CALGARY, Alta. – It’s been around for 18 years but with escalating fuel costs trucking companies are just now making a Canadian-made metal treatment product a hot item.The Enviro-Save kit has been widely used in transit operations to improve fuel mileage, reduce emissions and extend engine life. Trucking companies are also using the product for the same reasons, says distribution and technical support representative, Dave Rezanson.

Enviro-Save is a metal treatment (not an oil additive, company officials stress) which irons out imperfections in the engine’s metal. Rather than simply coating the inside of the engine with a protective film or altering the engine oil properties, the Enviro-Save resin fills in microscopic holes, Rezanson explains.

While the inside of an engine may look smooth to the eye, Rezanson likens it to human skin which has millions of microscopic pores. Those pores cause inefficiencies in the engine which are eliminated with the Enviro-Save metal treatment, he says. The treatment simply fills in the tiny holes, “impregnating asperities in the engine” says Rezanson.

The company promises fuel savings in the neighbourhood of four to seven per cent, and officials say many fleets are achieving more than that.

Richard Dufour, president of R. Dufour Enterprises, insists his trucks are realizing a one to 1.5 mpg improvement in fuel mileage once treated. He says the lifespan of his trucks has also increased from 1.2 million km to double that.

“I have never had to replace bearings in a transmission or differential in a unit that has been treated,” he says.

His observations are in line with those of Rob Thiessen of Rob Thiessen Trucking. He claims to have realized fuel savings of five per cent as well as improved performance.

The kits (which cost $850 for Class 8 trucks) consist of a number of different solutions. The Enviro-Save isn’t designed for brand new trucks so a new truck must first undergo a normal break-in period of 50,000 kms or so.

Then, the customer adds the cleaner and runs the truck for 15-20 hours. This rids the engine of soot and carbon deposits, preparing it for the treatment. The oil is dropped hot and the treatment is put in along with the fresh engine oil. The kit also includes different treatments for the crankcase, transmission, front hubs, power steering and rear differentials.

“There’s an immediate difference,” says Gord Cooper, who has treated both his Cat C15 and Cummins N14.

He says he’s seen a one-mpg improvement on his C15-equipped Kenworth tri-drive, which he uses for heavy hauling in the oil patch. He says the engine also pulls better and runs quieter.

He was so convinced of the effectiveness of Enviro-Save that he signed on as a distributor for the Alberta region.

Cooper says a typical customer achieves a payback in just three months.

Rising fuel costs have certainly brought a host of snake oil salesmen out of the woodwork, and both Cooper and Rezanson admit some customers are initially skeptical. However, they say there’ve been no complaints and they proudly flaunt a 40-plus page package of testimonials when asked. Among them are copies of oil analyses which show the Enviro-Save contributed to significant drops of iron, chrome, aluminum and copper contaminants.

They’re in the process of having the product tested by a well-respected U.S. independent laboratory as well.

Because of the more efficient burn achieved by treated engines, many users have also reported drops in the engine oil and coolant temperatures.

Ray Beaton, maintenance supervisor for Columbia Bulk Transport says during a heavy haul on the Coquihalla Hwy. one of his drivers reported “the transmission and engine oil temperature dropped 30 degrees and the coolant temperature dropped 15 degrees.”

That has caught the attention of some Australian trucking firms who are now using the treatment for road train applications down under. While improved fuel economy and extended engine life are the key factors for trucking companies, Enviro-Save officials also claim the treatment reduces C02 by 30 per cent and hydrocarbons by 50 per cent. The one-time treatment also reduces oil consumption, extending drain intervals, company officials say.

For more information, contact Enviro-Save at 1-866-OCEAN-01 or 1-866-OCEAN-10. In the Vancouver area, you can call 1-604-953-0671.