Company’s Performance Plus lubricants increase fleet efficiency and hold up under the harshest conditions while helping the environment

Norwell, Mass. – Shippers, trucking fleets, government municipalities, refuse companies and transit entities across North America are lowering greenhouse gas emissions through greater use of natural gas vehicles. That transition, however, puts a strain on supply chain efficiency, leaving organizations in need of a flexible oil with proven performance.

With its line of dual-fuel capable Performance Plus oil, Safety-Kleen is helping motor fleets across North America go green with a line of CK-4 heavy-duty oil for both natural gas and diesel engines. Flexibility from a high-quality oil, approved by the American Petroleum Institute, makes it the perfect multifuel and ideal for mixed fleets.

Natural gas vehicles produce 20-30 percent less greenhouse gases than gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles – using just 5-10 percent of allowable emissions. Compressed natural gas also costs less than gasoline and diesel – offering cost savings of up to 40 percent per mile. Considering the benefits to the environment and bottom lines, combined with high public and private investments, many companies and municipalities are beginning to transition their fleets over to natural gas engines and many more are evaluating making the switch.

“The use of one oil for mixed fleets can help reduce inventory cost, consolidate purchasing and avoid misapplication,” said Brett Minges, Performance Plus’ director of lubricants. “Plenty of fleet managers are looking to lower their carbon footprint by converting to natural gas engines but it’s not feasible to make a complete changeover immediately or have their entire stock as one engine type. We want to help our customers through that process and our dual-fueled NGEO NGP-3 lubricant eases that burden.”

Safety-Kleen currently provides natural gas oil to transit bus organizations, solid waste companies and over-the-road trucking fleets. Performance Plus natural gas engine oil is approved by all major engines with dual-fuel power options. With a superior temperature range performance, excellent anti-wear characteristics, thermal stability, corrosion resistance and prolonged life even under extreme conditions, Performance Plus is scientifically proven to outperform all other oil on the market. 
“Today’s bus and truck fleets demand performance, protection and power. Performance Plus heavy-duty natural gas engine oil is designed to meet or exceed all of those demands,” said Minges. “Tested, proven and trusted quality are why those demanding the best turn to Performance Plus.” 

Endorsed by the King and the environment

Performance Plus oils are also endorsed by “The King” Richard Petty and used by numerous NASCAR teams, car rental agencies, and government entities, along with Richard Petty’s Garage.

In addition to its environmentally helpful function of running in a variety of engines, the high-performance oil comes with a built-in sustainability benefit of having a 78% lower carbon footprint, than base oils made from crude, according to a recent third-party study. Performance Plus is created from Safety-Kleen’s own base oil, KLEEN+. Safety-Kleen collects more than 200 million gallons of used oil annually and processes it in one of its eight North American re-refineries where it’s recycled into KLEEN+. From there the base oil is either sold to customers or finished by Safety-Kleen into its own Performance Plus lubricants.

“Performance Plus is sustainability, quality and efficiency,” said Safety-Kleen Senior Vice President Shaynn Mahan. “It’s everything a duel-fuel fleet manager could want wrapped into one.”

With more than 500 locations across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, Safety-Kleen, with its parent company Clean Harbors, is able to provide lubricants and pick up used oil from fleets with a quick turnaround anywhere in the continent.

Chasing the Land Speed Record

Not only is their service quick, but Safety-Kleen and its lubricants are directly involved in setting other speed records. Over the summer, a Safety-Kleen team traversed the country showcasing the durability of its natural gas engine oil – culminating in November at the annual SEMA conference, the largest aftermarket and car show in the world.

The Safety-Kleen motorsports team put the natural gas engine oil to the test during the summer while transporting its custom built 1934-style roadster that was aiming to set a land speed record. A hauler was outfitted with Performance Plus NGEO NGP-3 oil at its North Carolina shop prior to driving out to the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The hauler team then traveled back to North Carolina before departing for test runs in Arkansas. It again returned to North Carolina before heading off to El Mirage, California for another record attempt, then Pahrump, Nevada for other runs. From there, the roadster was hauled to the SEMA car show for Safety-Kleen representatives to boast of its benefits in Las Vegas.

Two separate bouts of inclement weather ultimately scuttled the team’s attempt to break speed records this summer. The hauler, however, shined with the Performance Plus NGEO NGP-3 in its engine, travelling more than 9,000 miles without an oil change and without incident – helping transport the team from The Garage Shop and its valuable cargo. Not only does Performance Plus protect the engine in the Dodge 3500 that pulls the team across the country, it also has a special formulation inside the land speed roadster that ensures the custom Roush Yates Racing engine’s powerplant will perform at the top of the charts.
The land speed team was expecting to travel 230 mph in the roadster, topping the 219 record at Bonneville.

“It’s a shame because we were going to crush that record,” said Buddy Judy, Safety-Kleen’s motorsports director, who has his eyes now set on next year, “but one thing is for certain – Performance Plus natural gas engine oil performs under the toughest conditions while still being the best choice for the environment. We crossed the nation five times and made four trips through the desert. We weren’t able to formally set any records, but we certainly were able to prove the durability of this oil.”

Performance Plus natural gas engine oil can be found here: Natural Gas Engine Oil | Performance Plus® | Safety-Kleen

Media Contact:
Keith Ferguson     
Director of Communications     
Clean Harbors, Inc.    
781.264.8587     
Ferguson.Keith@cleanharbors.com     

Customer Contact:
Brett Minges
National Product Line Director – Lubricants      
Clean Harbors, Inc.    
469.475.6548
Brett.Minges@safetykleen.com