Trucking capacity remains tight across North America, constraining the ability of fleets to grow their driver pool, according to the third-quarter 2014 Fleet Sentiment Report survey by CK Commercial Vehicle Research.
An increased number of fleets have been able to add some capacity in the form of truck purchases, but most units are still for replacement, reports CKCVR. Many reporters said they would add equipment if they could hire qualified drivers.
Survey respondents reported good business conditions overall:
More than a third reports less deadhead miles, better route optimization; 24% report higher use of day cabs/slip seat operations, increasing cargo capacity; 18% said they are paying drivers more, assessing hours of service to increase on-duty time; 11% report less maintenance downtime by doing more in-house work so trucks don’t sit at dealership); while 5% indicate higher freight volumes than the last survey.