TSQ: What are your thoughts on the newer generation of engines?

by Adam Ledlow

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Our cover story from last issue, ‘Dirty players,’ revealed that tampering of emissions controls for truck engines is both widespread and easily attainable. The so-called DPF Delete process is a booming business for shops across Canada – with service providers offering to remove the emissions-reducing devices with the promise of improved fuel economy and engine reliability.

The main issue, of course, is that the process is illegal (though not actively enforced, as our investigation revealed) and harmful to the environment, as the removal of the devices brings engine emissions back to 2002 levels or worse.

Industry groups like the Canadian Trucking Alliance claim the DPF Delete phenomenon is also creating an unlevel playing field, not to mention casting the trucking industry as a whole in an unfavourable light. But what do drivers think? We went to the Husky Truck Stop in Mississauga, Ont. to get driver opinions on emissions systems tampering and their experience with the performance of newer generation engines.


Jim Cheriwcham, a driver with Rage Express out of Brampton, Ont., says the use of similar emissions-reducing systems in truck engines in Europe has been abandoned, and wonders why the same technology is trying to be revived in North America.

“From what I understand, over in Europe, they proved it didn’t work. So if it didn’t work in Europe, how the hell is it supposed to be working here?” he said.

“They’re using this crap here to make it better for the oil companies; the fuel companies are selling more fuel, the government is getting more in taxes and we’re getting screwed.”

Cheriwcham says he drives an older truck so that he doesn’t have to deal with the issues of newer engines.


Luc Labrecque, a driver with Minimax Express Transportation out of Cornwall, Ont., says he doesn’t see the logic in lowered emissions from newer engines if fuel economy suffers.

“I used to drive for Cat and they (operate) brand new trucks. I had one for two days and I got six miles to the gallon with it. My truck assigned to me at the time was an ’05 with a million-and-a-half kilometres on it and I was getting 9.2 miles to the gallon with it. So I can’t see where the logic comes.

“Okay, yeah, they’re not putting out any emissions, but doesn’t the oilsands put out a lot more garbage than what the average truck will? If you have to produce more oil to supply the diesel, I think it’s a catch-22,” he told Truck News.


Kay Pfromm, a driver with Steven’s Transport out of Michigan, says she has little to compare the newer engines to as she’s only been behind the wheel for six years. That said, “I have had problems with (the DPF system). It’s really slowing down and it’s stopped on me a couple times, not this truck, but my last one.”

However, Pfromm says she chalks up a lot of the perceived loss of fuel efficiency from the newer engines to driver habits and an inability to shift properly.


Dean Ponegan, a 40-year veteran and driver with Manitoulin Transport, sums up the new engines concisely: crap. “They’re really not getting any better fuel mileage…They’re putting technology on today that Europe got rid of 20 years ago because it didn’t work,” he said. “With these engines here, you end up with a lot of fumes in the cab and loss of power. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good trucks, but people hate change, too.”


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  • Instead of writing about these shops doing the deleate kits why are we not seeing more about the engine companies and why their product does not work or why you try to get into their shops and you can not because your big carriers have the shops full of their trucks. So were is it that the small guy that cannot aford to sit his truck not leveling the the playing field. The big carriers just cry for attention so they can try to run off the small guy so how fair is that. You do not here about stuff like that do you. Me myself have a 10yr old truck 3million km runs good. You try to put it at one of those so called carriers they would not even look at you. The truck probaly more reliable than new one. Do not get me wrong I would like to get new truck but how wants the all the problems

  • Hi Don,

    If you type “downtime” into our search engine, you’ll find a good deal of stories about engine maintenance issues. Here’s an example called “Dealing with downtime” https://www.trucknews.com/news/dealing-with-downtime/1002088555/ though there are many more in our archives.

    The cover story on the current issue of Motortruck Fleet Executive (found here: https://www.trucknews.com/issues/de-mt.aspx) deals with the same issue in detail.

    As for small carriers vs. large ones, Truck News columnist and small carrier owner Bill Cameron writes about small carrier issues every month. Search his name in our search engine, or see his latest column here: https://www.trucknews.com/news/too-many-truckers-cant-do-basic-math/1002233092/?type=Print%20Archives.

    Thanks for your input,
    Adam Ledlow, Managing Editor