Work out how much AdBlue® your fleet uses each month — and which pack size makes sense.
AdBlue® use follows diesel use. Work out how much diesel the fleet burns, then apply the dosing rate.
Monthly AdBlue® = vehicles × km per week × (diesel L/100 km ÷ 100) × dosing % × 52 ÷ 12
The 52 ÷ 12 turns weekly figures into an average month of about 4.33 weeks. Typical dosing is about 3–6% of diesel for trucks, and can be higher for some off-road engines.
If you already know how many litres of diesel the fleet uses each month from diesel cards, bowser records or supplier invoices, skip the kilometres. Multiply monthly diesel litres by 3–6%. A depot using 20,000 L of diesel a month will use roughly 600–1,200 L of AdBlue®. The more Euro VI trucks in the mix, the closer it will usually be to the top of that range.
6 trucks × 2,000 km a week at 35 L/100 km = 4,200 L of diesel a week.
At 5%: 210 L of AdBlue® a week, about 910 L a month, or roughly 10,900 L a year. That is about one 1,000 L IBC a month, and worth pricing as bulk into an on-site tank.
12 trucks × 1,000 km a week at 25 L/100 km = 3,000 L of diesel a week.
At 4%: 120 L a week, about 520 L a month. An IBC lasts around eight weeks, well inside shelf life if it's kept in the shade.
8 utes × 800 km a week = 6,400 km. At 1–1.5 L per 1,000 km that is about 6–10 L a week, or 28–42 L a month.
That suits 10 L or 20 L packs. An IBC would take two years or more to use.
Machinery is measured in hours, not kilometres. Use diesel litres per hour × hours worked × dosing %. A machine burning 20 L an hour for 40 hours a week uses 800 L of diesel. At 5% that is 40 L of AdBlue® a week. Allow for higher dosing on some off-road engines, and plan for peak periods such as harvest rather than the yearly average.
| Monthly AdBlue® use | Pack sizes that usually suit |
|---|---|
| Under 50 L | 10 L, 15 L or 20 L |
| 50–200 L | 20 L packs or 210 L drums |
| 200–1,000 L | 1,000 L IBCs |
| Over 1,000 L | Several IBCs, or bulk tanker into an on-site tank |
Once you have the number, put it into the savings calculator to compare pack prices privately, or the reorder reminder to plan when to order. For larger fleets, see bulk and on-site supply.
Most SCR diesel engines use AdBlue® at about 3–6% of their diesel use. A heavy truck using 35 L of diesel per 100 km at 5% uses about 1.75 L of AdBlue® per 100 km — roughly 17 L per 1,000 km.
Much less — typically 1–1.5 L per 1,000 km, depending on the engine.
Load, terrain, idling and engine calibration all change it. Newer Euro VI engines tend to sit at the higher end of the range.
Start from your diesel records. Multiply monthly diesel litres by 3–6% for trucks. That captures idling, PTO work and real loads, which kilometre estimates can miss.
Multiply diesel litres per hour by hours worked, then by the dosing rate. For example, 20 L an hour for 40 hours at 5% is about 40 L of AdBlue a week. Some off-road engines dose higher.
Much lower than for trucks. Utes typically use about 1–1.5 L per 1,000 km, roughly 1–1.5% of diesel at 10 L/100 km. Using a truck rate will overstate your usage.
Usually once a site uses more than about 1,000 L a month. At that point an on-site tank filled by tanker often beats handling several IBCs. Call us with your usage to compare.
Call with your monthly usage and we'll match you with the right pack size — or a bulk tank.