Maintenance

February 2009, Work Truck - Cover Story

All About Medium-Duty Work Truck Engines

By Lauren Fletcher & Sean Lyden

ARTICLE TOOLS        | E-MailPrint Subscribe

Matching a medium-duty truck engine to a fleet application depends on the size truck needed. Here’s a breakdown of what to consider when spec’ing engines for medium-duty trucks up to a 33,000-lb. gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

Class 4 & 5 Options

If the truck you need is a Class 4 or 5 (14,001-lb. – 19,500-lb. GVWR), engine selection is relatively simple. In many cases, only one option is available — diesel. Some manufacturers, such as Ford (F-450, F-550), GM (C-Series, W-Series), and Isuzu (N-Series, H-Series), offer both gasoline and diesel. Either way, you’re not overwhelmed with engine options.

How do you decide between gas and diesel on a Class 4 or 5? While diesel offers better fuel efficiency and engine longevity, gas engines have much lower up-front costs — a difference ranging anywhere from $6,500-$8,000 or more, depending on make and model.

Therefore, the key deciding factor is: How many miles per year will you be putting on that vehicle? Do you anticipate putting a substantial number of miles to recoup the higher investment in a diesel in a reasonable amount of time?

A general rule of thumb is 25,000-30,000 miles. If you project going over that threshold, diesel makes sense. If you’ll be doing less, then gasoline may be more cost-effective.

Run the numbers yourself to confirm what works best for you. Contact your manufacturer’s rep for approximate fuel economy numbers for both gasoline and diesel to plug in your calculations.

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

Please log in to write comment.

New user? Sign up for new membership now!

ARTICLE ARCHIVE SEARCH

Fleet Job Finder


Save time and money. Search for fleet jobs. Advance your career. Access our career coaching services

Job Seekers

  Post your resume & manage your job search.

Employers

  Post jobs & search top quality resumes.

Featured Jobs

Sponsored Links

EZ LUBE FLEET SERVICE
We have the experience you can trust as a preventative maintenance partner. Click here for details.