American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council, as part of its Fleet Data Management and Cybersecurity Conference, released the results of the council’s first quarter benchmarking survey with FleetNet America, an ArcBest company, showing a significant increase in roadside failures during the winter.
“Completing repairs on the side of the road is already more expensive than completing the same repair in a shop,” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell. “TMC is committed to helping our members control these and all maintenance costs. We believe that the vertical benchmarking program is a tool that fleets can use to reduce unscheduled roadside repairs.”
The report, from the TMC/FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program, showed roadside failures rose 22 percent in first quarter of 2019 when compared with the fourth quarter of 2018, matching the quarterly rise from the previous two years. The increase in roadside failures was most pronounced in select systems, including exhaust and lighting systems.
“Fleets that use this data to guide their maintenance practices are going to be in a better position to reduce roadside repairs when next winter comes around,” said Jim Buell, executive vice president of sales and marketing for FleetNet America. “Knowing which systems are most vulnerable to cold weather and snow can guide maintenance practices next October and November.”
The benchmarking report also reveals that roadside mechanical repair costs increased for a third straight quarter. The average cost of a mechanical roadside repair reached $344 in the first quarter of 2019, 3 percent higher than the average mechanical repair in the fourth quarter of 2018, and 15 percent higher than the average cost in the third quarter of 2018.
In addition to the executive summary, which is available to TMC fleet members, carriers 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.
The program is a strategic collaboration between TMC/ATA and FleetNet America and is open to TMC fleet executive level members and FleetNet America customers. The analytics provided via the program will be cumulative and non-fleet specific. For information about the TMC/FleetNet Vertical Benchmarking Program, visit here.
