CALGARY, Alta. – It’s been around 18 years with 500,000 treatments but escalating fuel costs have trucking companies making the Enviro-Save metal treatment a hot item.

The Enviro-Save kit has been widely used in trucking operations to improve fuel mileage, reduce emissions and extend powertrain life. Transit companies are also using the product for the same reasons, says distribution and technical support representative, Dave Rezanson.

Enviro-Save is a one-time metal treatment (not an oil additive, company officials stress) which irons out imperfections in the powertrain metals.

Rather than simply coating the bearing surfaces with a protective film or altering the engine oil properties, the Enviro-Save resin fills in microscopic holes, Rezanson explains.

While the inside of components may look smooth to the human eye, Rezanson likens it to human skin which has millions of microscopic pores.

Those pores that cause inefficiencies in friction surfaces are eliminated with the Enviro-Save metal treatment, he says. The treatment simply fills in the tiny holes, “impregnating asperities in metal surfaces” as Rezanson puts it.

The company promises fuel savings in the neighbourhood of four to seven per cent, however 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 (45 semis) has also increased from 1.2 million km to 2.4 million km.

“I haven’t had to rebuild a single component since 1986, not even a bearing in the rear end,” 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 treatments. Enviro-Save powertrain protection kits are installed in the newest to the oldest equipment in the industry.

The customer adds the engine cleaner for 12-20 hours of running time. 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’ve had the the product tested by well-respected U.S. independent laboratories as well.

Because of reduced friction in treated equipment, users report temperature drops in all components.

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 powertrain 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 and blow-by, company officials say.

For more information, contact Enviro-Save at 1-888-OCEAN-01 or 1-888-OCEAN-10. In the Vancouver area, you can call (604) 953-0671.