Daily Driving a Diesel Truck: Can a Diesel Be a Daily Driver?
Prospective owners wonder about driving a diesel engine for daily errands. Since it is not gas and is more powerful than a gas engine, they think that doing daily drives is not good for the motor. They are not correct in that assumption.
The difference between a diesel and a gas engine is the initial upfront cost, the repair costs, and the power. Other than that the diesel will work like a gas engine and handle your daily driving with ease.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about so you can use your diesel truck on a daily basis without worry. Take a few minutes to see how this information helps you.
Can a Diesel Truck Be a Daily Driver?
Yes, it can. It works like any other truck and it has a few key benefits that make it better to use than a gas engine vehicle. The first benefit is that it provides better performance than a gas engine.
The second benefit is that you can usually get better fuel economy from a diesel. A diesel engine just works better than a gas model and you should not worry about using your diesel truck every day.
A third benefit is that a diesel engine lasts longer than a gas motor. They are known to get over 500,000 miles before needing any significant repair work. While repair costs may be higher with a diesel, they may be fewer repairs to make.
Finally, the diesel engine can haul a lot more weight than a gas engine. If you need to haul something large from the big box stores, the diesel should be able to handle it with ease.
When you have a daily errands or duties to do, even just driving to and from work, the diesel will outperform the gas engine hands down. The diesel motor is probably more reliable than the gas engine in colder weather.
Is a Diesel Truck Good For City Driving?
Yes, it is good for city driving. But then when is city driving good for any engine? The stop-and-go traffic is hard on all types of motors including gas. It is also hard on your fuel economy.
With a diesel engine, you at least have a fighting chance at getting top fuel economy even with the stop-and-go nature of city driving. Plus, stop and go will not put a lot of stress on your engine.
Just do not over-rev the motor and drive carefully and you should be fine. The diesel motors can get good city gas mileage if you drive normally and do not take bad chances.
Most owners of diesel engines and who use their trucks as a daily driver have reported nothing out of the ordinary has taken place. They have no complaints and feel that they are driving a better truck during their daily commutes.
The drawbacks to using your diesel truck as a daily driver are when you go through the drive-thru of different fast food restaurants. The fumes can be over-powering if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction.
Plus, a diesel engine can be a bit noisy when trying to order your coffee or food. It is also hard to talk on the phone while the engine is running.
Diesel or Gas Truck For a Daily Driver?
The answer to this question will be up to your preferences. The gas engine is a top engine to drive on a daily basis and you may prefer using those vehicles for daily driving. That is okay as gas engines do perform well.
The biggest influence on your decision would be fuel prices. Sometimes gas prices are lower than diesel and sometimes the reverse is true. It does not matter if you use your diesel truck on a daily basis especially when the fuel costs are lower than gas.
You will have a power and performance edge over the gas engine but you may not like the fumes or the noise. It is in the fuel economy, the performance, and the power that you will notice the difference between the two types of motors.
Also, it depends on the type of daily duties you have to do. You may not like having to wait for the glow plugs to heat up every time you start your diesel truck. That heating up does not take long but it may take long enough to bother some people.
A gas engine is more convenient as all you do is turn the key and go.
Is a Diesel Worth it as a Daily Driver?
This will depend on the price of fuel and a couple of other factors. If the economy is good and diesel fuel prices are low, then yes, driving your diesel truck on a daily basis is worth it.
Keep in mind that diesel fuel is fuel, not gas. Some truckers are fairly picky about what you call that fuel option. The only inconvenience you get with diesel is the glow plugs. You have to wait for them to warm up before you start the engine.
To do that, you simply turn the key to the on position and wait till the glow plug light goes out. When it does, you start your engine up and go. Sometimes this is very quick and other times you may have to wait for a minute.
With the power of a diesel, you are ready for any situation including hauling heavy loads back to your home. That makes using your diesel on a daily basis well worth the effort.
Your fuel might last longer than a gas engine will use. That result will depend more on your driving habits than anything else.
How Often do You Need To Drive a Diesel Truck?
You may get different answers to this question and for the most part, those different answers are all correct. You do not need to drive a diesel that often to keep it in top-performing shape.
Some people say all you need to do is drive it for 20 to 30 minutes once a month and you should be fine. The problem with diesel is that it can acquire more debris than gas you need to make sure the engine is up to operating temperature and run at that temperature for a little bit.
That gets rid of the debris and helps prevent what is called lot rot. Lot rot is where the engine sits for a long time and starts to get rusty inside the turbo. This also happens when you start the engine on a daily basis and then shut it off after a few minutes.
The condensation gets inside in those situations and starts the rusting process. You may be told to drive it 60 miles at least if you are going to let it sit for a few weeks at a time. Or drive it 60 miles per week but that is up to you.
There is nothing wrong with letting your diesel sit for a bit and nothing wrong with using it as a daily driver.
Tips For Daily Driving a Diesel Truck
1. If you take care of them you should get 29% more efficiency on the highway and 24% more in the city driving over a gas engine.
2. Make sure you keep all the fluids at their maximum levels. Diesels need to remain hydrated just like humans do
3. Use oil made for diesel engines. Oil is not oil and diesel engines need a different formula to perform well.
4. Keep your engine nice and clean. Whenever possible, wipe away the gunk and dirt. A clean engine performs better and you can use a power washer to make this task easier.
5. Watch the type of fuel you use. It should be clean diesel and there are stations that do not have clean diesel fuel in their holding tanks. Once you find a station selling clean diesel fuel, stick with that station. It will help your motor run better.
6. Watch your filters as they can get very dirty fast. Make sure to change them out when they get dirty. Or take an air hose to them and blow the dirt out of the filters until you can afford to replace the filters.
7. Watch the exhaust system as there are a lot of chemicals and corrosive materials running through it. If there is a problem get it repaired quickly.
Some Final Words
There is nothing wrong with using your diesel truck for daily driving. You may find that you love the experience as some owners have. Diesel engines are better than gas ones and should help you save some money with all the money you are saving by not having to buy gas.
