before," Keller said. "It's very good. Keller Grain is now convinced that AMSOIL is a superior product and that anybody can save money using AMSOIL products."

Dealer's Truck Draws New Customers

"THIS TRUCK REQUIRES NO OIL CHANGE."

That's what people see on the streets of Coopersburg, Pa., when AMSOIL Dealer Herb Lansberg drives by in his 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel.

The sign is emblazoned on his tailgate; AMSOIL logos and contact numbers for Lansberg complete the truck's design.

"It makes the phone ring," Lansberg said. "It's really a great feeling when I'm sitting at a red light and someone pulls up and yells over and asks if I'm a Dealer and asks for a business card. I've gotten new customers by simply pulling into a parking lot at a store and when I return to my truck there is someone waiting there to talk to me about AMSOIL. I would have to say my truck does a very good job of selling AMSOIL."

Lansberg changed his truck over to AMSOIL Series 3000 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil and installed the AMSOIL Dual Remote Filtration System at 3000 miles.

"I do oil analysis every four months, changing my oil filters when needed," he said. He also uses AMSOIL Automatic Transmission Fluid, AMSOIL gear lube in the rear end, AMSOIL Antifreeze and Coolant in the cooling system. Lansberg also uses AMSOIL Diesel Fuel Modifier along with AMSOIL Cetane Boost.

"First thing I noticed was my engine ran 10 degrees cooler," he said. "My transmission ran about 20 degrees cooler. And I know my gears are running cooler. I have more than 30,000 miles on my Dodge Cummins without an oil change."

Lansberg works his regular job as a machine shop supervisor 10 hours a day and grows his AMSOIL business after work and on weekends.

"My wife, Tammy, helps me out with customers that stop in while I'm at work," he said.

He credits the signs on the truck, wearing AMSOIL clothing and word of mouth for much of his success. He also has a large "AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants" sign on the front of his house that he spot lights at night.

On one occasion he was in a tractor supply store wearing an AMSOIL shirt and it prompted another customer there to ask Lansberg if he sold diesel oil. Lansberg said he had some on hand at home.

"He followed me home and purchased the Series 3000 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil and a Super Duty Oil Filter for his GMC Diesel van that he runs freight in more than 7,000 miles a month," Lansberg said. "Now he stops every two or three months for oil and air filters."

Since he started his AMSOIL business about two years ago, Lansberg has seen steady growth. He added a website and a toll-free number to his cell phone to handle customer calls.

"The Dealers and Preferred Customers and some of my accounts came from my website" he said.

He will begin displaying AMSOIL products at car shows this spring.

"I have some customers who go the full distance of the drain intervals and some who just like to change earlier," he said. "They like knowing they're protecting their investment with the very best synthetic motor oil on the market.

"I enjoy meeting new people all the time and seeing the expression on their faces when I explain to them what AMSOIL synthetic lubricants are capable of doing."
 

From the President's Desk...
 
I was recently taking inventory of all the outstanding products we manufacture when it occurred to me that some of our best products are often the least promoted. Those would be our By-Pass Oil Filter Systems. That's when I decided to tell you a little more about these incredibly effective filters in my message this month and encourage you to install one on your vehicle.
 
Have you seen one of these beautiful oil filters? There's really nothing like them on the market today. The filter mounts are computer machined anodized aluminum and produced to aircraft tolerances, meaning they meet the most exacting fit and machining tolerances. Every part is of the highest quality, built to provide many years of trouble-free service. High flow porting, large diameter nuts and bolts with stainless steel washers for secure mounting under the hood, reinforced hoses with abrasion resistant covering, strong, easy connecting swivel hose-end fittings, this filter mount is built to last!
 
Our Spin-On By-Pass Filter itself is simply the best oil filter made. Where normal full flow filters take out the "nuts and bolts" in the crankcase (25-40 microns), our by-pass filter removes sub-micron particles down to one tenth of a micron. When you consider that most engine wear occurs from dirt particles in the 5 micron to 20 micron range, it's easy to understand why we say our filter eliminates the cause of most engine wear.
 
With the AMSOIL By-Pass Filter installed, motor oil is kept analytically clean and suitable for use over dramatically extended drain intervals. As a matter of fact, many drivers may never need to change oil again for as long as they own their vehicle! That may seem like a strong statement, but the fact is synthetic oil does not wear out, it just eventually becomes too contaminated for continued use. Keeping it analytically clean extends its life indefinitely.
 
