How Much Does a Semi Truck Oil Change Cost?

If you’re a trucker, owner-operator, or own a fleet of trucks, semi-truck oil change price is likely top of your mind. You know that with so many miles on the road your vehicle is bound to need preventative maintenance frequently and you know that it’s essential to keeping your truck in top condition. But how much is a semi-truck oil change, really? How do you know what’s a fair price? We’re here to break everything down for you–when asking how much does a truck oil change cost, there are lots of things to consider. You want to ensure you get the most for your buck and that you get the best for your truck.

Regular oil changes are essential to ensuring your engine functions at its best. Routine oil changes help ensure uptime, keep your engine well lubricated, minimizing friction and damage to wear metals that can break down and limit your truck’s engine life. Additionally, routine maintenance on your truck can improve your fuel economy. There can be many places to stop along your route, each with their own price. So, what is the true semi-truck oil change price and how do you know that it is worth it for your truck?

Intervals for an Oil Change

The average length of time between oil changes for semi-trucks is anywhere between 10,000 and 25,000 miles. There are many factors that affect how long your truck can go between oil changes, including the age of your vehicle, as well as your physical driving habits.

Additionally, each make and model truck has its own specifications regarding how often you should change the oil all depending on how you’re using the truck. You can find this information in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. It is essential that you do not try to “stretch” the mileage you can get between oil changes as this can cause premature wear and tear on your engine, and may lead to more costly repairs.

Along with manufacturer specifications, you should complete regular oil level checks at each stop to ensure that your engine’s health remains in peak condition.

Oil Change Cost: Semi-Trucks

At LubeZone Truck Lube Center, a full-service oil change starts at approximately $237, plus the cost of filters. A full-service oil change for a semi-truck at LubeZone Truck Lube Center includes oil drainage and disposal, new oil, installation of new fuel filters, oil filters, grease job, coolant check, checking the fluid level in your gear boxes, and topping off your windshield washer fluid.

Part of what makes LubeZone Truck Lube Center so unique is that we recognize some trucks with older engine configurations are simpler than some newer trucks that are much more complex. We see a wide variety of trucks, from older trucks with a simple filter configuration, to newer trucks with complicated filter configuration.

Here at LubeZone Truck Lube Center, we believe that you shouldn’t have to pay more than what’s fair because of a blanket price. For example, older trucks often have engines that are simpler with less filters, while newer models may be more complex and require more filters. The price for your individual truck will be fair because it’s matched specifically to your truck’s engine configuration. At LubeZone Truck Lube Center you won’t end up paying more to cover the cost of a more complex truck’s oil change.

Why Some Trucks Cost More For Oil Changes Than Others

You might notice that your truck is either more or less expensive than a colleague’s when it comes time for an oil change. There are a lot of different factors that go into that final cost, here are a few of the big ones:

Engine Design

Newer vehicles may have more complex engine designs that require specialized oil — or more of it.

Type of Oil

Newer trucks run best on synthetic oil, which is more expensive than conventional oil. The benefits of synthetic include the fact that it lasts longer and performs better under extreme conditions, so while it might cost more upfront, you could save on oil and wear-and-tear to your engine in the long run.

Cost of Labor

It’s well-known that newer engines are much more complicated to work on, so while an older truck might simply have a 15mm nut on the underside of the engine to pour the oil, an easy-access spout at the top for refilling, and a filter that can be twisted out by hand, newer engines often require a few more steps for disassembly and then reassembly.

Call your local location for a better idea of pricing for your vehicle.

Why Oil Changes are Non-Negotiable

As a trucker, you probably already know how important fresh oil is to keep your rig running smoothly, but even so, it’s worth going over some of the key points.

Engine Protection

Your engine is comprised of many precision-engineered parts that all work together in concert. Oil lubricates these moving parts to avoid direct wear and tear, dissipate heat, and protect sensitive elements that would otherwise prematurely degrade if they were running dry. As you run your engine, the oil picks up small particles of debris that will begin to impact your engine’s performance and increase friction.

Better Fuel Efficiency

When your engine is properly lubricated, it requires less energy to make the same number of rotations. Alternately, old, degraded, soiled engine oil can get gummy and thick, requiring your engine to work harder to produce the same power. When you change your oil, you are giving new, smooth lubrication to the engine so it can maximize power without overusing fuel.

