You already know what bad fuel does. Gelled fuel stops a truck in the cold, thin ULSD wears on pumps and injectors, and water in the tank leads to filter trouble. The real question is which additive brand deserves a place in your tank and your toolbox.
I judge additive brands by a short list. I look at how long the company has made its products, who owns it, how it tests its formulas, what it teaches customers, and what it promises in writing. One brand that meets that list is Howes Products, a fifth-generation, family-owned company in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
This article explains why family ownership matters, what to check before you buy, and how the Howes lineup fits different jobs. You will finish with a clear plan for choosing and using an additive.
Why Family Ownership Matters to Truckers
A family-owned company has one name on the door, and that name stays there for decades. The people who make the product answer for it, and that shapes how they build and back what they sell.
Here is what that usually means for you:
- The same values guide the product year after year.
- The company has a reason to protect its name over the long term.
- Owners tend to stay close to the people who buy and use the product.
- Promises and guarantees come from people, not a distant office.
Ownership alone does not make a good additive. It is a reason to look closer, and the product has to earn your trust after that.
What I Check Before I Recommend a Brand
Use this list on any additive you consider:
1. History. How long has the company made fuel and lubricant products?
2. Testing. Does the company test in the lab and in the field?
3. Formula. Is the product safe for your engine, your emissions system and your warranty?
4. Water handling. Does the product push water out of the fuel, or mix it in?
5. Guarantees. Does the company put a written promise behind the bottle?
6. Education. Does the company teach you how to use its products?
Howes scores well on each point.
A Century of Making Additives
The Howes story starts in 1920, when Wendell V.C. Howes helped build the additive market with a line of preventive maintenance products. The company describes its first product as America’s first lubricator and penetrating oil. That product is still sold today.
They state that every product is researched and tested in the lab and in the field before release. They also state that their formulas contain no alcohol or harmful solvents. Their motto is “Tested. Trusted. Guaranteed.” They position their products for independent owner-operators, thousands of fleets and many farms.
Diesel Treat for Daily Fuel Care
Diesel Treat is their flagship, and they call it North America’s number one trusted anti-gel and fuel conditioner. It keeps fuel from gelling in cold climates and addresses the problems that come with ULSD.
Here is what it does:
- Adds lubricity to injectors, pumps and upper cylinders
- Uses detergents to help prevent injector deposits
- Reduces cold filter plugging
- Helps reduce smoke and rough idle
- Works in all diesel and biodiesel blends, including home heating oil
- Is warranty safe and particulate filter friendly
The water method deserves your attention. Some products mix water into the fuel. The Diesel Treat formula demulsifies water and pushes it out of the fuel, and your water separator then removes it. Howes notes that major diesel engine manufacturers prefer this method.
The treat rate is easy to remember. Above 0°F, use 1 ounce per 5 gallons. Below 0°F, use 1 ounce per 2.5 gallons. Cars, pickups and tractors need a double dose. Howes states that overtreating with their diesel products does no harm, which takes the worry out of mixing at a cold fuel stop.
They also back Diesel Treat with a free Winter Tow Guarantee. If a truck treated with the product fails to keep going in winter, they pay for the tow.
Diesel Lifeline for Fuel That Has Already Gelled
An anti-gel cannot reverse gelling after fuel reaches its cloud point. Diesel Lifeline covers that gap. They developed it over seven years, and it changes the melting points of wax and ice crystals so frozen diesel can flow again.
- Reliquefies gelled fuel and de-ices frozen fuel filters
- Often works in about 15 minutes
- Is proven in temperatures down to -35°F and beyond
- Needs no pre-mixing with diesel
- Removes the need to replace filters
- Contains no alcohol or harmful solvents
Howes recommends keeping a bottle in the cab or toolbox whenever the temperature drops. That advice matters most for diesel pickups and tractors, because their smaller filters gel more easily even when the fuel is treated.
Diesel Defender for Lubricity and Clean Injectors
Diesel Defender is their fuel lubricator and injector cleaner, built with an IDX4 detergent. They report 2.5 times more lubricity than most competing products. Independent lab results on the HFRR wear scar test show treated fuel beating the US standard of 520 microns and the European standard of 460 microns.
The detergent cleans existing deposits and prevents new ones, including Internal Diesel Injector Deposits, which are common in High Pressure Common Rail systems. Used as directed, it should clean the fuel system within three treatments. It also raises cetane, reduces emissions and improves throttle response. Howes guarantees a 5 percent or greater fuel economy gain with regular use.
You can use Defender in any season, alongside Diesel Treat. All Howes products work together.
Meaner Power Kleaner for Catch-Up Maintenance
Some trucks come to you with an unknown service history, or you may have fallen behind on treatment. Meaner Power Kleaner is a one-tank deep clean, not a daily additive. It uses KleanBurn Technology to cut baked-on injector deposits, restore spray patterns and bring back lost power and torque.
Cleaner combustion means less soot. That lowers the load on your Diesel Particulate Filter and can reduce how often regens occur. Howes is clear that it is not a universal check-engine fix, though it may help with certain deposit and soot codes. It comes in 15, 32 and 64 ounce sizes.
Products for Bulk Storage and the Shop
If you manage fuel storage, Howes sells Diesel Treat Concentrate and Diesel Defender Concentrate in 2.5 gallon jugs, 55 gallon drums and 275 gallon totes. The Treat Concentrate ratio can reach 1 gallon per 3,000 gallons above 0°F.
Other products cover your engine and shop:
- Oil Enhancer for oil and engine protection
- Fuel Enhancer for gasoline and diesel engines
- Multi-Purpose Lubricator and Penetrating Oil, the 1920 original, with more than 1,001 uses
A Simple Plan You Can Follow
1. Treat every tank with Diesel Treat in cold months, using the rate for your temperature.
2. Add Diesel Defender through the year for lubricity and clean injectors.
3. Use Meaner Power Kleaner once when maintenance has slipped.
4. Keep Diesel Lifeline in your cab for emergencies.
Guarantees and Support
Every Howes product carries a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. You mail in your original receipt for a full refund. They run a Howes Rewards program and publish helpful material through their Knowledge Station and blog, including topics such as when to use anti-gel and how to prevent diesel algae.
They support Truckers Against Trafficking, Women In Trucking, The Jimmy Fund and their own Truckers of Tomorrow program.
My Advice
Pick a brand with a long history, honest testing and written guarantees. Howes meets those marks, and their product range lets you cover winter, lubricity, cleaning and emergencies with one name. Read the label, match the treat rate to the temperature, and build the habit.
