Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS): ANSOFF MATRIX [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're looking for a clear, actionable roadmap for Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) growth, and the Ansoff Matrix provides that structure. Given the company's strong infrastructure tailwinds and its 2025 revenue guidance of around $2.015 billion at the midpoint, the focus must be on maximizing asset efficiency and strategically expanding their one-stop-shop model while managing that 4.53x net leverage. Honestly, as someone who's spent two decades in this game, including a decade leading analysis at a firm like BlackRock, I see four clear paths here-from boosting current fleet utilization to exploring new markets like Latin America or developing electric vocational trucks-that turn this data into a concrete plan for you. Let's break down exactly where Custom Truck One Source, Inc. should place its chips next.

Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) - Ansoff Matrix: Market Penetration

You're looking at how Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) can drive more revenue from its current customer base and existing markets. This is about maximizing the use of what you already have, which is often the most capital-efficient path to growth.

Increase Equipment Rental Solutions (ERS) fleet utilization beyond the Q2 2025 rate of 77.6%

The ERS segment showed clear momentum in utilization heading into the third quarter. The average fleet utilization for the second quarter of 2025 was reported at 77.6%. By the third quarter of 2025, this metric had already improved to 79.3%. This operational efficiency gain supported a 17% year-over-year increase in ERS segment rental revenue for Q2 2025. Furthermore, the total Original Equipment Cost (OEC) on rent ended Q2 2025 at $1.56 billion, up from an average of slightly more than $1 billion in Q2 2024. The goal here is to push that utilization rate higher, perhaps targeting the 80% mark or more consistently, which directly impacts the segment's 59% adjusted gross margin seen in Q2 2025.

Offer targeted financing solutions to local and regional customers to boost Truck and Equipment Sales (TES)

The TES segment is already seeing strong pull from this customer group. Revenue in the TES segment increased by 22.4% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the second quarter of 2024, driven by robust demand from local and regional customers. Gross profit for TES rose by 11.1% in the same period. The segment achieved monthly sales exceeding $100 million for two consecutive months in Q2 2025. Offering targeted financing is designed to convert more of this strong order flow into realized sales, building upon the Q2 2025 gross margin of 15.5%.

Expand the Aftermarket Parts and Services (APS) segment's share of existing customer wallet

The APS segment delivered a 2.6% revenue increase in Q2 2025 compared to Q2 2024, reaching $38 million in revenue for the quarter. The adjusted gross profit for APS grew by 25% year-over-year, reaching $47 million from $42 million in the prior year period, while the adjusted gross margin improved to 26% in Q2 2025. Expanding wallet share means increasing the parts sales and services revenue from the existing customer base that uses the ERS and TES segments. The full-year revenue guidance for APS is set between $150 million and $160 million.

Implement dynamic pricing for rental assets to capture peak demand in T&D and telecom markets

The strategy here is to capture higher realized rates during peak demand periods within the Transmission & Distribution (T&D) and telecom end markets. The ERS segment saw its rental revenue increase by 17% year-over-year in Q2 2025. The total 2025 revenue guidance for the ERS segment is between $660 million and $690 million. Capturing peak demand through dynamic pricing directly influences the realized rental rate and, consequently, the segment's rental revenue growth.

Cross-sell service contracts to all new and used equipment buyers in the U.S. and Canada

This action directly targets the customers in the TES segment, linking them to the APS segment's service offerings. The TES segment is expected to generate between $1,160 million and $1,210 million in revenue for the full year 2025. Attaching service contracts to these sales moves revenue into the higher-margin APS segment, which reported an adjusted gross margin of 26% in Q2 2025. The company maintains a total OEC of $1.56 billion across its fleet as of the end of Q2 2025.

Here is a look at the segment performance data from the first half of 2025:

The company's overall financial position supports these growth efforts, with available liquidity over $510 million and a net leverage ratio of 4.66 in Q2 2025, with a stated goal to reduce this to 3x by the end of fiscal 2026.

