What Fleets Need to Know

By Greg Arscott, President, The Pete Store

As fleets prepare for 2026, the trucking industry is entering a period of cautious recovery. While capital costs remain elevated and emissions regulations continue to evolve, freight rates are showing signs of improvement as supply and demand rebalance following the exit of marginal carriers.

The recent freight recession forced fleets to sharpen cost controls, improve operational efficiency, and focus more intently on uptime. That discipline has positioned many fleets to benefit as market conditions improve.

In a recent American Journal of Transportation article, Greg Arscott, President of The Pete Store, outlined three key trucking trends shaping fleet operations in 2026. Below, we break down those trends and what they mean for fleet maintenance, service strategy, and long-term reliability.

Read the full article in the American Journal of Transportation.

Trend 1: Aging Equipment Is Changing Fleet Maintenance and Parts Planning

Extended truck replacement cycles mean fleets are keeping equipment in service longer. As a result, fleet maintenance planning and parts availability have become critical to controlling downtime and protecting uptime.

Parts sourcing decisions are no longer driven by price alone. Fleets are increasingly evaluating total cost of ownership, balancing OE and aftermarket parts while factoring in repair risk, repeat failures, and lost productivity. Lower upfront costs deliver limited value if they increase uncertainty or disrupt operations.

With more fleets operating outside of warranty coverage, there is greater flexibility in where trucks are serviced and how parts are sourced. This has increased competition among dealers, independent shops, and OE service networks—placing more pressure on service providers to execute consistently.

As freight conditions improve, fleets that focus solely on unit cost risk higher downtime when asset availability matters most. Fleets prioritizing long-term reliability and proactive maintenance will be better positioned as demand strengthens.

Trend 2: The Technician Shortage Makes Truck Service Capacity a Strategic Advantage

The ongoing technician shortage in trucking, combined with the growing complexity of modern trucks, is reshaping how fleets approach service and repair.

Operating an in-house maintenance shop has become significantly more expensive. Rising technician wages, training requirements, diagnostic software, and specialized equipment costs have made private shops difficult to justify for many fleets.

At the same time, truck repair has evolved. Today’s trucks rely heavily on advanced diagnostics and software, shifting expertise away from traditional “see it, fix it” maintenance. Technical proficiency and system knowledge now play a larger role in effective service execution.

As a result, dealer service capacity and geographic coverage are increasingly influencing equipment decisions and route planning. Fleets are selecting trucks and assigning lanes based on the strength of their dealer service partners and access to reliable repair support.

Trend 3: Technology Adoption in Trucking Continues to Evolve

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane-keeping and intelligent cruise control are widely accepted in passenger vehicles, but ADAS adoption in trucking has progressed more slowly. Cost concerns and driver skepticism have historically limited adoption.

That is beginning to change. As fleets gain experience with Level 2 ADAS technologies, acceptance is expected to increase—making 2026 a potential turning point. Higher levels of autonomy will likely remain limited to specialized use cases and dedicated routes.

Fleets are also becoming more direct about technology expectations. Many operate mixed fleets across multiple OEMs, and siloed systems create unnecessary complexity. OEM-agnostic technology that integrates across platforms is more likely to deliver scalable, long-term value.

Why Prepared Fleets Will Win in 2026

As freight markets continue to recover, fleets are entering the next cycle in a stronger operational position than in prior recoveries. The downturn forced tighter planning, better cost discipline, and a renewed focus on uptime—all of which now serve as competitive advantages.

In 2026, success will favor fleets that take a thoughtful approach to capital deployment, equipment lifecycle management, and service partnerships. Improving freight rates increase the cost of downtime, making reliability, service access, and execution more important than ever.

Fleets that prioritize long-term value over short-term savings will be best positioned to capture opportunity as demand returns.

About the Original Article
This blog is based on “Three Trends Shaping Trucking in 2026” by Greg Arscott, President of The Pete Store, originally published in the American Journal of Transportation on January 26, 2026.