This special report over five articles provides an in-depth examination of 2021 operating cost trends for fuel spend, scheduled/unscheduled maintenance, replacement tire prices, PM spend, warranty recovery, and a forecast of CY2022 expenses.
November 1, 2021
A variety of factors converged to exert upward pressure on preventive maintenance costs, such as longer vehicle service lives due to limited product availability, the ongoing transition to synthetic oils, and higher labor rates to attract scarce technicians.
November 1, 2021
Part and labor prices have increased 4-8%, while part and labor availability have decreased. Due to difficulties sourcing replacement vehicles, fleets are keeping units in service longer. This caused repair spend to increase in 2021.
November 1, 2021
Supply chain constraints make it difficult to get replacement vehicles leading to extended cycling of those currently in service. This is pushing the envelope of warranty coverage that is exacerbated by a shortage of replacement parts.
October 27, 2021
A growing trend in second-stage manufacturing is light-weighting, which involves specifying lighter-weight materials to achieve an overall weight reduction to an upfitted vehicle. Specifying lighter-weight upfit materials decreases the vehicle’s curb weight, which, in turn, lowers operating costs by reducing fuel consumption and decreases emissions.
April 6, 2021
The E-Transit is available in eight body-style configurations, including cargo van, chassis cab, and cutaway versions, with three roof heights and three body lengths. The E-Transit cargo area is the same as the current gasoline-powered Transit van.
December 16, 2020
Ford wants to make commercial vehicles a larger part of its business, and Ford CV leader Ted Cannis explains how the company is turning to things such as electrification and connectivity to make it happen.
December 6, 2020
Fleets are being impacted by a variety of inflationary pressures ranging from higher acquisition prices due to the proliferation of onboard safety equipment, to increased material costs pushing up pricing on parts, upfits, and replacement tires.
December 13, 2019
The robust economy is creating record numbers of new jobs and a subsequent labor shortage that is being exacerbated by the large wave of Baby Boomer retirements, but some see uncertainty of future market conditions.
December 11, 2019
Total cost of ownership for vocational truck fleets is trending upward, primarily due to higher fuel prices, increased maintenance costs due to higher labor rates and parts prices, and commodity-driven increases in tire prices.
March 19, 2019
For many vocational truck fleets, price is the key factor when selecting the type of replacement tire. As shown in the past, when replacement tire prices increase, the retread industry benefits since retreads are significantly cheaper.
November 6, 2017
OSHA regs require an employer to provide a workplace (which includes upfitted work vehicles) free from recognized hazards. The best way to make a work truck fleet more ergonomic is to proactively identify and rectify potential issues.
April 4, 2017
Michele Bartlett, Ford’s general manager of commercial and government fleet sales, discusses the outlook for 2017.
April 1, 2017
Upfitting a truck chassis to perform a specific task requires planning and coordination among suppliers, fleet managers and end users.
March 8, 2016
Although the largest operating cost continues to be fuel, the No. 1 challenge facing medium-duty truck fleets is cost containment. There is always pressure to reduce costs, but management is exerting even more pressure than in recent years.
November 27, 2015
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