In approximately 15 years, RelaDyne has built DuraMAX into the second-largest individual passenger-car motor oil brand in the U.S. installed market. According to Petroleum Trends International (PTI) estimates, DuraMAX accounted for approximately 45 million gallons sold through service bays in 2025, representing a 15.6% market share. That places it behind only Valvoline and ahead of such established brands as Pennzoil, Mobil and Castrol.

The rise of DuraMAX reflects a strategy centered on the businesses that perform oil changes. Rather than relying primarily on consumer advertising and retail shelf space, RelaDyne has leveraged its expanding distribution network, broad automotive product line, installer-support programs and relationships with major quick-lube chains to establish a substantial national presence in the installed market. RelaDyne does not publicly disclose DuraMAX sales volumes; the market figures cited in this article are PTI estimates.

In this article, the installed, or do-it-for-me (DIFM), PCMO market refers to passenger-car motor oil installed by professionals during oil changes on passenger cars and light trucks at quick lubes, tire and auto service chains, new-car dealership service departments and independent repair shops. It does not include heavy-duty engine oils used in commercial trucks and fleets, such as oil changes performed at truck stops, or motor oil that consumers buy at retail to change their own oil. The volumes cover engine oil only and exclude transmission fluids, coolants, oil additives, engine treatments and other products installers use in vehicle service.

PTI estimates the installed channel accounted for about 79% of the roughly 365 million gallons of PCMO sold in the U.S. in 2025, up from 52% in 2000 and about 70% in 2019. For brands competing in that channel, winning the businesses that perform oil changes matters far more than winning retail shelf space.

Separating installed from retail volume is not always straightforward. Some installers buy motor oil at big-box retailers and auto parts stores for use in their service bays, and installers have told PTI the practice is common at their shops because of lower retail prices and nearly instant availability. Those gallons are sold through retail but installed by professionals, so the boundary between the two channels is approximate. Because DuraMAX is sold almost entirely through distribution rather than on retail shelves, little if any of its installed volume is likely to reach service bays this way.

Where DuraMAX Fits in the Installed PCMO Market

Petroleum Trends International estimates, 2025

A Distribution Company Built from Established Businesses

RelaDyne was formed in November 2010 when AEA Investors combined four established distributors: Mid-Town Petroleum in Illinois, Oil Distributing Company in Ohio, The Hurt Company in Texas and Pumpelly Oil Company in Louisiana. The combination brought together established customer relationships across several regional markets and a business extending well beyond automotive motor oil. Fuels, industrial lubrication, contamination control, flushing and filtration were all part of the original offering.

That broad scope remains today. RelaDyne supplies lubricants, fuel, diesel exhaust fluid and reliability services to automotive, commercial and industrial customers, with DuraMAX serving as its automotive lubricant brand. The company's ownership has changed as the business expanded. Audax acquired RelaDyne from AEA in 2016, followed by American Industrial Partners' acquisition of the company from Audax in December 2021.

Acquisitions have been central to RelaDyne's growth. By its tenth anniversary in 2020, the company reported having acquired more than 40 businesses, supplementing its organic expansion and extending its geographic reach. The strategy added not only customers and distribution territory, but also capabilities that broadened the company's services and strengthened its position across multiple markets.

The 2019 purchase of CIRCOR's Reliability Services business, for example, more than doubled that division, according to RelaDyne. The 2023 combination with Sun Coast Resources further expanded the company's fuel, logistics and emergency-response operations. Although these transactions were not direct acquisitions of DuraMAX motor oil volume, they illustrate the breadth of the organization supporting the brand and the resources available to serve customers across multiple markets.

For additional background on RelaDyne's history, acquisitions and growth into a national distribution platform, see JobbersWorld's March 2024 article, Titans in Lubricant Distribution – RelaDyne.

Buying Density, Not Just Geographic Reach

RelaDyne's acquisition strategy has done more than expand its geographic footprint. By adding customers within existing service territories, the company has also increased the potential density of its distribution routes. That distinction matters in lubricant distribution, where national coverage may be necessary to secure large accounts, but local delivery economics depend heavily on the distance between stops, delivery volumes, product handling and service requirements.

Several acquisitions illustrate this approach. The 2022 purchase of Orange Line Oil strengthened RelaDyne's automotive business and distribution density in Southern California, while the 2023 Allied Oil acquisition brought an established Midwest distribution system and expanded its ability to serve markets where delivery costs can be challenging. The combination with Sun Coast Resources also extended regional coverage while adding broader logistics capabilities.

Greater route density can improve distribution efficiency when nearby customers can be served together and trucks carry compatible loads. However, adding locations or customers does not automatically reduce costs. Delivery size, drive time, product mix and service commitments ultimately determine how efficiently a route operates.

