Heading into 2024, researchers found several common concerns occupying commercial vehicle maintenance industry leadership, ranging from staffing to parts availability. However, one common worry in surveys throughout 2023 by the ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council, Motive, and auto researcher IMR is the availability and affordability of new parts.
In TMC’s recently released "Top Maintenance Concerns" survey, over 400 fleet members selected five top fleet maintenance concerns from a list of 85 options. Of this list, technician staffing and aftertreatment were the topics which worried respondents the most. These were followed by roadside breakdowns; data management, new technology challenges, and vendor reliability; and new equipment availability; in descending order. The organization last surveyed their members in the summer of 2023, where technician staffing, recruitment, and the technician shortage occupied three of the top five concerns. While new equipment availability was a concern in the Spring 2023 findings, it was absent from the list before reappearing going into 2024.
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Motive also noted that maintenance costs and supply chain issues were a large concern in their Physical Economy Outlook 2024 report. In their survey of 1,000 fleet leaders, Motive found that 59% were concerned with the rising costs of insurance, fuel, and maintenance. Additionally, 45% worried about supply chain issues in 2023 and 45% found labor shortages and talent retention to be among the top concerns throughout the year.
Motive and TMC’s recent reports reveal little change throughout 2023, as IMR’s survey of 500 independent auto repair shops in January 2023 found that 45% rated finding affordable parts as a top concern. The technician shortage ranked second on IMR’s list, followed by staying current with diagnostic and software updates, getting parts on time, and keeping up with technology.
While the top maintenance concerns fleets and shops will need to address may shift throughout 2024, these results suggest that managing costs and staffing are likely to remain top-of-mind for the commercial vehicle maintenance industry.
