Decker Releases Interim Results On Two Million Mile B20 Test

[racy]

Full Article: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2...mile-b20-test/

Decker Truck Line is the first major trucking company to compare a soy biodiesel B20 blend to regular diesel in a comprehensive over-the-road test covering two million miles. Announced last fall, the Two Million Mile Haul has covered (PDF) 350,000 miles towards the goal.

“What we’ve observed so far is great performance in the particularly cold winter we just experienced, and reduced maintenance and engine wear benefits that equal or outweigh the slightly higher cost of the biodiesel blend,” said Dale Decker, Industry & Government Relations Director for Decker Truck Line.

Decker Truck Line is using B20 biodiesel in 20 of the company’s trucks, running from its terminal in Fort Dodge, Iowa to either Chicago or Minneapolis. The trucks are Peterbilt 379s, 388s, and 389s, with mostly flatbed trailers. All trucks have Caterpillar C13 or C15 engines built to EPA 2004 and EPA 2007 emissions levels.

According to Decker, observations during the study, including oil analysis results, have shown:

- Cleaner engine oil,
- Positive impact on engine wear,
- Decreased maintenance due to increased lubricity, and
- No cold weather issues – even with temperatures in the teens and single digits.

[johnny smallblock]

The trick will be to figure out how to get E/B100 to start in cold weather. Then we can use higher compression engines to increase the mileage numbers.

[PA Dweller]

Where are they going to fuel them? If they are going on a cross country haul then what?

[asim]

This sounds pretty good. If Decker can get the B20 to be more available to truckers around the United States, I am sure many more companies will start using it. Then we can really save some of out diesel.