How to Cut Fleet Maintenance Costs Without Cutting Corners

Cox Automotive expects lower trade and tariff volatility this year. (Cox Automotive)

Parts availability, once a main worry post-pandemic, has given way to cost controls as a top-of-mind priority for fleet maintenance managers in more recent years.

For instance, parts availability was the top concern in a March 2023 quarterly survey by the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations. Now it’s not even in the top 10.

Today, the main parts-related issue for managers is cost containment, said Robert Braswell, TMC’s executive director.

Braswell explained that he isn’t hearing about the delays and widespread shortages that plagued the industry several years ago. Fleets often can get the parts, but they can be more expensive, and lead times for some parts are longer.

However, shortages remain, particularly for parts based on new technologies or with overseas components affected by the Trump administration’s tariffs. Braswell said that, for vendors, it’s the most unstable time in years for pricing a product.

He noted fleets that have optimized their inventory policies so they are not as lean and not as just-in-time focused. The focal point is having the parts needed to avoid downtime.

Fleets remain highly cost conscious and are increasingly open to remanufactured and value alternatives, said Jeffery Thompson, director of aftermarket supply chain at Daimler Truck North America.

DTNA is filling out more orders immediately and experiencing fewer inventory gaps than at any time in the past five years, pro­actively stocking parts for new product launches. Thompson said DTNA tripled its initial parts stock prior to launching its fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia.

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The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia. (Daimler Truck North America)

For difficult-to-source electronics parts, DTNA has created in-house operations. It has targeted aftermarket replacement solutions for low-volume legacy parts and relocated two West Coast parts distribution centers to Las Vegas and Portland, Ore., for quicker delivery.

Many parts manufacturers reduced their output due to tariff concerns but now are ramping back up, said Gerry Newcomb, assistant vice president of parts and shop operations at fleet services provider Cox Automotive.

Manufacturers are sometimes prioritizing new assembly over aftermarket, leading to longer lead times. Newcomb said fleets that were committed to just-in-time parts are seeing more disruptions and should consider carrying more inventory.

Cox Automotive expects lower trade and tariff volatility this year, said Zo Rahim, senior manager of economic and industry insights at the company. Rahim said this summer’s review of the USMCA trade agreement could affect regional supply chains.

Lessons Learned

Several fleets have made necessary adjustments to the current environment.

Dan Bennett, Old Dominion Freight Line’s vice president of equipment and maintenance, said that unlike a few years ago, his company’s 10,500-tractor fleet isn’t experiencing parts availability issues because of its practices and allevi­ated supply chain pressures.

To determine its recommended stocking amounts per facility, the less-than-truckload carrier analyzed its consumption levels and accounted for lead times and costs. It has adjusted some stocking levels to ensure it doesn’t cut things too closely, and it has sharpened its focus on inventory management and control. Inventory shrink has been almost nonexistent in the past couple of years.

ODFL primarily operates Daimler trucks in addition to some Kenworth and International vehicles. Bennett said there’s not much parts variance.

“That’s the reason that we don’t want five hood ornaments in the fleet,” he said. “It makes it significantly easier for people to work on and to stock. You’re not stocking things for five different makes, and you don’t end up with three of the same item on the shelf under three different SKUs. We’re very much tightened up in terms of just fit-form-function items in the stock.”

Bennett anticipates the advancement of predictive analytics for parts replacement cycles. He’s encouraged by developments with telematics and artificial intelligence.

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(Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press)

Old Dominion ranks No. 9 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning at truck leasing and transportation provider Penske, said the parts environment is “kind of normalized right now,” noting that 2025 was marked by shortages of varied parts including windshields and fenders. Electronic parts such as sensors and control modules were in somewhat short supply, along with turbochargers, EGR valves and specific pumps. The company once experienced a month’s back order for a specific module because the chipmaker stopped producing the chip, and the manufacturer had to certify another supplier.

Penske, No. 12 on the for-hire TT100, has recalibrated its stocking strategy during the freight recession. If it had maintained its normal replenishment volumes, Rosa said, “then we’d have things stacking up like crazy.”

During COVID, Penske evaluated everything coming from a single source, even if it was only a small amount, and increased its buy from secondary providers to avoid emergency solutions.

This year, the company has been focusing on communicating with parts providers when it expects increased activity.

“One thing we pride ourselves on is having a regular routine and consistent interaction with our partners,” Rosa said.

Challenges with parts availability can be hard to predict, said James Grier, director of fleet service at Nussbaum, but the issue is much less of a problem than it was during COVID. Back then, DEF pumps were in such short supply that they were buying some on eBay. Trailer parts — particularly larger steel and aluminum body parts including side rails and bumpers — are a bigger issue now than truck parts, he noted.

When the pandemic led to parts shortages, Nussbaum became more proactive, which has helped it navigate the past couple of years with limited disruptions. Anticipating preventive maintenance issues, the company stocks up on parts such as filters, wipers and air dryer cartridges.

“I think part of our reason for not having as many delays as we used to is due to the fact that we’ve been a little more proactive over the last couple of years, and we have extended our reach outside of just OEM,” Grier said. “We’ve gone aftermarket on certain parts — headlights, fairings, components like that.”

The carrier has a consignment arrangement with its dealer, Truck Centers Inc., which has a location housed at Nussbaum’s headquarters. Nussbaum owns the building, but Truck Centers manages the parts room and owns the supplies.

About three years ago, Nussbaum implemented every-other-week “parts cadence” meetings where the two sides discuss foreseeable delays or shortages. Nussbaum also is utilizing more aftermarket avenues when Truck Centers says distribution center supplies are running low.

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(Ryder System)

Heather Mims, director of strategic supply management at Ryder System, said delays tend to vary by component. Specialized parts that require direct shipments and electronic components often have longer lead times. Availabil­ity can fluctuate month to month. Some manufacturers face intermittent constraints because of global supply chain issues, while others face delays related to specific model updates. Common parts such as filters or batteries are usually easier to source, she said.

Ryder, which ranks No. 6 on the for-hire TT100, proactively assesses tariff exposure by requesting detailed manufacturing origin data from its suppliers. That way, it can adjust sourcing and stocking strategies. It is working with suppliers to identify potential risks and secure alternative sourcing options, and it has increased domestic sourcing.

Mims noted that supply chain conditions remain fluid. Despite progress, the company believes intermittent disruptions likely will continue.

TMC’s Braswell noted that when the freight recession ends, parts manufacturers will increase production, but fleets also will be ­using more parts. Replacement parts may become more available — or less.

Although the future is uncertain, he said, either way, fleets will have to adjust, as they always must.

“Smooth waters is not something to expect when it comes to the ­global political climate,” Braswell said. “I think you just have to be nimble and prepare as best as you can for your current operation.”