Age of U.S. fleets spikes during recession

Aug 10, 2012

Updated Aug 20, 2012

The average age of Class 8 trucks peaked in 2010 at almost seven years. Due to worries over new technology introduced to comply with federal emissions standards in 2007 and 2010, owner-operators and fleets have held on to trucks longer than in the past. That resulted in factory layoffs by some of the major truck makers in recent years.

Owner-operator Greg Labosky now pilots this 2025 International LT that bought new at the beginning of this year. The truck replaced a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia that, approaching 1 million miles, was costing the GDL Enterprise owner more in maintenance than he could countenance.

Minding Ps and Qs of costs, rates: Trucker of the Month Greg Labosky

Owner-operator Labosky continues to roll up profits as a power-only carrier in the Amazon Relay system, riding high on a new horse with a lot of road ahead -- a lot behind him, too. He recently crossed the 1-million-safe-mile threshold for his career.

FMCSA fully engaged with owner-ops: OOIDA | DACA-recipient CDL holders have hope?

Randy Menkel and Never Satisfied Builds/J&L Contracting took home top honors in the 2026 Big Rig Build-Off at the Mid-America Trucking Show with their full-custom 1985 Peterbilt 359.

PKY results: Never Satisfied Builds' 1985 Peterbilt 359 captures big Build-Off win

Enter your own or another deserving owner's business (up to 3 trucks) in Overdrive's 2026 Trucker of the Year competition via this link.

Trucker of the Year John Penn honored at MATS among owner-op peers

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy talks to Overdrive ahead of his speech at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Both FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs and Duffy walked among the show attendees, answering questions off the cuff and vowing major change.

DOT's Duffy: 'Spot rates are going to go up' as FMCSA cracks down on fraudsters

FMCSA fully engaged with owner-ops: OOIDA | DACA-recipient CDL holders have hope?

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