Most of you are familiar with Haywood Gray's 409,000-mile drain interval using AMSOIL 15W-40 Diesel Oil and our By-Pass Oil Filter. After going twenty times the drain interval recommended for his Mack E7-400 diesel engine, his local Mack dealership disassembled his engine and had the parts examined for wear by a certified engine rater. The results were predictable as far as AMSOIL was concerned. Very light wear, if any. In fact, many of the parts including the piston pins showed no wear at all. All the parts could have been re-installed in the engine for continued use. That's after 409,000 miles on one oil change! How many people even drive their vehicles 409,000 miles? That's more miles than many vehicles get on them in a lifetime of use. So when we say never change oil again, for many drivers, that's exactly what we mean! And consider this was a diesel engine. Diesels inherently produce more combustion soot and solid contaminants for the oil to disperse and the filter to remove. In all likelihood, if this had been a gasoline engine, it could have been used much longer with similar results.
 
A few years ago, a state transportation department tested our By-Pass Filter in some of their school busses. The test results confirmed the fact that they would realize significant maintenance and labor savings by using our filter in their entire fleet. Today, they insist our By-Pass Filter be original equipment on all the new school busses they purchase. They now have 1,500 busses equipped with our filters and the number is growing as they add new busses. What a tremendous testimonial!
 
Our incredible oil filtration system is a product often overlooked by our Dealers. I have heard some say that most people don't keep their vehicle long enough to warrant using a by-pass oil filter. No matter how long you keep a vehicle, it is very convenient not having to change oil. And it adds value to a vehicle. I personally know of someone who had a waiting list of people wanting to buy his car because they knew how well he took care of it. That included his use of an AMSOIL By-Pass Oil Filter and our synthetic oil.
 
The AMSOIL By-Pass Oil Filters are designed to be easy to install and cost effective to use. All you have to do is look at one to realize the quality built into it. If I were an AMSOIL Dealer, I wouldn't own a vehicle without having one of these incredible filtration systems installed. Then I could speak from experience about how well they work and how cost effective they are to use.
 
Can you imagine the reaction you'll get when you look people in the eye and tell them you never change the oil in your vehicle? Most people won't believe you. But what a testimony it will be to the quality of AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil you sell and to the phenomenal filtering capability of your AMSOIL By-Pass Filtration System!
 
 A.J. "Al" Amatuzio
 President and CEO, AMSOIL INC. 

Sharing The Miles Together
Haywood Gray and His AMSOIL Legacy

It is no coincidence that the name Haywood "Woody" Gray holds a special significance in AMSOIL circles. Gray's story has been featured in dozens of publications including AMSOIL's Action News, Service Line, Direct Line, a small library of brochures and pamphlets and even video tapes documenting his experiences with AMSOIL extended drain intervals. His experiences stand as an example of AMSOIL quality and cost savings for all to see.

Way Back When The Old Stuff Was New

Haywood Gray began using AMSOIL Synthetic Heavy-Duty Diesel and Marine 15W-40 Motor Oil (AME) in the E9-400 V-8 engine of his first truck, a 1984 Mack, after the engine accumulated 45,000 miles. For 280,000 miles, Gray changed his oil at 40,000- to 60,000-mile intervals even though his oil analysis reports showed, without exception, that the oil was good for continued use. At 325,060 miles Gray increased his oil drain interval to 100,000 miles.

The engine was torn down at 600,000 miles when Gray decided to sell the truck. The cylinder liners, bearings, pistons, rings and oil pump, which were all treated to extended oil drain intervals with AMSOIL, were found to be in excellent condition.

Gray continued using AMSOIL AME in the engine of his new truck, a 1990 Mack with an E7-400 engine. He also determined that the new truck would also be the start of a new oil-draining program. He decided that instead of using his previous 100,000-mile oil change guidelines, he would base his oil drains on the findings of a used oil analysis program. He also installed an AMSOIL By-Pass Filtration system.

After 630,000 miles total and 409,000 miles without an oil change, the E7-400 engine was torn down by the local Mack dealership in December 1996 and its parts were examined by an engine rater from a major oil additive manufacturer.

