Aftertreatment Systems 101

As you know, trucks are complex pieces of equipment with many components working together to create an efficient, safe and clean machine. The aftertreatment system, or ATS, is one such important part of the truck. There are some misconceptions about aftertreatment systems, so let’s take a moment to clear them up.

What is an aftertreatment system? It is a series of components that cleans the diesel exhaust emitted by the engine prior to releasing it through the tailpipe to the outside air. Its purpose is to reduce the emission of harmful pollutants into the environment. Numerous clean air acts and laws have been passed over the years, so aftertreatment systems have continued to evolve. Within the past few years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced even more strict emissions standards, requiring the industry to meet the challenge with new equipment, designs and innovation.

Today’s diesel engines use selective catalytic reduction (SCR), a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to cleanse diesel engine exhaust before it is released into the air. Detroit engines, found on many of SelecTrucks’ used Freightliner trucks, include an aftertreatment system using their innovative “1-Box” configuration. The 1-Box combines the SCR catalyst, the DOC, DPF and DEF components into one compact unit. Combining all of these systems together lowers engine back pressure and reduces overall weight, yielding better fuel economy.

Do you need to be concerned about purchasing a used commercial truck with today’s aftertreatment systems? Yes and no. Aftertreatment issues are certainly concerns for all owner-operators and trucking companies today. It is a complex system with sophisticated components that, by law, must be working properly at all times. Although ATS issues can cause downtime and expenses, these issues can be reduced with proper maintenance.

One way to help protect yourself from ATS issues is to buy a used truck equipped with a Detroit-certified Reman DPF. These like-new filters—available on qualifying used trucks at SelecTrucks centers—can increase uptime and lower overall cost of operation. The good news is that the performance of ATS components is improving year after year. Today’s systems are soundly designed and function well if properly maintained.

It’s a myth that aftertreatment systems are solely a “truck thing.” The reality is that the aftertreatment systems on commercial vehicles are only slightly different than the system on your own personal vehicle. Not only does the exhaust come out exceptionally clean, today’s trucks also get better fuel economy and have more torque and horsepower. In essence, an advanced ATS actually reduces the Total Cost of Ownership of the vehicle.

SelecTrucks is proud to offer our customers a variety of used truck warranty options to help protect their investment. Among these offerings is an Aftertreatment System Warranty, which covers all the major components of the system for 12 months or 100,000 miles, when Select Limited Warranty is also purchased. Also available is the 90-day Buyer’s Assurance, which is automatically provided by SelecTrucks at no cost. You can rest assured that your truck’s ATS is safeguarded, while driving a powerful, fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly used commercial truck.