Marginal increase forecast in North American lubricant
Although it is estimated that there will be a 3% increase in
tonnage carried by private fleet operators in the US through
2016, this is expected to translate to a marginal increase in
commercial lubricant consumption according to a new lubricants
study from Kline and Company. On-highway activity saw a surge
in the latter half of 2010 that continued well into 2011.
Similarly, the lackluster performance of the construction industry between 2008
and 2010 has begun to show signs of a rebound. However,
increased service implementation of longer drain interval oils
due to a higher penetration of synthetics, growth in oil
analysis practices, and an overall increase in commercial
vehicles mechanical efficiency, mean that commercial
lubricant consumption is expected to fractionally increase by a
compound annual growth rate of just 0.4% to 1.0% to 2016.