Frank Oresnik of Catawba, WI, the driver of a million-mile truck, was honored by Pennzoil earlier this year at the Oil Ex-Change Quick Lube in Medford, WI. Oresnik’s trusty pickup truck — he calls it “the old girl” — passed the one million-mile mark with a camera crew filming the event and a public-radio audience listening in. “I can’t tell you how much fun it was,” he said. “It was really humbling, all this interest.”
Recent news stories told how Oresnik had just 1,200 miles to go before reaching the milestone in the 1991 Chevrolet Silverado that he bought with 41,000 miles on it in 1996 and used in his business, distributing seafood and steaks in the upper Midwest.
Oresnik says he drives the Silverado approximately 85,000 miles a year, making his commute through harsh conditions, including cold weather and stop-and-go traffic.
“Not a day goes by where I don’t get asked about my truck by my customers,” Oresnik said. “They are often amazed when I tell them I use Pennzoil 10W-30 exclusively.”
Oresnik, who is meticulous with his service records, said he has had approximately 300 oil changes, almost all at the Oil Ex-Change Quick Lube in Medford. “My truck’s history is very complete as the data can be cross-referenced at any point. I have retained pretty much all of my receipts and service agreements since I bought my truck.”
“My driving style can best be described as ‘easy on the gas, easy off the gas, easy on the brakes’ and certainly some good luck while driving on the interstates all those miles,” Oresnik said. “But they don’t explain the extraordinarily scarce evidence of any wear in my engine.”
Oresnik said that while the truck has had four radiators, three gas tanks, five transmissions and six water pumps through its million-mile journey, the truck’s engine has never been overhauled and still sports its original gaskets, valve covers and timing chain.
Sources: The Shawano Leader, Shawano, WI, and Pennzoil.