Class 8 Maintenance · Every Major Engine
Semi Truck Oil Change Intervals by Engine
Semi truck oil change intervals are set by the engine maker, and on most modern Class 8 engines they're far longer than the old 15,000-mile rule. Detroit, Cummins, PACCAR, Mack, Volvo and International all scale the interval to how hard the truck works, usually measured by fuel economy or idle time. Here is every OEM table in one place, straight from the engine makers' own literature.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Sources: Detroit DD operator manual PM tables, Cummins X15 maintenance literature (EPA2017, 2020–2021), PACCAR MX service intervals (2024), Mack Service at a Glance, Volvo VDS-4.5 interval bulletin, International A26 spec card, Caterpillar SEBU6385, AMSOIL data sheet G3467
Semi truck oil change interval: 25,000 to 75,000 miles on most 2017-and-newer Class 8 engines, depending on the engine and duty. Efficient long-haul trucks get the top of the range (75,000 mi on a Detroit DD15, PACCAR MX-13 or 2020+ Cummins X15); severe or vocational service drops to 25,000–35,000 mi. Run the OEM interval for your duty, and go past it only on oil analysis.
Interval
Service
Set the Interval
Limit
Semi Truck Oil Change Interval by Engine
Each engine maker publishes its own oil change table. The longest interval goes to efficient highway trucks; the shortest to severe, vocational or high-idle work. These are the OEM numbers for CK-4 oils meeting each maker's spec, for 2017-and-newer engines unless noted.
| Engine | Best Case | Severe Service | How It's Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit DD15 | 75,000 mi (7+ mpg) | 35,000 mi or 750 hr (≤5 mpg) | Fuel economy, 4 categories |
| Detroit DD13 | 65,000 mi (7+ mpg) | 35,000 mi or 750 hr (≤5 mpg) | Fuel economy, 4 categories |
| Detroit DD16 | 55,000 mi (6–6.9 mpg) | 35,000 mi or 750 hr (≤5 mpg) | Fuel economy |
| Cummins X15 (2020+) | 75,000 mi (7+ mpg) | 25,000 mi (3–4.9 mpg) | Fuel economy; 12 months max |
| Cummins X15 (EPA2017) | 50,000 mi (over 6.5 mpg) | 25,000 mi, 500 hr or 6 mo (under 5.5 mpg) | Fuel economy |
| PACCAR MX-13 | 75,000 mi (line haul, under 20% idle) | 30,000 mi (severe / vocational) | Idle time and duty; 12 months max |
| Mack MP7 / MP8 (44 qt) | 55,000 mi (normal, over 6 mpg) | 30,000 mi (under 5 mpg) | Fuel economy; over 30% idle drops one step |
| Mack MP10 (55 qt) | 60,000 mi (normal) | 35,000 mi (severe) | Fuel economy; bigger pan, longer interval |
| Volvo D11 / D13 (42 L pan) | 60,000 mi (normal) | 35,000 mi (severe) | Duty; figures for Volvo VDS-4.5 Premium oil |
| Volvo D16 (52 L pan) | 65,000 mi (normal) | 45,000 mi (severe) | Duty; figures for Volvo VDS-4.5 Premium oil |
| International A26 | 50,000 mi (6.5+ mpg) | 20,000 mi (under 5.5 mpg) | Fuel economy; up to 70,000 mi with sampling and International approval |
| Cat C15 / C13 | Per the engine's Operation & Maintenance Manual | Cat: sample every 15,000 mi, change at half TBN | |
Mack figures are for EOS-4.5 oils other than Mack's own; Mack-branded oil adds 5,000 mi. Volvo's table is published for its own VDS-4.5 Premium oil. Always confirm against your engine's operator manual.
Read your fuel economy honestly. Most engine makers set the interval by average mpg because burned fuel tracks how hard the oil worked. A truck that averages 5.8 mpg is not a 7 mpg truck because it hit 7 on one trip. Use the lifetime average from the ECM.
What Shortens a Semi Truck Oil Change Interval?
Anything that loads the oil with soot, fuel or dirt faster than miles add up: idle time, short hauls, vocational and off-road work, biodiesel blends and cold starts. Engine makers handle this by dropping you into a shorter duty category, and oil analysis shows when it's happening on your own truck.
Idle Time
Hours without miles. Mack drops one interval step over 30% idle; PACCAR cuts the MX-13 from 75,000 to 50,000 mi over 20% idle.
Low Fuel Economy
Heavy loads, mountain grades and stop-and-go all pull mpg down, and mpg is what most OEM tables key on.
Vocational & Dusty Work
Dump, logging, construction and gravel roads put fine dirt in the oil long before the mileage limit.
Biodiesel
PACCAR cuts the MX-13 to 40,000 mi line haul on B6–B20 blends. AMSOIL doesn't extend drains above B15.
Can You Go Past the OEM Oil Change Interval?
Only with oil analysis on your own truck. Modern OEM intervals already reach 55,000 to 75,000 miles, so a premium synthetic's job is to give you more margin inside that interval, not to double it blindly. AMSOIL's own limit for Max-Duty in heavy-duty service is 3X the OEM interval, not to exceed 60,000 mi, 600 hours or one year, and further only with oil analysis.
Extend When
- ✓ You sample every change and have a baseline
- ✓ Viscosity, TBN and soot stay in range at the current interval
- ✓ You step out one truck at a time, on data
Don't Extend When
- ✗ Running biodiesel above B15
- ✗ 2007–2009 Cat C13 or C15 on-highway engines
- ✗ Performance-modified engines
- ✗ Mixed oils in the sump
Exclusions from AMSOIL data sheet G3467. Extend beyond the OEM interval in these cases only with oil analysis.
Get an Oil Analysis Kit →How Oil Analysis Sets Your Interval
A lab report shows whether the oil still has life left at your current interval. Sample at every change, build a baseline, and the numbers tell you whether to hold the interval, shorten it or step it out.
- → Viscosity: thickening from soot or oxidation, thinning from fuel
- → TBN: how much acid-neutralizing reserve is left (Cat says change at half of new)
- → Soot & fuel dilution: idle, injector and regen problems show up here first
- → Wear metals & coolant: early warning before a repair gets expensive
Keep your current interval, sample at every change, and send the reports to a Red Seal tech. When the data says there's life left, the interval moves, one truck at a time.
Open Your Commercial Account →Best Oil for Long OEM Intervals
A long interval is only as good as the oil's margin at the end of it. AMSOIL Signature Series Max-Duty lists CES 20086, DFS 93K222, EOS-4.5 and VDS-4.5, so one line of oil covers the engines in the table. Pick the grade your engine maker recommends.
- Detroit, Cummins, Mack, Volvo and Cat engines
- Up to 76% less oil consumption than API CK-4 allows
- 6X more wear protection than Detroit's DD13 scuffing test requires
- The 10W-30 grade PACCAR recommends for the MX-13
- Matches the A26's standard 10W-30 factory fill grade
- Lists VDS-4.5, EOS-4.5, CES 20086, DFS 93K222
- One oil for every make in the yard
- Cold cranking to −30°C (−22°F)
- The grade AMSOIL ran in the DD13 scuffing test
Semi Truck Oil Change Interval — Common Questions
From owner-operators, fleet managers and shop techs running tractor-trailers and transport trucks across North America.