The deposition of hydrocarbon Buildup on truck engine surfaces may reduce fuel efficiency and the increasing amount of unburned fuel as exhaust gases can lead to environmental hazard. This problematic issue can be resolved by applying anti-stick coatings to engine pistons using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) technique. This study investigates a broad range of coating substrate systems including chrome based (CrN, CrAlTiN), oxides (TiOx and ZrOx), carbon based (Graphit-iCTM and Dymon-iCTM), and special coating (TiB2) substrate systems to determine their ability to act as anti-stick coatings. All the coatings investigated in this study were applied to polished parts cut from engine piston cylinders. Characterizations were performed after applying droplets of engine oil and heat treating the surfaces up to 400 C. Based on the evaluation of oil adhesion, surface energy, coating thermal stability, surface morphology, and mechanical and crystallographic properties, the anti-stick performance ranking of coatings was suggested for truck engine piston applications in order to improve their performance.