More horsepower is best, doesn’t ring true so much now, as it once did.ĭepending on the type of work you’ll be doing, bigger is not always the best choice in a truck engine. know what the transmission and the rear differential ratioīigger is better is somewhat of an outdated philosophy of thinking for the best truck engines.know the specifications of the rest of the drive line.the type of terrain where you’ll be traveling.New Cummins + Paccar Diesel Engines – These Paccar engines and Cummins engines did not make the best 10 list either as they haven’t been very reliable due to the issues the manufacturer has been having with emissions equipment.ġ0 Factors To Consider For Choosing the Best Engine For a Semi Truckįirst, as an owner operator, you need to know what type of work you will be doing, such as:.3406 Cat – This diesel engine by Caterpillar didn’t make the top 10 list as it had a lot of head gasket trouble.Detroit seems to have conquered the emission systems problems that the other diesel engine manufacturers are having. 60 Series Detroit – These Detroit engines are the only ‘newer’ diesel engine in the best semi truck engines.They were also reliable, not bad fuel economy and had great warranties. C15 Cat – the C15 and C16 Caterpillar diesel engines were workhorses.

3408 Cat – This Class 8 truck engine was strong, was about 450 HP but truly put out around 550 HP.380 Cat – This Cat diesel engine was strong, reliable, powerful and got decent fuel mileage.A bit lud, but reliable and lots of power. 1693 Cat – This is one of the best Cat truck engines.

350 Cummins – The 350 Cummins and the Big Cam Cummins engines were reliable but not especially good on fuel economy.

If you’re a Mack truck fan, you might like this gallery of old Mack trucks. They were tough engines and great cold starters.

300 HP Mack – What a tough reliable engine these Mack engines were.

Here are our top 10 choices of semi truck engines in no particular order:

Longevity (length of time before major overhaul/work needed).

However, there are some important factors which should be considered to help you determine the best choice of diesel engine for your semi truck. How do I know which truck engine will serve my needs best as an owner operator?Īs simple as the question seems, there are no easy answers to these questions. What are the best truck engines and which are the worst?

Big cam 350 cummins