I always feel validated when someone in the industry confirms something that NACFE believes to be true. That happened again at the recent FTR’s Transportation Conference. In his truck equipment keynote, Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America, talked about the trucking industry’s slow shift to regional haul.
He shared industry statistics that 48% of Class 8 vehicle production was tractors with sleeper trucks, while 25% was tractors with day cabs.
The balance of Class 8 production is vocational vehicles, a market which is almost 100% day cabs. He also stated that there have been months where day cabs have approached 30%.
Our A Need to Redefine Long-Haul Trucking report focused on this market shift as we recognized the trucking industry was changing to shorter lengths of hauls and more hub-and-spoke operations with a larger focus on day cab tractors and return-to-base operations.
Class 8 sleeper tractors are typically used in the long-haul segment of the truck market, although sometimes they are used in applications that are more regional in nature. On the other hand, day cabs are typically used in regional haul duty cycles where the truck returns to base every night. Day cabs can be used in long-haul operations but only if the fleet is willing to put its drivers up in a hotel overnight.
This market shift, historically called a movement to hub and spoke freight distribution, seems to really be occurring. Many warehouses are replacing stores, and e-commerce has spurred more predictable routes moving goods from these distribution centers to local warehouses and ultimately to our homes.
The move to more regional haul is occurring, at least in part because drivers have expressed a desire to be home more frequently. Fleets that are trying to attract the best drivers are reevaluating routes and making adjustments when possible. Getting home regularly is a key factor in overall driver satisfaction.
Beyond that, this move to regional haul should help with the move to alternative-fueled vehicles. One of the big concerns surrounding alternative-fueled vehicles is the ability to get them fueled/charged. Fueling vehicles becomes much easier when trucks return to base every day, as fleets can install fueling infrastructure behind the fence and do not have to worry about fueling their trucks on the road.
I think we’re lucky drivers desire to be home more often, which is leading to more regional haul, and the viability of more alternative-fueled powertrains is happening at the same time. This convergence has the potential to change the face of the industry, and I think that’s a good thing.
