TMC20: Unscheduled truck maintenance costs rising

Repair shifts

Tires, brakes, lighting, power plant and cooling systems accounted for 65% of repairs. The average roadside repair includes towing and mechanical repairs and often involves more than one issue. The average cost of a tow was $1,485 in the past three quarters.   

“Cost per repair looks like a permanent headwind our industry is facing,” said Robert Braswell, TMC executive director.

The top issues driving roadside repairs change seasonally. Exhaust systems are a bigger problem in winter months because of increased use of auxiliary power units (APUs) to keep the truck cab warm and power comforts in a sleeper cab. Tire costs tend to fall off the list in spring and summer months as roads get warmer.

Benchmark disparity

The report found disparities between the industry average mileage for breakdowns and benchmark performance. For example, the best truckload/dry van average mileage between breakdowns was 41,484 miles, 1898% better than the industry average of 14,333 miles.

“Truckload people just don’t see the shop that often,” said Jim Buell, FleetNet America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. “They’re pushing it and there’s just more stuff done on the side of the road.”

The increase in the number of repair facilities could help, such as Navistar International Corp.’s (NYSE: NAV) partnership with Love’s Travel Stops & Country stores, adding 326 light-repair facilities.

“If it’s something you can drive with, then more locations will help you,” Buell said. “The more you tow, the more that is going to drive your cost up. The more things you can fix on the side of the road in a timely fashion appears to be the most cost-effective way.”

The LTL average mileage between a breakdown was 64,768 miles in the fourth quarter of 2019, a 14% improvement from the 57,012 miles between repairs in the third quarter. For tankers, the mileage between breakdowns was 44,303 miles in the fourth quarter, or 27% worse than 37,630 miles in the third quarter.