With the effects of global warming ever more present, energy saving and emission reductions are hot topics. Increasingly, truckers are being drawn into the science of fuel and lubricants. But, there’s another justification – profit.

Fuel is a huge input cost for truckers, and because of this they have to look very carefully at minimising fuel and maintenance costs per kilometer travelled. To do this, they need to consider a number of factors. Driver behaviour is one, the condition of road infrastructure is another, and climate is an all-important factor. But, the heart of the matter is the truck’s engine. Precision engineered, the engine will deliver against expectation if it is well maintained and if the right fuel and lubricants are used. This ‘potjie’ brew demands that truckers be a little more scientific.

Lubricants
A heavy-duty diesel engine oil, to lubricate the engine, needs to work relentlessly in three critical areas:

1. Acid control – well-proven performance additives help to protect against corrosion from acids formed as fuel burns.
2. Deposit control – helps to keep the engine clean for consistent performance and long life.
3. Wear control – keeps moving metal engine surfaces apart for long engine life.

This requires a lubricant that meets the physical and chemical needs of an engine under ever-changing conditions, no matter how hot, cold, steep, dusty, muddy or extended a trucker’s operations may be.

How does it do this?
A well-constituted lubricant will contribute to the efficient operations of an engine by preventing hot spots, which typically form when a poorly-constituted lubricant breaks down. Shell’s Rimula R6 LME has special molecules that resist compression and keep moving parts separated, particularly in highly stressed areas of the engine, and thereby reduce wear. This in turn helps to control emissions and extend oil drainage intervals, which results in less waste oil and lowers fuel usage.

• Low emissions -Emission control is not only important to ensure that your vehicles complies with legislative requirements, it also ensures that your engine runs efficiently. For example, blocked diesel particulate filters (DPF) can actually increase fuel consumption. Shell Rimula R6 LME is formulated to reduce levels of ash and sulphur to help maintain the efficiency of the latest, and future, engine technologies such as Euro 4 and 5 engines and the coming introduction of the Euro 6 engine. Mercedes-Benz, MAN and other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have tested Shell Rimula R6 LME for reduced sulphur and phosphorus content and have given their nod of approval.

• Energy savings – The fuel consumption of a vehicle is a significant business input cost. Shell, in developing its Rimula R6 LME in close co-operation with leading engine and vehicle makers, find that it not only delivers fuel economy benefits, but also meets the durability and performance demands of the latest low-emissions equipment. In trials carried out on a fleet of trucks operating for a leading UK supermarket, customers confirmed that Shell Rimula R6 LME realised up to 2.0% fuel savings over a 100 000 km oil drain interval, compared with a typical 10W-40 oil.

• Maintenance savings – Shell Rimula R6 LME was developed in conjunction with leading engine makers and delivers exceptional piston cleanliness in the latest engines. Approved for long-drain application by Mercedes-Benz and others, Shell Rimula R6 LME exceeded the piston cleanliness of the reference oil by 25% in the MB OM501 engine test. It has been tested to assist in achieving long engine life and protection throughout the oil maintenance interval. It also greatly reduces ‘SAPS’ for enhanced catalyst/filter compatibility when comparing OEM limits and other competitors.

So, if you are a trucker on highway or in heavy-duty applications, with fleets of varied engine technology ranging between Euro 2, 3, 4 and 5 engine types, and for a wide range of trucking and public transportation applications in modern, low-emission vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, MAN, DAF, SCANIA and others, then Shell Rimula R6 LME exceeds the performance requirements of industry specifications such as ACEA E6 and E7, and is ideal for vehicles fitted with DPFs.

Specifications: SAE viscosity grade: 5W-30
Approvals: ACEA: E6, E7, Cummins: CES 20077, MAN: M3477, Mercedes Benz Approval: 228.51.