Written by Matt Reed Sponsored by Ford Pro Published on November 11, 2026 More than nine out of ten (91.1%) construction operations face payment delays.Entire fleets can be bankrupted when clients wait to pay until months after a job is finished, so fleets have a set of strategies to weather the wait. 43.6% of businesses rely on a cash reserve, while 41.1% of them open a business credit line.Large fleets can negotiate better deals upfront, but must overcome even greater payment gaps than smaller operations.All the while, vehicles must be repaired or replaced. 58.6% of fleet professionals own a vehicle that they agree now costs more to maintain than it would to replace.In association with Ford, Making Your Cash Flow Work For You digs into the many strategies and pitfalls faced by fleet managers as they attempt to keep operating while waiting for late payments to finally roll in. Key Takeaways 91.1% of construction operations face payment delays, with industry professionals reporting delays in receiving payment for an average of one out of three (34.4%) jobs.Unplanned repairs on aging vehicles are the biggest strain on cash reserves, say 34.5% of fleet decision-makers. Average repair costs are $2,371 per vehicle per year.45.6% of professionals cite multi-trip runs as their top efficiency gap, while 33.1% said reducing them is the most effective way to boost efficiency. Speeding up loading and unloading is the second-most effective tactic, cited by 27.9%.Cash reserves are the most popular solution to payment gaps: 43.6% of businesses dip into cash reserves to cover late customer payments.Of the businesses that rate a cash reserve as their most effective tool, just 49.4% describe their struggles with payment delays as a moderate or significant daily stressor, compared to 65% of all respondents who said the same.Opening a business credit line is the second-most popular solution to payment gaps, with 41.1% opting for it.Breakdowns delay the invoice: Nearly half of companies (48.6%) have had a vehicle breakdown push back a milestone. Read The Full Expert Market Cash Flow Report For even more information, download our full Cash Flow report here Sponsored by Ford Pro Written by: Matt Reed Senior Communications and Logistics Expert Matt Reed is a Senior Communications and Logistics Expert at Expert Market. Adept at evaluating products, he focuses mainly on assessing fleet management and business communication software. Matt began his career in technology publishing with Expert Reviews, where he spent several years putting the latest audio-related products and releases through their paces, revealing his findings in transparent, in-depth articles and guides. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism from City, University of London, Matt is no stranger to diving into challenging topics and summarising them into practical, helpful information. Sponsored by: Ford Pro Sponsoring Partner Ford Pro Vehicle Services And Distribution: Redefining Transportation Value For Commercial Customers Ford, which already helps commercial customers “own work” with the world’s most popular pickup trucks and vans, plans to redefine success for those customers with Ford Pro – a global vehicle services and distribution business that will increase uptime and reduce ownership costs, leading to higher productivity and performance.