Trucking companies have been pre-buying trucks, and few plan to buy new trucks in the fourth quarter of the year, thanks to new emissions standards that go into effect Oct. 1, according to a survey released this week by the American Trucking Associations.
Nearly 40 percent of the responding companies have pre-bought or are pre-buying trucks – more than 8,000 of them. “A pre-buy of this magnitude would seem to indicate that many companies have major concerns over the post-October 1 engines,” says the survey summary.
The pre-buy was limited, for the most part, to larger carriers, with more than three-fourths of those pre-buying trucks having more than 300 trucks in their fleet.
More than 90 percent of the companies responding said they will not take delivery of a new engine meeting the new standards in the fourth quarter of the year. Only 2.4 percent of respondents definitely planned to take delivery, only 164 new-engine trucks total.
Only 23 percent of the responding companies, representing slightly more than half of the power units in the survey, say they are planning to take delivery of the new engines next year. The ATA analysis says compared to the number of new trucks respondents would typically buy based on average truck trade cycles, these carriers plan to buy less than half the trucks they normally would.
The survey results also indicate that not even a robust economic recovery would prompt many of the respondents to buy more of the new engines. More than 70 percent said they would buy or lease used trucks if they had to add capacity in 2003 due to an economic surge.
In late June, ATA sent a survey to its motor carrier membership and distributed it to the 50 affiliated state trucking associations. The 815 responses came from a good cross-section of motor carriers, with the average number of power units per company 274, ranging from single-truck owner-operators to fleets of over 10,000 trucks. Truckload, LTL, private carriers, small package carriers, truck rental and leasing representatives were all represented in the survey.
To view the report in PDF, go to http://truckline.com/infocenter/econ/enginereport.pdf.
ATA Survey: Most Trucking Companies Plan To Avoid ’02 Engines
Trucking companies have been pre-buying trucks, and few plan to buy new trucks in the fourth quarter of the year, thanks to new emissions standards that go into effect Oct. 1, according to a survey released this week by the American Trucking Associations
More Fleet Management

Deadline Extended for HDT Truck Fleet Innovators Nominations
Heavy Duty Trucking has extended the deadline for nominations for its Truck Fleet Innovators awards. The deadline has been extended to May 22.
Read More →
Supreme Court Ruling Puts Freight Broker Vetting Practices in Spotlight
The unanimous SCOTUS ruling in the closely watched Montgomery v. Caribe case allows state negligence claims against freight brokers that hire unsafe motor carriers, raising new liability and vetting concerns among brokers.
Read More →
FMCSA’s Motus System Is Coming. What Fleets Need to Know Now
FMCSA's long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls. And there are steps you need to take by May 14.
Read More →
Fleet Advantage: Fleets Embrace Generative AI, but Data Problems Limit Operational Gains
New Fleet Advantage research shows generative AI adoption has exploded among private fleets. But poor data integration and weak ROI tracking are preventing fleets from unlocking AI’s full operational and financial value.
Read More →
How Phillips Connect Helped Nussbaum Transportation Double its Trailer Life
Seven years into deploying Phillips Connect’s smart trailer platform, Nussbaum Transportation has extended trailer life from 10 to 15 years.
Read More →Inside Modern Fleet Safety: AI, Cameras & Speed Control at K&B Transportation
How a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology.
Read More →
How Fleets Can Avoid Equipment Blind Spots in Disaster Response
When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.
Read More →
AI Security Risks for Trucking Fleets: What to Know About Deepfakes and Agentic AI
As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.
Read More →
Cargo Theft Incidents Fall in Q1, but Organized Crime and Impersonation Drive New Risks
CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.
Read More →
New Trojan Driver Cargo Theft Scam Bypasses Carrier Vetting Systems
Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.
Read More →
