TMC/FleetNet America Find Decrease in Frequency of Unscheduled Roadside Events
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2021
Sean McNally
(703) 838-1995
TMC/FleetNet America Find Decrease in Frequency of Unscheduled Roadside Events
New Benchmarking Report Found Higher Parts and Labor Expenses
Cleveland, Ohio – Today, American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council said the council’s second quarter 2021 TMC/FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program found an industrywide decrease in the frequency of unscheduled roadside maintenance.
“We continue to be pleased to offer TMC fleet members this information on the frequency of unscheduled roadside breakdowns by VMRS system. The ongoing series demonstrates that fleets can improve their breakdown performance if they follow the lead of best-in-class fleets in each of the vocational segments tracked,” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell.
The TMC/FleetNetAmerica survey found that during the first quarter of 2021, fleets averaged 31,638 miles of operation between unscheduled road repairs – up 7.2 percent from 29,506 in the first quarter of 2021.
Truckload carriers averaged 23,769 miles between breakdowns, an 8.8 percent increase in miles from the previous quarter. The time between breakdowns for LTL carriers increased to 46,186 miles in the second quarter from 44,380 in the first quarter of 2021. The tank sector saw a slight improvement, running 18,241 miles in the second quarter, up from 17,420 in the previous quarter.
“The data tells us that if, for example, the truckload carriers running the average miles between breakdowns could reach best-in-class performance, they would increase their miles between breakdowns by 64 percent,” said Emily Hurst, manager of data and analytics at FleetNet America, “and that would result in overall lower costs.”
The data indicates that the maintenance practices of the best-in-class fleets in each vertical resulted in lower costs for those fleets. For example, the leading fleet in the tank vertical operated more than twice as many miles between roadside breakdowns than the average for the tank vertical.
Understanding the frequency of roadside failures, and how a fleet’s experience compares to similar operations, can help maintenance leaders identify opportunities to improve their operations and reduce their maintenance expense.
The TMC/FleetNet Vertical Benchmarking Program is a benefit for TMC fleet members. In addition to the executive summary, which is available to TMC members, fleets that participate by sharing their data are provided an analytic tool that allows them to drill into their data, comparing it to the industry average.
Interested parties may also purchase copies of the report from TMC. Visit ATA Business Solutions for more information.
The program is a strategic collaboration between TMC/ATA and FleetNet America and is open to TMC fleet executive level members and FleetNet customers. The analytics provided via the program will be cumulative and non-fleet specific. For information about the TMC/FleetNet Vertical Benchmarking Program, visit https://benchmarkit.fleetnetamerica.com.
By providing leadership support and opportunities to collaborate, TMC helps members develop the industry’s best practices that address the critical truck technology and maintenance issues that have the greatest impact on truck fleets. For more than 60 years, TMC’s member-driven Recommended Maintenance and Engineering Practices have been setting the standards that help trucking companies specify and maintain their fleets more effectively. Follow TMC on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. Follow ATA on Twitter, Facebook, or at Trucking Moves America Forward.
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