Monitoring trends in the trucking industry can be akin to observing the stock market—short-term declines might indicate a slowdown, yet long-term trajectories often provide a clearer perspective. This is the observation made by Nick Pittinger, the vice president of data services at Decisiv, based on the latest truck service data from Q3 2024. Even with a quarter-over-quarter decline, service activity is on the rise year-over-year, shedding light on fleet management and maintenance strategy.
Quarterly Service Activity: A Decline or a Shift?
In Q3 2024, fleets executed 1,059,058 service operations using the Decisiv SRM platform—a 3.6% decrease from Q2 and a continuation of the 4.6% dip from Q1. However, looking at a broader perspective reveals a different trend: there was still a 4.5% increase in service activity year-over-year, driven by heightened freight volumes and greater mileage.
The observed quarterly drop is likely attributed to fleets integrating newer trucks into their operations, which diminishes the need for regular repairs, Pittinger noted. However, as these trucks age and the demand for freight continues robustly, service volume typically increases, keeping repair shops busy.
Seasonal Maintenance: A Predictable Cycle
Service requirements for trucks vary with seasonal changes, and Q3 2024 followed this pattern. Some of the most frequently serviced systems—such as cooling, fuel, and heating/ventilation/air conditioning—exhibited expected trends.
- Air conditioning and heating systems ranked fifth in service volume.
- Cooling systems came sixth, experiencing a slight decrease of 0.1%.
- Fuel systems saw the most significant drop of 7.7%, a typical shift as the seasonal maintenance cycle transitions.
As fleets gear up for winter, an uptick in servicing for cooling and fuel systems is anticipated in Q4, while repairs for air conditioning are expected to decline, according to Pittinger.
Freight Demand and Mileage: Driving Service Trends
Increased freight leads to more wear on vehicles. Service trends in the trucking industry reflect this, with 13 out of 25 monitored service categories reporting year-over-year growth, although this is fewer than the previous quarter’s 20 categories.
The most notable year-over-year service increases included:
- Manual transmissions (+45.7%)
- Automatic transmissions (+10.6%)
- Axles (+33%)
- Wheels, rims, hubs, and bearings (+12.9%)
- Filter kits (+37.2%)
- Tires (+6.0%)
Pittinger explained that these components are linked to mileage, emphasizing that growing freight demand is influencing repair volumes.
The Transmission Service Trend
The trend in transmission service has been on the rise for over a year, and Q3 continued this pattern. Automated manual transmissions (AMTs) are seeing more service activity compared to manual systems. A notable factor in the increase was a recent recall related to transmissions, which contributed to higher AMT repair needs. For fleet managers, this indicates a significant trend: the demand for AMT service is on the upswing.
What Remains Consistent Across Vehicle Age Brackets?
Certain systems require consistent servicing regardless of the truck’s age. Data from Decisiv’s SRM platform, which categorizes vehicles by age (0-3 years, 3-6 years, 6-9 years, and over 9 years), shows that:
- Power plant repairs consistently rank as the top service category for all truck age groups.
- Brakes are consistently in the top four of serviced systems, highlighting their essential role in fleet safety and maintenance.
- HVAC systems show stable service needs across all age brackets.
Pittinger noted that understanding these recurring service requirements can help fleet managers optimize maintenance schedules and allocate resources more effectively.
Looking Ahead: What Q4 2024 Might Bring
Despite the recent downward trend, Decisiv forecasts a rise in service activity for Q4 2024. Pittinger anticipates a quarter-over-quarter increase of 3% to 5%, backed by historical seasonal trends and fleet maintenance cycles.
For fleet managers, this insight stresses the importance of addressing winter-related service requirements including fuel systems, cooling systems, and braking components as demand for these services escalates.
The Takeaway: Use Data to Drive Maintenance Strategy
By utilizing insights from VMRS codes and predictive analytics, fleets can:
- Prepare for seasonal maintenance needs before they lead to costly downtime.
- Modify service schedules based on vehicle age and mileage factors.
- Anticipate increased demands for AMT transmission services, a trend expected to persist.
Fleet managers who actively analyze service trends will be better positioned to reduce downtime, enhance truck reliability, and ensure smooth operations as demand increases.
Watch the video above for insights on Q4 data. Stay tuned for future reports from Decisiv at TMC, where more detailed fleet service trend analyses will be presented.
