Peterbilt sees shift in buying habits

Peterbilt Motor Co. director of Class 8 marketing Todd Acker thinks there is a slow but subtle shift occurring among owner-operators, as many are starting to look at Class 8 truck purchases from a purely business-related perspective. “Owner-operators are a group of customers where image will always be important in terms of chrome and paint for their trucks, and that won’t change,” Acker said. “But now it appears there is a true need among owner-operators for function to outweighing form in many cases.” Acker noted that owner-operaters are more focused on resale value, fuel economy and durability than they have in the past. Acker also said many in the industry may underestimate just how savvy owner-operators are becoming; for example, they understand financing options better than most people think and are beginning to factor resale value more into vehicle life cycle cost analysis. “Owner-operators have become much more business savvy in this regard, especially as the last few years have been so rough,” he said.