7 Signs It's Time To Revisit Equipment Procurement Strategies
Equipment decisions directly influence safety records, customer satisfaction, operating margins and a fleet's ability to scale. Procurement strategies can directly affect the total cost of ownership, uptime and available capacity. Changes in performance and utilization, coupled with shifting regulations and rising equipment prices, can expose cracks in traditional acquisition cycles.
Here are seven subtle symptoms that can signal that existing procurement strategies no longer match operational needs.
1. Over-the-Road Failures Increase
Unscheduled maintenance and over-the-road breakdowns often reflect deeper issues with asset age, spec selection or lifecycle management. Holding trucks and trailers past their prime pushes critical components beyond their intended limits, driving up unplanned repair costs. Failures can also expose mismatches between equipment specifications, such as engine sizes that don’t align with the terrain or duty cycle, forcing powertrains to work harder than intended.
Increases in unscheduled maintenance can disrupt customer service, reduce driver satisfaction and increase downtime, directly impacting utilization and total cost of ownership. When uptime decreases, it can be a sign that the existing procurement strategy isn’t delivering reliable, cost-effective performance.
2. Equipment Prices Rise
New Class 8 tractors have experienced significant cost increases due to new emissions requirements, on-board technology, global supply chain constraints and other economic pressures. Higher equipment costs tie up significant capital, limiting a fleet's ability to invest in other areas.
To avoid these large upfront expenditures, some fleets hold onto existing equipment longer. While this may seem cost-effective in the short run, it can be counterproductive by increasing the total cost of ownership through higher maintenance spend, additional downtime and declining fuel economy. Exploring alternatives to new equipment purchases, such as leases, rentals or used trucks, can help fleets acquire newer equipment without the upfront capital expense.
3. Fuel Efficiency Drops
Older equipment typically experiences declining fuel efficiency due to aging powertrains, worn components and older aerodynamic designs. A drop in fuel efficiency can also be tied to ineffective maintenance. A noticeable decrease in miles per gallon may indicate that newer, more efficient equipment or a more robust maintenance program would help reduce costs.
For example, the National Private Truck Council's 2025 Benchmarking Survey found that leased fleets enjoy a fuel economy of 7.24 miles per gallon, compared to 6.84 for fleets that own most of their equipment due to more frequent trade cycles. Fleets that rely on leasing average a trade cycle of 5.5 years, compared with 7.4 years for companies that own most of their equipment.
4. Difficulty With Driver Retention
Drivers judge a carrier by its equipment. Older, less comfortable or unreliable trucks can make recruiting and retention more difficult, especially as driver expectations rise. Newer equipment with modern safety technologies, improved cab ergonomics and driver comfort features helps fleets stand out and shows they care about their drivers. If drivers increasingly reference equipment or maintenance issues, the fleet’s overall procurement strategy deserves a closer look.
5. Growing Safety and Compliance Concerns
CSA scores and safety metrics can deteriorate slowly before escalating into larger risks. Recurring problems related to safety standards or regulatory compliance can indicate that fleets are running equipment too long or missing out on the benefits of on-board technology that is becoming standard on newer models. Late-model equipment can offer substantial improvements in collision-mitigation technology, camera systems, stability control and driver-assist features. When safety scores begin to trend downward or improvements stall, the equipment itself can be an important variable.
6. Questions About New Equipment Sizes or Types
As freight networks evolve and customer demands shift, new equipment configurations, such as straight trucks or day cabs, or alternative-fuel vehicles, including battery-electric and natural gas trucks, can make sense. Changes to freight profiles, such as the rise of e-commerce, tighter delivery windows, and smaller but more frequent deliveries, can make smaller or more specialized vehicles a better fit than traditional long-haul tractors.
At the same time, evaluating alternative-fuel vehicles, including battery-electric and natural gas trucks, helps fleets understand how emerging technologies align with their duty cycles, sustainability goals, and regulatory requirements.
7. Extended Lead Times Disrupt Capacity Planning
Lead times for new truck and trailer orders continue to fluctuate. Backlogs, component shortages and production constraints can push deliveries out months or even a full model year in some cases. Long waits make it difficult for fleets to respond to surges, take advantage of new business opportunities or replace units that age out unexpectedly.
When new-equipment delivery times don't meet business needs, fleets increasingly explore additional procurement models, such as leasing, rentals and the used-truck market, to secure equipment and avoid waiting for OEM production slots.
Embracing Flexibility
Fleets are increasingly competing on agility, and they need to be able to adjust operations quickly to keep up with shifting needs. When over-the-road failures increase, safety scores slip, capital becomes constrained or business requirements evolve, it may be time to re-examine how equipment is acquired, financed and cycled.
Penske offers access to new and late-model tractors and trailers through full-service leases and rentals. Customers also have access to Penske’s Catalyst AI platform. Catalyst AI gives fleets a powerful tool to evaluate the true performance of their current assets, including utilization, maintenance trends, lifecycle costs and equipment mix.
Fleets that want to purchase equipment can access a wide selection of well-maintained options through Penske's nationwide network of used truck dealerships.