The trucking landscape is changing. I know what you’re thinking; “Again?!”
Change is constant, but in an industry like trucking — one that is regulated in practically every capacity — change is inevitable.
In 2013, 2.7 million medium- and heavy-duty trucks were sold globally. By 2022, that number is expected to reach 4.6 million, according to Sandeep Kar, global director, automotive and transportation research for Frost & Sullivan, who delivered the opening address of the 2014 Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference (CVOC) in Dallas last month.
Not only will the landscape change, but so will the types of trucks driving across it.
Frost & Sullivan projects that natural gas penetration in North America will reach 16.8 percent in trucks sold in 2022, with diesel engines making up the balance.
The government isn’t the only thing forcing innovations in the market.
Fleet and OE leaders addressed the life cycle of today’s equipment during a panel discussion at CVOC. And while their perspectives varied, their observations were consistent; trucking has become a vastly different marketplace than it was 10 years ago.
