What are the best truck engines and which are the worst?

Volvo D13 vs Cummins X15 Engine. At Andy Mohr Truck Center, power is merely the status quo. We know that Indianapolis, Avon, and Plainfield truck drivers need an engine with a bit of brawn to get the job done. The Volvo D13 engine and Cummins X15 engine are both optimized for high power. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll find that their. Mar 20, 2013 I'd concur with the Cummins. Better support network, better overall repute behind the engine vs. The newer Volvo engines (especially the D16), better availability of parts, more practical displacement (14.9 liters for the ISX15 vs. 12.8 liters for the D13 or 16.1 liters for the D16).

How do I know which truck engine will serve my needs best?

As simple as the question seems, there are no easy answers to these questions.

However, there are some important factors which should be considered to help you determine the best choice of diesel engine for your semi truck.

LET’S START WITH THE BEST ENGINES.

Top 10 Best Truck Engines – Our Picks

We have considered:

Reliability (low breakdown incidents)
Longevity (length of time before major overhaul/work needed)

Here are our top 10 choices of Semi truck engines in no particular order:

300 HP Mack – What a tough reliable engine these Mack engines were. They were tough engines and great cold starters. If you’re a Mack truck fan, you might like this gallery of old Mack trucks.
350 Cummins – The 350 Cummins and the Big Cam Cummins engines were reliable but not especially good on fuel economy.
Big Cam Cummins
1693 Cat – This is one of the best Cat truck engines. A bit lud, but reliable and lots of power.
380 Cat – This Cat diesel engine was strong, reliable, powerful and got decent fuel mileage.
3408 Cat – This Class 8 truck engine was strong, was about 450 HP but truly put out around 550 HP. The fuel economy was poor.
C15 Cat – the Cat 15 and C16 Caterpillar diesel engines were workhorses. They were also reliable, not bad fuel economy and had great warranties.
C16 Cat
60 Series Detroit – These Detroit engines are the only ‘newer’ diesel engine in the best semi truck engines. Detroit seems to have conquered the emission systems problems that the other diesel engine manufacturers are having.
DD 15

3406 Cat – This diesel engine by Caterpillar didn’t make the top 10 list as it had a lot of head gasket trouble.
New Cummins + Paccar Diesel Engines – These Paccar engines and Cummins engines did not make the best 10 list either as they haven’t been very reliable due to the issues the manufacturer has been having with emissions equipment.

10 Factors To Consider For Choosing the Best Engine For a Semi Truck

Type of Work

First, as an owner operator, you need to know what type of work you will be doing, such as:

the average load weight
the type of terrain where you’ll be traveling
the kind of trailer you’ll be pulling
know the specifications of the rest of the drive line
know what the transmission and the rear differential ratio

Size Consideration

Bigger is better, is somewhat of an outdated philosophy of thinking for the best truck engines.

More horsepower is best, doesn’t ring true so much now, as it once did.

Volvo D13 Vs Cummins Isx Dpf

Depending on the type of work you’ll be doing, bigger is not always the best choice in a truck engine. I suspect that there were a lot more male hormones involved in many an engine choice’s in the past.

Since an owner operator is in business for profit, rather than bragging rights at the counter at the truck stop, “small” block engines (13 liter) are far better nowadays, than in the past.

Most of these diesel engines, can reliably go to 500 horsepower 1850 TQ, which is a pretty respectable rating.

These motors are lighter, with a lower tare weight and can give some pretty impressive fuel economy compared to the 15/16 liter big brothers.

Choose the size and horsepower required, NOT SIZE AND HORSEPOWER DESIRED. Remember, horsepower costs money both at the time of purchase and during the entire life of the truck.

Most engines can be uprated later to a higher horsepower for better resale.

Resale

The owner-operator should also consider future resale possibilities. Nothing can make a truck worth the equivalent of a ‘pet rock’, like the wrong drive line (engine).

The Driveline

Truck manufacturers all have their own proprietary drivelines.

So, if you want a Paccar product but like a Detroit engine, the days of getting any engine in almost any truck are long over.

Cummins is the only motor available in almost all chassis styles, except Volvo. It was an option years ago but this is no longer the case.

All chassis builders have a good selection of their own branded semi truck engines, so once you choose your truck builder, then your engine choices become easier.

Each truck manufacturer offers a small block and big block options in their own brand. Horse powers are similar as are TQ specs.

Engine Costs – Short Term and Long Term

Since the main focus in profit in a small owner-operator business, costs are paramount.

The cost of a truck engine is the most immediate short term cost. Some manufacturers will offer special discounts on a driveline combo, for example, a particular engine model with a particular transmission and rear diff, especially if it is their own brand.

Sometimes the manufacturer will offer a cash discount or a free extended warranty.

The long term costs of the engine includes:

fuel economy
oil change interval
oil change cost
overhead set frequency and costs
extended warranty costs

All of these costs can vary wildly depending upon on the manufacturer.

Truck Engine Repair and Dealer Network Availability

Truck makers are taking a page from the car industry and making it nearly impossible to get any sort of engine repair done anywhere but at the OEM facility.

Cummins still offers repairs independent of the chassis providers, as does Caterpillar but unless you are building a glider, you won’t have that engine as an option.

So, as a new purchaser the network of dealers and the relationship you have with the dealer maybe become a more important factor when it comes to engine choice, than the brand of the truck.

Related > Will Glider Kits Survive the Storm in the Trucking Industry?

Flexibility

The saying, “never say never” can come into play when you spec an engine for your new truck.

The type of work you are presently doing now as an owner operator job, will almost undoubtedly change.

It is much easier to change engines today than in the past. Today’s engines offer various horsepower and TQ settings using the same block, head and injectors.

If you are pulling 80000 lbs or less type at your present job, then maybe 450-475 horsepower is more than adequate for your application.

However, should you have an opportunity for tridem or heavy haul, then you can upgrade your engine to a 500 horsepower.

Fuel Economy

The biggest single variable cost is fuel consumption.

Remember that bigger displacement and higher horsepower will cost more every single time, no exceptions.

Check out our tips for improving your fuel economy.

Tare Weight

Smaller truck engines weigh less.

If you are in a sector that requires minimal tare weight then weight becomes a very important factor in the engine and truck brand you need to buy.

Extended Warranty

This can be a heart stopping expense.

The extended warranty cost should be factored into your truck purchase cost.

Most warranties cover after treatment as well as engine. Read the fine print.

Be absolutely sure you understand the limitations of the warranty you are purchasing.

Be sure yo

Top 10 Best Truck Engines – Our Picks

10 Factors To Consider For Choosing the Best Engine For a Semi Truck

Type of Work

Size Consideration

Volvo D13 Vs Cummins Isx Dpf

Resale

The Driveline

Engine Costs – Short Term and Long Term

Truck Engine Repair and Dealer Network Availability

Flexibility

Fuel Economy

Tare Weight

Extended Warranty