What the team found was surprising to everyone ­except perhaps Haywood Gray.

The engine showed light to moderate wear through­out, just as an engine in similar service and lubricated with conventional petroleum oil changed at 20,000­ mile intervals would show. In addition, according to the engine rater, the parts he examined - cylinder liners, pistons, rings, bearings, valve train components could have been put right back in the engine and would have continued to provide the good, dependable service they had provided all along. And all this after 409,000 miles without an oil change!

What's Woody doing now?

Gray now drives a 1999 Mack with an ET 460 engine, an Eaton 13 speed transmission and 386 Eaton rears. As soon as he bought the truck it was retrofitted with AMSOIL 75W­90 Gear Lube and the engine changed over to his old favorite - AMSOIL Synthetic Heavy-Duty Diesel and Marine 15W-40 Motor Oil. He also had a BMK-12 By­Pass Filtration system installed.

As of July 2003, Gray has over 330,000 miles on the engine, and has racked up 290,000 miles without an oil change. He has decided to change filters and take oil samples at 40,000-mile intervals. So far, the samples have shown that the oil has not needed to be changed. Soot levels have also remained well within the recommended Mack limits. The truck is greased with AMSOIL products every 40,000 miles when it is time for a filter change.

Gray likes to point out that his fuel mileage is a constant 7-mpg, while other truckers hauling under similar circumstances and with similar equipment average only 5.5 to 6 mpg. But he also knows that's just one of the many benefits AMSOIL has to offer.

How to Cut Costs as an Owner-Operator

Mike Geho (from Mertz, WV), an owner-operator of a 1997 Mack CH613 truck, says that he has always been looking for ways to operate his truck more efficiently. Geho, like most owner-operators, looks to get the lowest cost per mile when operating his truck, but he says that the best choices also offer long term benefits.

"Proper maintenance is essential to success in trucking," Geho said. "Smart truck owners use the very best maintenance practices to protect their equipment. And considering which oil to use is often a very important decision." Geho says that he prefers synthetics to conventional oils because of the many benefits such as a constant viscosity in high and low temperatures, low volatility and superior friction reduction for better fuel mileage.

But Geho believes that by-pass filtration combined with periodic oil analysis is an even greater way synthetics can save truckers money. "When I began investigating engine oils," Geho said, "my main focus was on extended drains. I have been driving over the road for the last nine years, and the last six as an owner-operator. I understand how valuable time can be. Naturally, saving time by operating with extended drain intervals appealed to me."

Geho took the time to compare many different diesel engine oils. He checked to see which could lower his cost per mile by increasing fuel economy and reducing time and money spent on maintenance and engine wear. After comparing many brands, Geho chose AMSOIL synthetic motor oil.

Geho has been using AMSOIL Series 3000 5W-30 Synthetic Diesel Engine Oil along with an AMSOIL Dual-Guard By-Pass Filtration System in his truck for three years. His truck had 176,000 miles on it when he began using synthetic oil. At that time he also installed his by-pass filtration unit.

"At the time I bought this truck," Geho said, "the company I am leased to bought a number of identical trucks for their fleet. All of these trucks have been operating under the same conditions (environment, type of hauling, distances traveled) since that time. The trucks also have a dash-mounted digital display indicating lifetime average fuel economy. To date, my tractor's average is 6.78 mpg and the company trucks range from 5.8 to 6.2 mpg. The difference between my 6.78 and the fleet average of 6.0 is over 11 percent. I attribute this significant savings to running AMSOIL motor oil in my truck, while the others in the company do not."

Geho changes his full-flow and by-pass filters on a regular basis, and he also samples his oil at 20,000-mile intervals to monitor the oil's condition. He started this maintenance practice at 176,000 miles and has not changed the oil in his engine since. His truck now has 412,000 miles on it, and 236,000 of those miles have been put on while running the original AMSOIL diesel engine oil. And Geho probably won't be changing the oil soon, because a recent analysis report from Oil Analyzers INC. reports that the oil is suitable for continued use.

Geho wants other owner-operators to know that this type of maintenance practice has many benefits. "Most operators could experience savings of at least two cents per mile," Geho said, 'which would be $2000 to $5000 per year. That's not including the savings in fuel and disposal costs of oil and filters. These are just some of the positive effects that using synthetics can have on the environment as well as your bottom line."
 

 

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