FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fleet Advantage, a leading innovator in specialty financing, fleet data analytics, asset performance services, and life cycle cost management, announced today the launch of its innovative Capital Cost Avoidance Program. This comprehensive initiative is designed to help private fleets across various industries address and plan for a complex procurement landscape and avoid significant cost increases projected for 2027. Demonstrating the program’s immediate impact, several large private fleet clients have already pulled forward nearly 50% of their total fleet, resulting in multi-millions in direct cost savings.
The Looming 2027 Cost Cliff
The heavy-duty transportation industry is facing a multitude of regulatory changes and economic shifts. The EPA has officially confirmed it is holding firm on the 2027 NOx Rule, requiring engines to meet a strict 35 mg NOx limit. This mandate, combined with GHG Phase 3 updates and new warranty requirements, is forecasted to drive the cost of a Class 8 tractor up by $8,000 to $15,000 per truck.
Furthermore, organizations with transportation fleets are facing a tightening "pre-buy" window. While the best time to place orders is now, build slots for late 2026 are already selling out. Without a multi-year strategic plan, organizations with transportation fleets risk falling into a strict allocation environment where price protection is unavailable, and costs are further impacted by the evolving tariff landscape.
The changing tariff-related truck costs are creating significant uncertainty and paralysis for many organizations today. A recent industry survey found that 45% of fleet executives are still undecided on their 2026 truck procurement decisions, and 24% said they plan to increase the number of trucks in their procurement planning as a result of the changes.
The Capital Cost Avoidance Program: A Strategic Shield
Recognizing that private fleets budget on multi-year cycles and are particularly sensitive to these shifts, Fleet Advantage has developed its Capital Cost Avoidance Program. This program provides a data-driven roadmap to help organizations "pull forward" their procurement to the "comfortable landing zones" of 2026.
The program includes several key components:
- Consultative Data Audit: Fleet Advantage experts conduct a deep dive into a fleet’s unique data and operational needs to identify exactly how the 2027 mandates will impact their bottom line.
- Customized Procurement Calculator: Using the audit findings, a specialized calculator generates the financial impact of maintaining a traditional cycle versus a strategic "pull-forward" strategy.
- Consultative Cost Avoidance Plan: Based on the exhaustive audit and financial modeling, Fleet Advantage provides a comprehensive roadmap featuring complete recommendations for a multi-year pull-ahead plan. This strategic blueprint outlines the optimal timing and volume for asset replacement to maximize capital efficiency and mitigate market volatility.
- Secure Build Slots: For any organizations that participate in Fleet Advantage’s program they gain access to secured build slots, ensuring availability before the 2026 market reaches full capacity.
- Exclusive Financial Incentives: Participants in Fleet Advantage’s program will also realize additional benefits that further mitigate the impact of current economic shifts; Fleet Advantage will also offer specialty finance options, including a limited-time incentive where the company will pay 50% of a fleet’s tariff costs for those who sign up now.
If an organization executes the CCA program based on the Fleet Advantage recommended multi-year plan and initiates activity in Q1/Q2 – as an example, on a 100-truck order, the company will save at a minimum of $900,000. However, if the company delays their decisions to place orders, the company will squander the $900,000 in savings and realize an additional $1.781 million dollars of excess costs.
"Most companies realize the 2027 challenges are coming, but many don't yet have a concrete strategy to deal with them," said Brian Antonellis, CTP, Senior Vice President of Fleet Operations at Fleet Advantage. "For a fleet of 1,000 trucks on a five-year lifecycle, the average $10,000-per-unit increase represents a $10 million hit to capital budgets. Our program moves beyond guesswork, taking a fleet's actual data to answer the critical question: 'How much will it cost me to avoid 2027?’ In fact, we are already seeing the most forward-thinking organizations take decisive action, with many clients pulling forward as much as 50% of their total fleet size and placing orders now to lock in savings and availability."
Click here to schedule your Capital Cost Avoidance Program audit with a Fleet Advantage expert today.
About Fleet Advantage
Fleet Advantage is the largest independent lessor for heavy-duty Class-8 trucks and has over $3.7 Billion in assets under its Life Cycle Cost Management program. This comprises a client portfolio of more than 50 of America’s top corporate fleets, including five (5) of the top 10 private fleets in the country. Fleet Advantage guarantees the absolute lowest cost of operation by providing fleet asset management, financing solutions, and fleet analytics, using the latest equipment technology to achieve optimum vehicle productivity and maximum safety. Our model of TCO, clean diesel, and safety-enhanced trucks with shorter life cycles complement our customers’ ESG goals. The accomplishments of Fleet Advantage and our leadership team continue to be recognized for tremendous growth and industry leadership with numerous awards, including Top Private Independent and Most Innovative Firm by the Monitor Daily, Top Software & Tech Awards, Top Women Associates in Finance, and Green Supply Chain Awards to name a few. The company has also been named to Inc. magazine’s 500|5000 list of fastest growing companies in the nation.
For more information John Sternal Merit Mile 561-362-8888 – office 954-592-1201 – mobile jsternal@meritmile.com