For DuraMAX, the importance of this expansion extends beyond potential delivery savings. RelaDyne's larger distribution organization provides access to installers in multiple markets while retaining the local customer relationships and delivery knowledge associated with established regional distributors. How much the acquisitions have reduced RelaDyne's delivered cost per gallon across its network has not been publicly disclosed.

DuraMAX Gains National Reach

DuraMAX’s roots predate RelaDyne itself. In the summer of 2010, Oil Distributing Company developed the concept and the DuraMAX name for an automotive lubricant brand serving the Ohio market. When Oil Distributing became one of RelaDyne’s four founding companies that November, the new company put the concept into motion, securing API licenses for the DuraMAX product line and beginning to use the DuraMAX trademark in commerce in March 2012. By 2014, the product range had expanded to include dexos1-approved motor oils, transmission fluids, antifreeze, wiper blades, chemicals and filters. As RelaDyne acquired additional distributors, it gained access to new geographic markets and established customer relationships, creating opportunities to introduce DuraMAX to a broader base of automotive installers. Not every acquired account necessarily converted to the brand, but the expanding distribution network provided a foundation for national growth.

In the installed motor oil market, that distribution capability is particularly important. Installers need dependable access to the appropriate products and viscosities, and even a well-recognized brand can lose business when deliveries are missed or inventory is unavailable. RelaDyne’s network, which now includes more than 165 locations in the United States, gives DuraMAX access to an extensive distribution infrastructure while retaining the local customer relationships established by acquired businesses. The company also operates 37 locations in Central and South America, following its acquisitions of Grupo Lucalza in March 2023 and Oil Red in August 2026.

RelaDyne also remains a multi-brand distributor. As noted in JobbersWorld's 2024 profile, the company markets major brands including Chevron, Shell and Phillips 66, alongside its proprietary DuraMAX, Drydene and RelaTECH lines. This combination of established national brands and proprietary products provides RelaDyne with a broad offering across multiple customer segments.

More Than a Motor-Oil Label

DuraMAX's position in the automotive service market is supported by a product offering that extends well beyond engine oil. The brand includes transmission fluids, coolants, filters and wiper blades, while its motor oil lineup covers synthetic blends, high-mileage products and several full synthetics, including the XLT line. This breadth gives RelaDyne opportunities to supply multiple maintenance products to the same automotive account, allowing installers to consolidate purchases and potentially reduce the number of suppliers they rely on.

Products, however, are only part of the offering. RelaDyne supports automotive installers with online ordering, vehicle-specific product recommendations, installer-locator listings, customer rebates, marketing assistance, inventory management and lubrication-equipment services. These programs address operating needs that can influence an installer's choice of supplier beyond the price or name recognition of a particular motor oil.

Customer-retention programs also play a role. DuraMAX DOLLAR$ is a redemption program intended to encourage motorists to return for future service, while a limited engine-protection warranty, subject to maintenance requirements and other terms, provides participating installers with an additional benefit to offer customers.

Together, these products and services reflect the way the do-it-for-me motor oil market operates. Unlike the retail channel, where consumers typically select a brand from store shelves, installers have considerable influence over which products are stocked, offered and recommended. A supplier that combines dependable delivery with product coverage, technical assistance and customer-retention programs can therefore compete on more than consumer familiarity with a national brand.

Chain Agreements Expand Access

RelaDyne’s agreements with major service chains have provided another avenue for expanding DuraMAX’s presence in the installed market. In 2024, the company extended its agreement with Driven Brands to supply DuraMAX and Drydene oils to Take 5 Oil Change, a network that has since grown to more than 1,800 locations in the U.S. and Canada, including 1,392 company-owned and more than 500 franchised sites as of August 2026. Later in 2024, RelaDyne reached agreements to supply DuraMAX lubricants and ancillary products to FullSpeed Automotive and to Sun Auto Tire & Service, which now operates nearly 600 locations.

The expansion continued in March 2025, when RelaDyne announced a multi-year agreement with Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change to feature DuraMAX oils across the chain’s U.S. locations. RelaDyne has also supplied Oilstop, a California-based drive-thru oil change chain, since 2023 under a multi-year agreement, and DuraMAX is now used in about 80% of Oilstop’s locations, according to RelaDyne. DuraMAX’s preferred-supplier program also remains available to Meineke Car Care Center franchises. Agreements of this kind can provide access to entire service networks, creating opportunities for substantially broader distribution than would typically be achieved by winning independent installer accounts one location at a time.

