Why are Indian Trucks so old Even in 2025?

We are living in 2025 with rapid advancement in technology and services. But have you ever noticed the Indian Highways are still dominated by overaged trucks? If you can clearly notice they have been on the road for more than a decade. The automobile sector is getting advanced every single day with new innovations, but there are few concerns like increasing fuel costs, high maintenance costs and high initial investment costs, this is why many outdated trucks are still in use. 

Countries like the USA have strict vehicle regulation policies and properly regulated scrappage programs to remove the outdated trucks from use. But in India these rules are not prominent, thus the Indian owner uses those vehicles beyond its limits and capability. 

Let’s discuss why this is prevalent. 

High Initial cost for new Trucks 

Noone loves holding their old truck beyond its limit, but the owners are forced to do it because buying a new truck is not a feasible option. The new truck will cost more than ₹25L. The small fleet owners and individuals are hesitant to invest. Because most of the owners operate for

Why are Indian Trucks so old Even in 2025_

thin profit margins, and few use second hand vehicles, they feel it is hard to manage the expenses, so changing the truck will be in their plans. For many transports keeping old trucks in action is the only way to manage financial burden. 

We Don’t Have Strict Laws 

While other countries follow strict laws in terms of scrappage, India introduced a law only in 2021, called ‘Voluntary Vehicle Scrappage Policy’. It aims to phase out all vehicles of age 15+, But this law is weak, because it is not implemented fully so the older trucks are still in process. Also, this enforcement lacks proper tracking. Hence without the strict law implementation old trucks continue on the highways. 

High Maintenance Cost is Still Less Than Buying New

Operating these old trucks result in high maintenance because they may face breakdowns frequently, but this cost is cheaper than buying a new truck. Whenever there is a requirement for repair, these agencies will buy the spare parts in the grey market for low costs. Also they have access to local mechanics who are skilled at maintaining old trucks with minimal expenses. Hence as long as they can manage these maintenance costs the owners never turn towards investing in the new ones. 

Low Rates and High Fuel Rates 

old model Indian Trucks

The fuel price, particularly diesel piece, is steadily rising, and increasing the overall cost for truck owners. Along with this, the freight rates are significantly less. This forces the truck owners to do cost cutting wherever possible. With the low profit they cannot even afford to buy a new truck even with EMIs. This is also the reason why many businesses prefer to overuse their old vehicles. 

The Strong Traditional Mindset 

The Indian transport industry is dominated by the small fleet owners and individual owners. Most of them believe in using the vehicle as long as possible. They also hold an “emotional connect” with their old vehicle. This holds them back from replacing the vehicle. To put their mindset in words we can say “If it is working, it is good enough”. So they keep decade old trucks on the roads. 

The continued dominance of old trucks in India, even in 2025, is a result of economic hardships, weak regulations, high vehicle costs, and traditional industry practices. While new policies, technological advancements, and increasing awareness might push for change, a complete transition to modern trucks will take time. 

For a true transformation, government incentives, lower loan interest rates, and stricter enforcement of vehicle retirement policies are needed. Until then, India’s highways will continue to be ruled by old, rugged trucks that refuse to retire.