VMAC has released new findings from its "Annual State Of The Mobile Compressed Air Industry Survey." The results highlight a trending challenge that aging trucks in fleets cannot be replaced, resulting in fleets with older and fewer trucks in operation.
The survey reveals that newer vehicles, aged zero to nine years, make up 75 percent of fleets. The average age of service vehicles in most fleets has consistently been three to five years. However, the most recent data suggests fleets are aging, with a spike in vehicles aged six to nine years.
"Our findings indicate a notable increase in the average age of service vehicles," says Mike Pettigrew, VMAC's marketing manager. "Fleets are getting older, and the chassis shortage has forced fleets to adapt by operating fewer trucks in the fleet or purchasing used vehicles."
Of those impacted by the chassis shortage, 64 percent said they could not replace aging trucks, a figure identical to the previous year's survey. Furthermore, 30 percent of respondents are unable to fulfill customer service truck orders. The most concerning trend is that the proportion of fleets operating with fewer trucks due to their inability to replace aging vehicles has increased from 21 percent to 30 percent in the last year.
"Despite the chassis shortage, supply chain challenges, and rising interest rates, our industry remains resilient," emphasizes Pettigrew. "The NTEA is reporting improved chassis delivery lead-times and quoting activity and is forecasting modest growth as supply chains continue to improve and the backlog of chassis waiting on parts continue to ship."
VMAC's data was collected from 331 service truck industry professionals surveyed between December 2022 and April 2023.
