This is one of the most common questions that technicians are asked. Just how often does the oil need to be changed? It depends what engine your truck is running, your driving patterns, the conditions on which you drive on, the type of oil you use, as well as other components and factors. For example, if there are any types of leaks, it will cause you to have to change your oil more often as it’s working optimally.
In general, industry experts recommend changing your oil every 8,000 miles for optimal performance. While it’s not necessarily required to be done that often, and doing it at 10 or 15,000 isn’t exactly a bad thing, the sooner you change it, the more life you will get out of your engine in the long run. In addition, keeping proper oil pressure will lead to fewer breakdowns and repairs of other parts underneath the hood of your rig.
With older trucks, and trucks with more miles, experts recommend that you do change it for often. You may think that newer trucks don’t need to be changed every 8,000 miles, but if you want to increase the lifespan of your truck, it is surely a good idea. This is the exact interval that major trucking companies use on their company trucks, and it comes as no surprise that they often last so long.
If you are a driver going long distances often with your truck, it is even more imperative that you manually inspect your oil often and get it changed when it starts to get old and contaminated. That means you should get your oil changed once a month, and it is also recommended that you set up routine maintenance checks with a trusted repair facility so you know that your truck is going to be well taken care of.