At the same time, national chain agreements place greater demands on suppliers. Consistent product availability, dependable deliveries and the ability to serve geographically dispersed locations become essential to maintaining the relationship. RelaDyne's expanding distribution network provides the infrastructure needed to pursue these opportunities, while the chain agreements create additional demand for that network to support.

The publicly announced agreements do not disclose gallon volumes by chain or establish that DuraMAX is used in every oil change performed at participating locations. RelaDyne also has not published a historical series of annual DuraMAX sales volumes. PTI's estimates provide an assessment of the brand's position in the installed market.

Where DuraMAX’s Installed Sales Are Concentrated

PTI’s regional estimates show DuraMAX’s installed sales concentrated in three regions: the East Coast at 16 million gallons, the Gulf Coast at 14 million and the Midwest at 11 million. Together they account for 41 million gallons, or about 91% of the brand’s installed volume. The Lower Atlantic alone contributes 13 million gallons, about 80% of the East Coast total, while the West Coast and Rocky Mountain regions account for 3 million and 1 million gallons.

DuraMAX’s Installed-Channel Footprint

Petroleum Trends International estimates, 2025

Source: Petroleum Trends International. Circle area shows relative DuraMAX installed-PCMO sales by PADD, not regional market share.

These figures show how DuraMAX’s own sales are distributed, not its market share in each region. Even so, the brand’s footprint differs noticeably from overall demand. PTI estimates the Gulf Coast accounts for about 16% of total U.S. PCMO consumption (installed and retail combined) and the West Coast about 18%, compared with roughly 31% and 7% of DuraMAX’s installed volume.

Population, vehicle ownership and miles driven shape overall oil-change demand, and the South’s faster population growth from 2020 to 2025 supports the Lower Atlantic and Gulf Coast markets. California’s higher share of all-electric vehicles trims conventional engine-oil demand somewhat, but it doesn’t explain DuraMAX’s smaller West Coast presence, and hybrids still need oil changes.

The regional mix more likely reflects RelaDyne’s delivery footprint, the customer relationships it has acquired and its chain-account coverage. DuraMAX's installed sales are concentrated in the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest, while its comparatively smaller West Coast presence suggests potential opportunities for expansion as RelaDyne's distribution network develops.

Building Recognition Beyond the Service Bay

RelaDyne has also put money behind brand visibility, and motorsports has become its main stage. DuraMAX has used racing to build the brand since 2017, with partnerships in NASCAR, INDYCAR and sprint car racing.

The brand moved into NASCAR’s top series in 2022, when RelaDyne took the entitlement for the Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway, the DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne. Both brands also rode on Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet that day. The deal came months after RelaDyne acquired Drydene Performance Products and gave the expanded brand lineup a national audience. DuraMAX returned in 2025 as a sponsor of LaJoie’s Rick Ware Racing car in the Daytona 500.

The commitment grew in 2026. Under a multi-year agreement with promoter Speedway Motorsports, DuraMAX became the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, branded the DuraMAX Grand Prix. RelaDyne then added a “Powered by RelaDyne” designation, putting the parent company’s name alongside its brand.

In late October, the organizer announced an expanded partnership covering the March 5–7, 2027 race weekend, including the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix and activities featuring RelaDyne and Sun Coast Emergency Services. In five years, RelaDyne has gone from sponsoring a single race at Dover to anchoring a three-day weekend in Austin.

A race weekend provides opportunities for RelaDyne to engage installers, chain partners and employees, while potentially strengthening consumer awareness of DuraMAX as it competes with established national motor oil brands. RelaDyne has not disclosed the cost of these sponsorships or quantified their impact on sales.

A Distribution Story at Its Core

Despite the growing emphasis on consumer visibility, DuraMAX's rise remains fundamentally a distribution story. RelaDyne developed an extensive operating network through acquisitions and organic growth, supported it with a broad automotive product offering, introduced programs designed around installer needs and secured supply relationships with major service chains. Motorsports and consumer marketing have added another dimension to the strategy, but the foundation was established through distribution capabilities and customer relationships.

DuraMAX’s rise also fits a longer-term shift PTI has tracked: the movement of PCMO volume away from major brands toward private label and independent brands. By PTI estimates, major brands supplied about 83% of U.S. PCMO in 2000 but roughly 70% by 2019, with distributors’ interest in controlling their own brands and improving margins and competitiveness among the drivers.

For lubricant distributors, DuraMAX illustrates how a distributor-owned brand can develop a substantial national presence when product coverage and installer support are backed by reliable market access and delivery capabilities. With estimated 2025 installed-market sales of 45 million gallons and a 15.6% share, DuraMAX has become the second-largest individual brand in a market long associated with some of the lubricant industry’s most recognizable names.