Survey Finds Small Class 8 Fleets Nearly Doubling Time With Vehicles

FTR Transport Intelligence and CK Commercial Vehicle Research conducted a fleet survey to collect information regarding heavy duty vehicle usage, maintenance practices, and aftermarket parts purchasing activity. The survey data is combined with FTR industry data and analysis to provide a comprehensive view of the heavy duty maintenance practices and markets.

The 30-page report (found at this location) looks at factors that prompt fleets to replace including vehicle lifecycles, vehicle age, miles driven per year, and preventive maintenance intervals.

Data indicates that small, medium, and large-sized fleets are approaching replacement of Class 8 trucks in markedly different ways. Small fleets averaged a Class 8 truck age of 5 years while large fleets reported an average of 2.7 years. Class 8 miles driven is expected to increase in 2016 by 2.2 percent compared with 2015 and Class 8 ton miles is forecast to increase by 1.1 percent.

Fleets revealed that the primary reason for outsourcing maintenance was a lack of technical knowledge to complete the work at the fleet level and the report also found that more than half of outsourced maintenance was performed by original equipment dealers.

Typical preventative maintenance schedules for all fleets was 2.3 months for trucks and 2.7 months for trailers. For most fleets, when Class 8 trucks pass the 6-year old mark, average annual part cost can increase by as much as 50 percent.

NAFA Fleet Management Association
http://www.nafa.org/