• ERS Rental Revenue YoY Growth (Q2 2025): 17%
• TES Revenue YoY Growth (Q2 2025): 22.4%
• APS Revenue YoY Growth (Q2 2025): 2.6%
• Total OEC on Rent Increase YoY (Q2 2025): 15.6% (or $162.5 million)
• Target Net Leverage by End of 2026: 3x

Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) - Ansoff Matrix: Market Development

You're looking at how Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) can push its existing specialty equipment, parts, tools, and services into new geographic areas and new customer segments within North America. This is Market Development in action, using the established one-stop-shop model to capture more wallet share in adjacent or underserved territories.

Accelerate organic geographic expansion into broad sections of the U.S. and Canada currently outside the primary operating area. This strategy is already underway with concrete additions to the national footprint in 2025. For instance, Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) announced the opening of a new location in Portland, Oregon, on June 1, 2025, adding 12,000 square feet of space and six service bays to support the Pacific Northwest region. Further cementing this push, a new Orlando, Florida location was announced, set to open on October 1, 2025, bringing an additional 20,000 square feet of space and 11 service bays to the Southeast region. The company previously operated out of more than 35 locations across the U.S. and Canada, and recent metrics indicate a base of 41 Locations. The fleet size supports this, with the rental fleet exceeding 10,350 units as of a recent report.

Target new infrastructure end-markets like renewable energy construction or large-scale data center development. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) management explicitly believes the company is well-positioned to benefit from spending required to address the unprecedented power demand for data center investments, as well as for continued utility grid upgrades. This focus leverages existing core competencies in utility and telecom infrastructure. The company's Equipment Rental Solutions (ERS) segment rental revenue saw a 17.7% increase in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the third quarter of 2024, driven by improved fleet utilization of 79.3%.

The specific end-market targets for this development strategy include:

• Renewable energy construction projects.
• Large-scale data center development spending.
• Continued utility grid upgrades.
• Telecommunications network build-outs, including 5G.

Establish a dedicated sales team to pursue large government contracts for rail and utility maintenance. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) already serves the rail and electric utility transmission and distribution (T&D) markets, which are often tied to government or regulated spending. The company's third-quarter 2025 revenue reached $482.1 million, with the ERS segment rental revenue up 17.7% year-over-year, showing strong engagement in these core areas. The reaffirmed 2025 full-year revenue guidance is between $1,970 million and $2,060 million.

Acquire smaller, regional specialty equipment providers to quickly gain new domestic market share. While specific 2025 acquisition details aren't in the latest reports, the prior acquisition of Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) by Nesco Holdings was valued at $1.475 billion, which aimed to create a national scale platform. The combined entity from that transaction projected a rental fleet of almost 9,000 units and more than $1.3 billion in combined Original Equipment Cost (OEC). This historical M&A activity sets the precedent for using acquisitions to rapidly secure new domestic market share.

Open five new service and rental locations in key underserved states, mirroring past successful expansion. The organic expansion in 2025 already includes two new facilities in Portland, Oregon, and Orlando, Florida. The investment capacity supports this. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) expects to invest up to an additional net $50 million in its rental fleet this year compared to previous guidance. The company ended Q1 2025 with total OEC at $1.55 billion. The following table summarizes the recent physical expansion metrics:

The company's Q3 2025 Adjusted EBITDA was $96.0 million, up 19.6% year-over-year, indicating the financial strength to fund this Market Development push. Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) - Ansoff Matrix: Product Development

You're looking at how Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) plans to grow by introducing new offerings, which is the Product Development quadrant of the Ansoff Matrix. This isn't just about adding a few items; it's about deep investment in future-facing technology and expanding core product lines.

