In the latest "Thoughts and Coffee" episode, host Sarah Barnes-Humphrey and TSG co-founder Trace Haggard explore the evolving landscape of fleet maintenance in 2025, covering technician shortages, rising costs, depot security, and the growing role of technology.
Top Takeaways:
- Technician Shortage: Aging workers and EV complexities are limiting skilled labor supply.
- Maintenance Costs Rising: Fleets are running older trucks longer, raising service needs and costs.
- Depot Security Concerns: Cargo theft is increasing, calling for better-lit, monitored storage.
- Predictive Maintenance: Tech that forecasts service needs is cutting downtime and costs.
- EV vs. ICE: EVs cost less to maintain but face range and infrastructure limitations for long hauls.
Trace noted a consolidating market, with some fleets struggling and others seizing opportunity. His firm, TSG, trains techs from scratch and is betting on predictive maintenance as a key efficiency tool.
He also warned about rising cyber and cargo theft risks, urging fleet owners to secure trucks in monitored depots.
While EVs are ideal for short, urban routes, they remain impractical for many longer hauls due to charging constraints. Diesel trucks still dominate in these use cases, though both vehicle types will require significant retraining and maintenance strategy updates.
