LOUISVILLE, KY – Comparing a soy biodiesel B-20 blend to regular diesel in an over-the-road test covering 2 million miles, Decker Truck Line, Inc.’s “Two Million Mile Haul” has covered 350,000 miles. The company released interim results at the recent Mid-America Trucking Show. In addition to Decker, partners in the Two Million Mile Haul include the Iowa Soybean Association, National Biodiesel Board (NBB), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Iowa Central Community College, and Renewable Energy Group. Decker Truck Line is using B-20 biodiesel (20-percent biodiesel, 80-percent petroleum diesel) 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. Observations during the study, including oil analysis results, have shown:

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

    Caterpillar is also following the results of the study and conducting further analysis on the effects of biodiesel. Decker Truck Line and Iowa Central Community College have developed a Web site to show results: www.2millionmilehaul.com. Iowa Central collects and analyzes the data that is downloaded from the Qualcomm system in each truck. Data includes miles per gallon, total miles, idle time, max speed, average speed, and more. Although some parts of the country have had an unusually cold winter, the 20 biodiesel trucks have had no issues with gelling or performance due to biodiesel. Decker Truck Line attributes this to the work that it has done with NBB in finding high-quality fuel that is properly handled and treated to help biodiesel perform in cold weather. Decker Truck Line experienced issues with fuel filter clogging that were due to self-blending of the fuel as opposed to using professionally-blended fuel. Until the 2 million miles are complete, conclusions about mileage and efficiency are not available. Tests so far are within the margin of error and are influenced by driving styles.

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