Commercial Trucking Fleet Operations Expenses Survey
A survey of Trucking Fleet Operating Expenses is conducted annually by the American Transportation Research Institute.
Costs
According to ATRI's findings, the cost of carriers was the highest in the report's 15-year history in 2021. Costs associated with operating and maintaining trucks also increased from 2020 levels to 2021. Due to a lack of investment in new trucks and the consequent inability to keep up with demand, repair and maintenance costs have skyrocketed. A contributing factor is that tire prices were relatively high, to begin with.
Delayed Purchases
The other factor is that commercial fleets were considering delaying the purchase or lease of new vehicles because of excessive prices or a lack of availability. At the same time, this is an advantage for small carriers; large carriers typically pay more out of pocket.
Driver Pay
Driver pay increased by 10.8 percent, which is substantial but likely to grow even more. The general price level increased by 7.8% in 2021. Because of this, I anticipate continuing last year's growth and perhaps even an acceleration. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) states that driver perks are one area where smaller carriers might save money.
Small Transport Carriers Vs. Large Transport Carriers
For various reasons, the American Transportation Research Institute discovered that smaller transport companies tend to have higher operating costs than larger fleets. The larger carriers can handle some of these costs because they have their own shops. Small carriers are at a disadvantage compared to their larger counterparts when it comes to expenses like gasoline and fleet maintenance.
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