Preventing Engine Seizure

Throughout regular use, the oil loses its ability to form a protective layer and will lead to friction and wear. As the oil continues to degrade, it will also accumulate dirt, sludge, and other particles that will further increase friction and start to form into a sludge. If this “sludge” gets too thick, it can completely seize the engine and cause serious damage to your motor and corollary components.

The Risks of Neglecting Oil Changes

Sometimes, it can feel like a hassle to take time out of your day to wait at a LubeZone service center, but the truth is that you are avoiding a lot of unexpected — and much longer — delays by putting off an oil change. Here are just a few of the many risks you are taking when you are putting off an oil change:

Engine Damage

Your engine is, obviously, a key part of your truck, and the oil you put in it protects it day in and day out. As your oil degrades, friction increases, and sensitive components in your engine may start to wear on each other. Your engine can also start to develop carbon deposits that will clog your system.

Overheating

Without properly functioning oil, your engine will begin to build additional friction and run at a higher temperature, which in turn will cause additional wear and tear on your engine components. Your engine is designed to run hot, but degraded oil will cause the heat to exceed the threshold and lead to real issues.

Reduced Fuel Economy

When your engine is forced to work harder to produce the same amount of output, it is burning fuel at a faster rate than it would normally. Over a fairly short period of time, the decrease to your fuel economy may ultimately outweigh the cost of an oil change!

Complete Engine Failure

The worst-case scenario is that your engine may completely fail to function if it doesn’t get an oil change in time. When your oil passes the tipping point and turns to sludge, it is no longer able to lubricate your engine and will instead serve to gum up the works and cause your engine to seize fully. As you can imagine, recovering a seized engine is a lot more cost- and time-expensive than an oil change.

Lubricant Brands and Services at LubeZone

A semi-truck oil change price may also depend on the type and brand of lubricant and filters your vehicle requires. At LubeZone Truck Lube Center, we use only the highest quality products to help keep your truck running at its best.

Engine lubricant brands available at LubeZone Truck Lube Center include:

• Shell
• Chevron
• Mobil
• Lucas
• Mystic

You’ll want to use a type of oil that meets the manufacturer’s specifications for your engine. Check your owner’s manual for the American Petroleum Institute (API) specifications your truck requires from a motor oil. It is essential to make sure the oil has the correct viscosity grade and type. However, all lubricants sold in the United States must meet minimum standards set forth by the API.

Additional Services Available at LubeZone Truck Lube Center

With a full offering of PM services for your truck, we’re able to service a wide variety of your needs in one stop. Taking care of multiple services at one time minimizes how frequently you need to stop, helping you make the most out of your time on the road. We know that this is a must for many drivers when you’re on the road; time is money, and you can’t afford frequent repeated stops to address small issues. Let LubeZone Truck Lube Center take care of everything you need all in one place so you can get back on the highway.

Additional services include Federal Annual Inspection by qualified inspectors, tire checks, air filter replacement, tractor and trailer grease, gearbox fluid changes, oil analysis, wiper blade changes, and axle alignment at specified locations.

Create a Preventative Maintenance Plan

While it may be tempting to try to make your engine oil last as long as possible between changes, this can be detrimental to your engine. The more miles you drive and the harder you drive your vehicle, the more stress gets put on your engine components.

The job of your lubricant is to keep everything moving smoothly, preventing parts from wearing down or causing friction. When you go too long without changing your oil, your engine can wear prematurely, leading to costly repairs down the road. The best way to save money and make the most of your oil is to have a preventative maintenance plan in place that ensures you get an oil change at the proper intervals.

Semi Truck Oil at LubeZone

If you’re looking for a truck oil change near you, come into one of LubeZone Truck Lube Center’s convenient locations today. Once we are aware of your engine configuration and know what filters and brand of engine lubricant your truck will need, we’ll let you know your semi-truck oil change price. How much does a truck oil change cost? This is one of the most frequent questions we hear from our customers.

With our CASH BACK LubeZone Rewards system, you’ll get money back for every purchase you make, no matter which location you visit. Not many semi-truck oil change centers can say that! Best of all, we complete full-service oil changes for semi-trucks in just 30 to 40 minutes, so you’ll be back on the road in no time.