2025 Fleet Maintenance Benchmarking Report: Equipment
You likely have a good handle on your own equipment data. But it also helps to know how your peers are managing their equipment. In the equipment section of our fall benchmarking survey, we asked our audience about everything from aftermarket parts to tires to technology.
First, here's some industry data that provides an overview of the current trucking industry.
Fleets' Top 10 Industry Issues
According to ATRI's 2025 Top Industry Issues Report, motor carriers continued to list the economy as the biggest concern. This year, diesel emissions regulations replaced battery-electric vehicles at No. 8.
- Economy
- Lawsuit abuse reform
- Insurance cost/ availability
- CSA
- Driver shortage
- Driver retention
- Driver distraction
- Diesel emissions regulations
- Truck parking
- Broker issues
Class 8 truck market
- 2023: 315,952 sales
- 2024: 324,700 sales
- 2025: 241,000 (projected orders)
- 2026: 191,000 (projected orders)
These numbers are from ACT Research. FTR projects 245,000 orders and Volvo projects 225,000 orders in 2026.
FTR Preliminary Class 8 Orders 2025
ATRI average marginal cost per mile 2019-2024
And here are the results of our survey.
Learn more about our survey respondent demographics
Click to see shop data
Notes: Numbers rounded for ease of reporting and may not add up to 100. All data collected by Fleet Maintenance Management Survey unless otherwise noted.
Vehicle system: Most costly, difficult maintenance challenges
Top aftermarket/non-OEM replacement parts
Top considerations when choosing oil
How have the recent policy changes by the EPA to reduce trucking-related regulations impacted your business?
- The changes will reduce hassles and improve our bottom line: 33%
- We will no longer participate in a pre-buy: 7%
- We will continue with ICE only/not invest in BEVs or alternative fuels: 13%
- Our business will continue to explore different "green" options due to corporate sustainability goals: 27%
How do you plan oil change intervals?
Do you agree with the EPA's proposal to update engine software to eliminate power loss due to diesel exhaust fluid issues?
What alt-fuels are you using or considering for the next three years?
Average U.S. diesel costs, 2020-2025
What is the most important factor in selecting tires?
- Performance: 8%
- Total cost of ownership: 27%
- Durability: 44%
- Initial cost: 8%
- Relationship with distributor/availability: 13%
Do you use tire retreads?
- Yes - 61%
- No - 37%
- N/A - 2%
In our 2024 survey, 36% said they used retreads vs. 64% who did not.
Tire monitoring/technology implemented
Have tariffs affected your tire strategy?
- A lot: 3%
- A little: 36%
- Not at all: 47%
- N/A: 14%
What types of brakes do you spec?
Technology
Do you employ dash cams?
- Yes (inward and forward-facing): 36%
- Forward-facing only: 29%
- No: 29%
- N/A: 7%
A customer health audit by Velociti found that in one fleet, 500 out of its 3,000 total dash cam systems, or 16.7%, were non-functioning. Using 2021-2024 data, Velociti also found 20% of a fleet's on-board technology will fail annually.
Type of advanced driver assistance systems
How do you record vital data, such as work orders or DVIRs?
- Paper: 20%
- Digital: 75%
- N/A: 5%
For which components do you rely on predictive maintenance the most?
Do you track harsh braking/acceleration?
- Yes: 57%
- No: 34%
- N/A: 9%
Fallout from lawsuit abuse
- Commercial auto liabilities: 10.1% annual growth since 2016, according to The Brattle Group
- There were 135 corporate nuclear verdicts (>$10 million) in 2024. That's up 52% YOY
- Thermonuclear verdicts (>$100 million) rose nearly 50% to 49 cases, according to Marathon Strategies
About the Author
John Hitch
Editor-in-chief, Fleet Maintenance
John Hitch is the award-winning editor-in-chief of Fleet Maintenance, where his mission is to provide maintenance leaders and technicians with the the latest information on tools, strategies, and best practices to keep their fleets' commercial vehicles moving.
He is based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and has worked in the B2B journalism space for more than a decade. Hitch was previously senior editor for FleetOwner and before that was technology editor for IndustryWeek and and managing editor of New Equipment Digest.
Hitch graduated from Kent State University and was editor of the student magazine The Burr in 2009.
The former sonar technician served honorably aboard the fast-attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723), where he participated in counter-drug ops, an under-ice expedition, and other missions he's not allowed to talk about for several more decades.
Alex Keenan
Alex Keenan is an Associate Editor for Fleet Maintenance magazine. She has written on a variety of topics for the past several years and recently joined the transportation industry, reviewing content covering technician challenges and breaking industry news. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Lucas Roberto
Lucas Roberto is an Associate Editor for Fleet Maintenance magazine. He has written and produced multimedia content over the past few years and is a newcomer to the commercial vehicle industry. He holds a bachelor's in media production and a master's in communication from High Point University in North Carolina.