Old trucks, new tricks: preserve your aging fleet to beat inflation

Sustaining fleet capacity during the supply crunch by prolonging the lifespans of aging trucks.

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Truck retirement age is rising. With increasing purchase prices and replacement delivery delays, keeping older wheels on the road is imperative for operational continuity within the transport sector. Aging trucks remain in use longer than intended, running up mileage, maintenance costs and safety risks. Here we’ll explore the impact of vehicle scarcity on fleet businesses, and what you can do to extend the lifespan of your existing assets during procurement gaps.

The challenges of relying on aging trucks

While maintaining older vehicles guarantees you a fuller fleet in times of truck shortages, their reduced vehicle health can come with complications.

Higher maintenance costs

The older the vehicle, the more wear and tear it has accumulated. In poorer conditions, aging trucks are more likely to break down, and the parts still available to repair those models may be difficult or costly to obtain. Protect your budget by structuring a robust vehicle repair strategy.

Increased unplanned downtime

Aging trucks disrupt schedules more frequently than younger vehicles. Worn components and delayed issue detection in maturer models leads to unexpected time off road.

Regulation violations

It’s difficult for older trucks to meet the current compliance rules in force. Outdated models may not be compatible with the regulation-required technology for safety and sustainability or will first need significant upgrades.

Fuel inefficiency

Aging trucks represent higher operational costs since they consume more fuel than modern-engineered vehicles. This reduces operational efficiency, calling for trips with more fill-up stops.

Lower resale value

Holding on to aging trucks could mean that when you do release them to acquire new models, they are difficult to sell due to depreciated value.

Driver dissatisfaction

Aging trucks are typically less comfortable to drive than modern designs. More crucially, they lack the safety features to protect employees and minimise driver fatigue — leading to job dissatisfaction and higher churn rates.

Do aging trucks mean fleet frailty?

Delaying vehicle replacements impacts your business’ daily processes and expenses. Here’s how.

Reduced operational reliability

Service quality drops if deliveries are late or cancelled due to vehicle issues.

Higher total cost of ownership

Maintenance work, inefficient trips and downtime all raise the overall cost of managing a vehicle.

Strain on planning teams

When vehicle availability is unreliable, planners are forced to make last-minute schedule changes which could lead to errors.

More frequent service disruptions

When older vehicles break down, it’s not as simple as sending another out on the case. The truck will have to be towed, the task rescheduled, and your other nearby vehicles rerouted to avoid congestion and additional service delays.

How technology helps mitigate aging truck issues

Predictive maintenance

Leverage real-time diagnostics and sensor alerts for sharper fault detection. Identify small issues before they escalate.

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Maintenance scheduling

Keep older assets in top condition by programming regular, timely servicing sessions based on mileage and operating hours data.

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Driver behaviour insights

Limit wear and tear by monitoring driver performance and encouraging a smoother driving style.

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Live vehicle tracking

Know where your vehicles are at all times to react fast and minimise the knock-on effect on operations if a problem arises.

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Get maximum value from what you’ve already got

When new’s not an option, you can sustain productivity with older trucks. With digital solutions to facilitate safety, efficiency and compliance, you can extend mature vehicles’ lives without compromising on performance.

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