Fleets Weigh Rebuilding Trucks as Way to Avoid ’07 Purchases

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uring the Diesel Engine Emissions Summit in March, Steve Duley, vice president of purchasing for Schneider National, offered an option in the form of a question.

What if truckload carriers dropped their maintenance-minimizing practice of trading in tractors every three to four years? Could they, instead, keep trucks for six to eight years, or maybe even rebuild engines and other key components to extend the service life to 10, 15 or even 20 years?

It is a formula that many local and regional fleets and less-than-truckload carriers have used for years.

Now it is also a possibility that some truckload executives say they are considering as a way to deflect the higher cost of buying and operating trucks with the ultra-low- emissions engines that will be required for new purchases made in 2007 and beyond.

For the full story, see the the May 24 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.