For the first pillar, introducing a new line of proprietary, lighter-weight, and more efficient electric-powered vocational trucks, we see evidence of this shift already happening. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) and its manufacturing arm, Load King Manufacturing, unveiled an all-electric bucket truck at Utility Expo 2025. This specific unit was a Terex Optima TC55 mounted on a Peterbilt 220EV chassis, designed to deliver zero-emissions hydraulic power for aerial operations. This move aligns with the broader secular tailwinds the company expects to benefit from, including electrification investments. The company is backing its overall fleet strategy with significant capital, planning for net rental CapEx of approximately $250 million for the full year 2025, aiming to grow the Operational Equipment Cost (OEC) in the rental fleet to support this direction.

Next, developing advanced telematics and predictive maintenance software for the existing 10,350+ rental fleet is a critical step to maximize asset efficiency. You can see the immediate impact of fleet management on key performance indicators. For instance, in the third quarter of 2025, the average utilization of the rental fleet reached over 79.3%, up from 73.2% in the third quarter of 2024. Better utilization directly translates to better margins; the Equipment Rental Solutions (ERS) segment posted an adjusted gross margin of 62% in Q3 2025. The average OEC on rent in Q3 2025 was over $1.26 billion, showing the scale of the assets that telematics would monitor and optimize. This focus on digital enhancement helps drive the segment's rental revenue growth, which was up 18% year-over-year in Q3 2025.

The push to offer specialized equipment customization packages for the emerging fiber-optic deployment market is supported by the strong performance in the Transportation Equipment Sales (TES) segment, which benefits from infrastructure spending. The company is well-positioned to benefit from spending required for data center investments and utility grid upgrades. The net TES backlog saw an increase of $51 million, or 14%, at the end of Q1 2025, indicating strong order flow for customized solutions. Furthermore, signed orders across the company were up 30% year-over-year in Q2 2025. Here's a look at the overall financial context supporting these investments:

Expanding the Load King registered trademark product line with new heavy-haul trailer models is a direct product extension. Load King Manufacturing showcased several new vocational and trailer-related items at Utility Expo 2025. These included the Outback Series, a new family of tracked easement machines, and the Voyager® AMX, an 11-foot aluminum service truck designed for strength with reduced weight for maximum efficiency. The company also featured the PalGal Loader/Cable Rolloff, built for heavy-duty material handling. These new product introductions support the Transportation Equipment Sales (TES) segment, which reported equipment sales of $275 million in Q3 2025, a 6% increase year-over-year.

Finally, launching a remanufacturing service for older customer-owned equipment, not just Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) assets, broadens the aftermarket service opportunity. While specific revenue figures for this new service aren't public yet, the company's overall parts sales and service revenue remained flat year-over-year in Q1 2025, suggesting a clear area for growth by servicing external fleets. The company has a history of expanding service capabilities, evidenced by the acquisition of the business of A&D Maintenance and Repair to expand its New York footprint. Expanding this service to customer-owned equipment leverages existing service infrastructure and helps the company work toward its leverage goal of reducing the Net Leverage Ratio to below 3x by the end of fiscal 2026 from its Q1 2025 level of 4.80x. You can see the existing service revenue base through these metrics:

• ERS segment Adjusted Gross Profit increase: 19.7% in Q2 2025 year-over-year.
• ERS segment Adjusted Gross Profit increase: 19% in Q3 2025 year-over-year.
• Q2 2025 Consolidated Parts Sales and Service Revenue: Remained flat year-over-year.
• Q1 2025 Consolidated Parts Sales and Service Revenue: Remained flat year-over-year.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) - Ansoff Matrix: Diversification

You're looking at how Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) can move beyond its core North American utility and infrastructure base, which currently sees Transmission & Distribution (T&D) accounting for 55% of its business. Diversification, in this context, means entering new markets or offering new services where the existing operational expertise still provides a competitive edge, even if the end-customer or geography changes.

Enter the Latin American market by establishing a strategic partnership with a local utility equipment distributor.

