VMAC, the leading designer and manufacturer of mobile air compressors and multi-function power systems, has released new findings from its Annual State Of The Mobile Compressed Air Industry Survey.
The results from the Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada-headquartered company highlight a trending challenge: aging trucks in Canadian and US fleets cannot be replaced, resulting in fleets with older and fewer trucks in operation.
The survey reveals that newer vehicles, aged 0 to nine years, make up 75 percent of fleets. The average age of service vehicles in most fleets has consistently been three to five years. However, the most recent data suggests fleets are aging, with a spike in vehicles aged six to nine years.
See the chart above.
"Our findings indicate a notable increase in the average age of service vehicles," explained Mike Pettigrew, the Marketing Manager for VMAC. "Fleets are getting older, and the chassis shortage has forced fleets to adapt by operating fewer trucks in the fleet or purchasing used vehicles.”
Of those impacted by the chassis shortage, 64 percent said they cannot replace aging trucks, a figure identical to the previous year’s survey. Furthermore, 30 percent of respondents are unable to fulfill customer service truck orders. The most concerning trend is that the proportion of fleets operating with fewer trucks due to their inability to replace aging vehicles has increased from 21 to 30 percent in the past year.
“Despite the chassis shortage, supply chain challenges, and rising interest rates, our industry remains resilient,” Pettigrew discussed. “The NTEA (Work Truck Association) is reporting improved chassis delivery lead times and quoting activity and is forecasting modest growth as supply chains continue to improve and the backlog of chassis waiting on parts continues to ship.”
VMAC’s data was collected from 331 service truck industry professionals surveyed between December 2022 and April 2023.
With over 35 years of history, VMAC is a leading air compressor manufacturer in North America. Its mobile air compressors and multi-power systems have earned a reputation for extraordinary design, build quality, durability, and reliability in extreme conditions among operators and fleet managers worldwide.
To see the entire State Of The Compressed Industry Report, visit www.vmacair.com/survey.