Non-CDL Service Equipment Elevates Field Maintenance

May 8, 2025
Downsizing lube trucks or trailers allows non-CDL drivers and more.

The fact that manufacturers have downsized and rearranged equipment on their truck bodies, as well as the existence of fuel and lube trailers, have allowed managers to spec smaller overall packages, avoiding the need for a CDL.

According to Sage Oil Vac, this has resulted in a number of advantages, including expansion of the labor pool, and easier-to-maneuver trucks as the smaller classes take more advantage of four-wheel drive.

There’s also the fact that smaller displacement engines consume less fuel, aiding operating costs. Finally, smaller truck and trailer packages are less of an upfront investment.

The type of service managers send trucks out to do can vary with a smaller lube package, and personnel can differ, too.

“[Being] under CDL allows them to do more of a targeted change, maybe a 500-hour service, whereas before they would try to fill up with filters and oil for a week,” Jeran Pollock, product manager with Stellar Industries, told Construction Equipment. “The idea is that you could have an inside tech actually jump in the vehicle and do the service.”

Suppliers of non-CDL service equipment

Adding to the convenience of staffing is cost savings and efficiency.

“The overall cost of the trailer is much less than our previous fueling solution," Gilliam said. "When you go to buy a full-size truck, put the maintainer bed on it and a full fuel and lube bed, that's an expensive piece. But when you go back to this trailer, we cut our costs significantly right there.”

The Elliott and Stellar Industries Mini Lube Truck, recently introduced at World of Concrete, is designed for both CDL and non-CDL applications and offers a single-axle solution that can be used on and off the road.

Available in open or closed body styles, the truck carries four to five oil pumping systems, including systems for used oil, antifreeze, and grease. Custom-designed storage cabinets provide ample underbody storage to ensure that operators have all the equipment they need on hand.

The unit’s used oil evacuation system allows for rapid oil removal from machinery, while new oil pumping systems are capable of handling thick, viscous oils.

Taylor Pump & Lift manufactures non-CDL lube trucks with product tank options including new oil, waste oil, DEF and coolant, and grease (120-pound barrel).

Other makers such as Knapheide and American Eagle offer trucks or trailers that can be configured with smaller, lighter chassis to come in under CDL requirements.

About the Author

Frank Raczon

Raczon’s writing career spans nearly 25 years, including magazine publishing and public relations work with some of the industry’s major equipment manufacturers. He has won numerous awards in his career, including nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and BtoB magazine. He is responsible for the magazine's Buying Files.