Moving into the Latin American market represents a significant geographic diversification, targeting utility expansion in regions where capital equipment has historically been imported. While specific partnership details aren't public, the underlying market driver is the need for utility expansion, which in Latin America has often required external financing and equipment sourcing. To put this in perspective against the core market, U.S. Investor-Owned Utilities are projected to spend almost $600 billion on T&D capital expenditures between 2025 and 2029, with transmission spending growing at a 15%+ compound annual growth rate (CAGR). A partnership would aim to capture a fraction of the equipment and service needs in a developing market, potentially leveraging Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS)'s established fleet management and sales processes.

Acquire a small, specialized firm focused on providing drone-based inspection services for utility infrastructure.

Acquiring a drone inspection firm moves Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) into high-tech service delivery, moving beyond just the physical equipment. Drone utility inspection services use UAVs with LiDAR and thermal imaging to assess power infrastructure, offering a safer and more cost-effective alternative to manual or helicopter surveys. The regulatory environment is also shifting, with executive orders accelerating timelines for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) commercial drone operations, which will improve inspection capabilities for utilities. If Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) were to invest in this area, it would be capitalizing on a trend where AI-driven drone swarms may soon independently inspect and diagnose entire grids.

Develop a new business unit offering full-service, long-term fleet management for non-infrastructure clients.

This strategy leverages existing service capabilities to target new customer types. A concrete step in this direction was the acquisition of the business of SOS Fleet Services, LLC in March 2024, a full-service repair facility in Alexandria, Louisiana. This move, alongside other planned branch openings, increased Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS)'s national footprint to 39 locations from its previous 35. While SOS Fleet Services was initially noted for enhancing service for the powerline industry, the capability-a 30,000 square foot facility-positions Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) to offer its full breadth of rental product offerings and repair service to adjacent, non-core sectors, such as construction or waste management, which are also part of its existing customer base.

Invest in a digital platform for auctioning off used equipment, creating a new revenue stream outside of TES.

Creating a dedicated digital auction platform moves equipment sales into a high-growth digital channel, potentially capturing more value from used assets than traditional sales channels. The broader hard asset equipment online auction market is forecast to increase by USD 5.38 billion, growing at a CAGR of 28.9% between 2024 and 2029. This market is seeing a significant shift toward digital platforms, with online auctions sometimes reporting a 25% increase in sales compared to on-site counterparts. For Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS), this could directly address past challenges; for instance, in Q1 2024, equipment sales were impacted by the excess supply of used equipment available in the market. A robust digital platform could better manage this inventory, which is outside the core Truck & Equipment Sales (TES) segment focus.

Target the mining or oil and gas sectors with new, heavy-duty, off-road equipment not currently in the core fleet.

Diversifying into mining or oil and gas requires offering specialized, heavy-duty, off-road equipment, which is distinct from the aerial devices and digger derricks common in the T&D fleet. Off-highway trucks, essential for mining, are designed for heavy-duty off-road transportation and can have payload capacities up to 400 tons, like the Liebherr T 282C model. Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) has signaled an intent to address evolving industry demands by unveiling specialized off-road solutions, including tracked easement machines. This move taps into sectors where equipment must handle structure-borne vibrations and challenging terrains. The company reaffirmed its full-year 2025 revenue guidance between $1.97 billion and $2.06 billion, demonstrating a baseline of financial stability to support such capital-intensive product line expansion.

Here's a quick look at the financial context surrounding Custom Truck One Source, Inc. (CTOS) as it considers these moves:

The company is actively investing in its core rental fleet, planning net rental CapEx of approximately $250 million for 2025, while targeting a net leverage below 3x by the end of fiscal 2026.

• Enter Latin America: Geographic expansion into new utility markets.
• Drone Acquisition: Service diversification using high-tech inspection methods.
• Fleet Management Unit: New customer base expansion via acquisition (e.g., SOS Fleet Services, LLC).
• Digital Auction Platform: New revenue stream capitalizing on the 28.9% CAGR online auction market.
• Heavy Equipment Targeting: Product line expansion into mining/oil and gas sectors.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.