Q: What has the OEM engine manufacturer offered the user to ease the DPF regeneration process on pre-2010 heavy duty trucks? Any other help with this major maintenance cost? Also, TRU reefer units entering California after 12/31/09, with emissions compliance?
A: This is a complex question that has many in the industry panicking as most budgets overlooked the major costs associated with the DPF technology needing to be replaced or cleaned.
Currently many of the OEMs are realizing that fleets need to be proactive with their DPF filter program because of the high costs and unexpected expenses that will be put on a fleet from being reactive. That being said, some of the OEMs are offering exchange programs to lower their customers costs as having scheduled downtime is a lot better than having unscheduled downtime, which is the real reason fleet managers lose their hair.
Another issue is the fact that even after a new or cleaned DPF filter is ready to be installed back on the truck, it still needs to be reset.
Finally the last issue is the DPF filters getting cleaned properly? The knowledge on cleaning these filters properly is not widely known which makes the individuals or OEMs that do know even more important step in helping lower the costs associated with this technology.
In our opinion the best way to deal with this major cost is to speak with your dealer or OEM rep and developing a plan to service the DPF filter properly. Since the knowledge is limited on how to handle these correctly, the most efficient way to plan around this cost is for a fleet to be proactive. It is imperative that the filter is clean correctly and the reset is done to spec or you will have even more costs and down time then you would have.
In closing there was a very good article on Fleet Maintenance titled the "The Cleaning Crew" which I believe would be a great benefit to read and should answer any other questions you might have on this topic.
