Have you ever wondered why trucks opt to use diesel fuel over gasoline? It may seem odd at first that they don’t use the “common” form of fuel. As it turns out, diesel offers some better benefits for trucks than gas does…
Diesel Fuel: Why Trucks Use It
Efficiency
One of the main factors behind why trucks use diesel fuel is because it’s efficient. Diesel offers a lot more energy than gas does. For instance, gas only produces around 125,000 BTU (British thermal units). By comparison, diesel produces about 147,000 BTU. This means diesel is a better choice for trucks, as they need the energy to carry heavy loads.
Diesel is also easier on the engine. Diesel engines can run for 12,000 to 30,000 hours before they need maintenance. Gas engines can only run for around 6,000-12,000 hours before they need maintenance. Therefore, truckers can drive for longer without issue. This is crucial considering how many long hauls they have to go on regularly.
Cost
Diesel fuel is also used for cost reasons. Now, at first glance, this might seem untrue. After all, at the gas station, diesel tends to cost more per gallon than gas does. So how can it be more cost-efficient?
It all goes back to the efficiency of diesel. Due to how much energy diesel produces, truck drivers are able to drive for longer than gas-powered cars. That means they don’t need to fuel up as much as other drivers. Combine that with the stronger engines, and truck drivers save both on fuel and maintenance costs.
Power-to-weight ratio
Another important factor for diesel fuel is its power to weight ratio. Truck drivers will need to drive all over the country. This means they’ll have to handle a wide variety of terrain, like mountains or inclines. Therefore, they need the power to get their hauls through these areas.
This is where diesel fuel comes in handy. Diesel is able to generate large amounts of torque for trucks. This gives the trucks a very good power-to-weight ratio. That means they’re able to handle any kind of terrain they run into, and not have to worry about lacking in power.