Tariff pressures and EPA mandate changes has left trucking fleet executives facing procurement analysis in 2026, according to a recent survey.
Fleet Advantage’s Transportation Industry Benchmark Survey, which surveyed 2,500 transportation fleet executives in 2025, highlighted the industry’s shift in maintenance strategies, aging equipment risks, and a wait-and-see approach to regulatory changes.
In February, FTR data indicated that Class 8 preliminary truck orders saw a 47% jump from January and a 159% leap from a year ago. ACT Research also pegged February orders up 156% year over year.
“This surge suggests that while many remain undecided, a significant segment of the industry is finally moving to ‘pre-buy’ motion, fueled by rising carrier confidence and a desperate need to replace aging assets before the dual pressures of new engine platforms, tariffs and price increases take full effect,” the release said.
According to the survey, in 2023, over half (52%) were observing the CARB pre-buy, which has since dissolved. In 2025, nearly half of fleet leaders (45%) are undecided on their procurement approach, influenced by engine platform changes and tariffs. Of those who have made a decision, 24% do not plan to change their procurement schedule, while 24% plan to increase their number of trucks and 7% plan to decrease.
By delaying purchases, aging equipment is taking a toll on safety: 35% of fleets say running older model-year trucks (2019 MY and older) has moderately impacted their safety performance, and 10% say the impact has been significant.
“There is a massive surge in maintenance reliance and a direct correlation between aging equipment and increased safety incidents; it is clear that clean, actionable data is no longer a luxury; it is the only way for fleets to set multi-year planning to accurately calculate total cost of ownership and make the high-stakes strategic decisions required to protect their margins over the next five years,” said Matthew Wiedmeyer, CTP, senior director of asset performance and maintenance at Fleet Advantage.
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Profitability and reducing risk are priorities at the C-suite level
Fleet executives are focused on profitability and risk reduction as their top priorities over the next three to five years. Nearly half of C-suite leaders (48%) – including CEOs, CFOs, and COOs – want to see improvements in overall profitability and EBITDA margin.
This is followed by maximizing shareholder value (41%), increasing the capability to scale fleet size (38%), reducing operational and safety risk (24%), and improving cross-department alignment (10%).
When it comes to measuring operational success, fuel economy (MPG) tops the list of KPIs at 79%, followed closely by maintenance cost per mile (CPM) at 72%), and asset utilization at 62%, indicating that the industry is focused on ensuring performance across its lifecycle.
On the analytics side, the most widely used strategy is external data services and benchmarking (69%), while predictive modeling for component failures and data used to optimize vehicle specifications each come in at 14%. Telematics data for real-time fault codes is used only 7%, and a notable 21% of fleets still rely on no structured analytics at all, depending instead on basic reporting.
Third-party maintenance utilization has grown with 65% of fleets now using it, compared to 29% in 2023. Similarly, the share of fleets running trucks for five or more years has risen to 55%, compared to 37% in 2023 – signaling a shift on extending asset lifecycles.
Financial pain points of fleets
The biggest challenge for finance departments is high and unpredictable maintenance and repair (M&R) costs, cited by 62% of respondents. Unstable fuel costs follow at 48%, and pressure from high interest rates on financing and leasing costs affects 38% of fleets.
Nearly half (45%) struggle with calculating and tracking KPIs like total cost of ownership and CPM, while 31% note a lack of data to support long-term financial decisions, and 28% face challenges in forecasting future operating expenses.
Only 14% say they are not seeing a strong enough ROI from new truck purchases.
Meanwhile, sentiment around full-service leasing arrangements is mixed. Only 14% of fleets currently locked into an FSL report seeing its full benefits and convenience. In contrast, 17% are locked into FSL contracts but are actively trying to terminate it due to inflexible costs on fuel and M&R. Only 10% are not in an FSL at all and see greater value on flexible fuel and M&R cost structures.
