Fleet Advantage's latest Truck Life Cycle Data Index, released Oct. 21, compares the all-in operating cost of 2022 through 2026 model-year sleeper tractors with new 2028 model-year trucks. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, company built the October edition on a national average diesel price of $6.40 per gallon, up from $5.47 when it last published the index in April.

Under those assumptions, replacing a 2022 truck with a 2028 model saves $12,655 per vehicle in the first year, or $1,265,500 across 100 trucks. Those figures exclude adjustments for upcoming EPA requirements. First-year fuel cost is $66,057 for a 2028 truck against $78,875 for a 2022 truck, a difference of $12,818 per truck and a 16% reduction.

The index also models how the timing of an order changes the savings. A fleet ordering in the fourth quarter of 2026 sees the full $1,265,500 across 100 trucks, with no EPA penalty and no added cost for the newer engine. Orders placed in the first and second quarters of 2027 involve noncompliant engine trucks with an EPA penalty of approximately $7,000 per truck, and savings fall to $968,800 for 100 trucks. Orders in the third and fourth quarters of 2027 involve compliant engine trucks at an added cost of approximately $12,000 per truck, with savings of $852,000.

Brian Antonellis, senior vice president of fleet operations at Fleet Advantage, is the executive named in the release. The company states that its figures are estimates and not independently verified operating results.

Source: The Trucker - https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/business/fleet-advantage-releases-latest-truck-life-cycle-data-index-2