Valvoline and Cummins have approved an oil drain interval of up to 100,000 miles for certain Cummins X15 engines using Valvoline Premium Blue One Solution Gen2 engine oil. The companies said this is the first OEM-approved heavy-duty oil drain interval to reach that level.

The announcement was made at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting in Nashville.

According to Valvoline, the approval allows fleets operating Cummins X15 diesel and natural gas engines to extend oil drain intervals by up to 25,000 miles compared with previous recommendations, depending on duty cycle and operating conditions.

The extended interval is designed to reduce maintenance downtime while helping fleets lower operating costs.

“This milestone means equipment can spend more time on the job and less time being serviced,” said John Walters, VP and GM of Heavy Duty Americas at Valvoline. “Extended drain intervals may allow operators to streamline maintenance cycles, minimizing downtime while driving measurable time and cost savings.”

Cummins Partnership Drives Development

The oil formulation builds on Valvoline’s long-standing collaboration with Cummins. The two companies have worked together for roughly three decades on lubricant development for heavy-duty engines.

Valvoline Premium Blue One Solution Gen2 was introduced in 2020 and is designed as a tri-fuel heavy-duty engine oil approved for diesel, natural gas, and gasoline engines.

The formulation focuses on improved oxidation resistance and thermal stability. These are key factors that support longer oil life and extended drain intervals, Walters said.

The new Cummins approval specifically applies to X15 diesel and natural gas engines.

Operational Benefits for Fleets

Longer drain intervals can translate directly into operational benefits for fleets, particularly those operating large numbers of trucks.

Fewer oil changes mean less scheduled maintenance, reduced labor requirements, and fewer service interruptions.

The extended interval also reduces the amount of waste oil generated, helping fleets manage environmental and disposal costs.

Simplifying Maintenance with One Oil

Valvoline emphasized another advantage of the Premium Blue One Solution Gen2 product: its ability to work across multiple fuel types.

The tri-fuel formulation allows fleets operating diesel, natural gas, and gasoline engines to use a single oil product rather than maintaining multiple inventories.

For large fleets and maintenance operations, this can simplify inventory management and reduce storage requirements.

“Eliminating the need to stock multiple types of oil for different engine types streamlines operations and reduces complexity,” Walters said.

Impact for Owner-Operators

While large fleets may see the biggest aggregate savings, Valvoline also highlighted benefits for owner-operators.

For single-truck operations, minimizing downtime is critical because maintenance directly interrupts revenue-generating miles.

Extending oil drain intervals allows those operators to spend more time on the road and less time in the shop.

Valvoline said the longer intervals, combined with the multi-fuel compatibility of the oil, can help lower total cost of ownership across a wide range of trucking operations.

With the new Cummins approval extending drain intervals to 100,000 miles in X15 engines, Valvoline says it is continuing to push lubricant technology aimed at improving uptime and operational efficiency for fleets.

“As the industry evolves, we’ll continue evolving alongside it,” Walters said, “with innovations that help fleets run longer and more efficiently.”