Fleets with team driver operations may find themselves sought after, since teams can greatly benefit from the extra hour of drive time allowed by the new hours of service rules, said James Schnoes, president of consulting firm CFOex, in an interview with Fleet Owner.
“A small to mid-sized carrier that offers team service is going to be much more attractive to sell under the new rules, because team service is a great way for fleets to hedge their bets in terms of minimizing the impact of the new HOS regulations,” Schnoes said.
Although other special niches or routes may become attractive once the HOS rules become effective, team service may become the focus of much M&A activity, Schnoes said. “Particularly where team service is concerned, I expect to see a lot more buying and selling of carriers.”