Fleet Maintenance Teams Shift Parts Buying as Repair Costs Keep Climbing

Improving freight conditions are giving some fleets room to resume repairs and equipment purchases, but maintenance departments are becoming more selective about every parts dollar. Heavy Duty Trucking reported August 6 on purchasing strategies discussed by leaders from Groendyke Transport, Clark Freight Lines and B-H Transfer. All three described stronger freight alongside persistently high prices for parts, tires, lubricants and other shop supplies.

The fleets are reducing automatic brand loyalty and comparing price, quality, availability and supplier service more closely. Groendyke is working toward single-sourcing several parts categories and consolidating breakdown vendors. B-H Transfer used a competitive request-for-proposal process to improve pricing and reduced its diesel-exhaust-fluid suppliers from four across six locations to one. Clark Freight Lines is testing full-service leases while adding equipment features that can support more types of backhauls.

Cost pressure remains substantial. Industry data cited by the publication showed average tire expense, including parts and labor, rising 6.4% to five cents per mile in 2025. A separate parts-and-labor benchmark found parts costs increased 25% between the first quarter of 2020 and the fourth quarter of 2025. Technician shortages also raise the cost of choosing a low-quality component that creates repeat shop work or roadside downtime.

For smaller carriers, the lesson is disciplined purchasing rather than simply choosing the cheapest listing. Track component life, warranty recovery, labor time and roadside failures by part number and supplier. Compare total installed cost, keep safety-critical specifications consistent and avoid counterfeit or unverified components. Drivers contribute by reporting faults early and describing symptoms accurately. Better purchasing data can protect uptime and cash flow as freight improves without assuming that higher revenue will automatically offset every maintenance increase.