HDT Reality E book 2022: Trucking Fleets Give attention to Preventive Upkeep – Upkeep
Continued provide chain disruptions, scarce capability, surging buyer demand and the continued development of e-commerce has pushed freight charges greater, but additionally has pushed shippers to rely extra on third-party logistics firms and develop non-public or devoted fleets.
The common fleet taking part within the ATA’s Know-how & Upkeep Council and FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program operated 42,459 miles between unscheduled repairs within the fourth quarter of 2021, which is highest it has been prior to now two years. The rise in miles signifies fleets are paying extra consideration to preventive upkeep, in accordance with the report.
This might spell excellent news for fleets, as a result of whereas common restore and upkeep prices declined in 2020 to the bottom degree since 2013, upkeep prices will probably proceed to rise as extra site visitors returns to the street.
The common age of vans on the street has continued to rise as demand for brand spanking new gear outpaces provide. As carriers battle to handle these growing older fleets and a scarcity of technicians, prices will probably improve as fleet managers pay extra in upkeep and repairs as a result of they both can’t or select to not buy new vans.
Even those that do get newer vans in 2022 or 2023 received’t be resistant to rising prices.
Whereas it could appear as if newer vans would lower upkeep prices by reducing upkeep frequency and elements prices, historic information by the American Transportation Analysis Institute reveals that newer vans are nonetheless costly to keep up and restore as prices improve for diagnostics, elements and diesel technician labor prices.
“Some consultants imagine that the diesel technician scarcity might finally surpass the truck driver scarcity over time — notably when autonomous and advance security applied sciences change into pervasive,” ATRI officers wrote in its 2021 Operational Price of Trucking report.
This information and evaluation first appeared within the August 2022 particular Reality E book challenge of Heavy Responsibility Trucking.
