Demand for PacLease Rental Trucks at an All-Time High
September 30, 2014
BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 30, 2014 -- There is a saying that a rising tide lifts all boats. In the trucking industry, that’s often true as well. “We’re seeing it in demand for rental trucks,” said Tom Pecyna, PACCAR Leasing Company’s (PacLease) rental development manager. “Freight capacity continues to tighten driving increased demand for new trucks, as well as rental trucks.”
According to Pecyna, PacLease franchises have been ahead of the curve in adding rental trucks in anticipation of the increased demand. “We’ve grown our overall rental fleet by 20 percent since 2012 and the demand we’ve found is at an all-time high,” said Pecyna. “Rentals are a leading indicator to the health of the trucking industry – and in new truck sales. With 120,000 new trucks in the industry’s backlog it’s no surprise that we have a strong rental market.”
Pecyna said that many PacLease rental customers are reporting consistent growth in demand for their products or services, “yet they’re maintaining conservative fleet procurement strategies. Fleets big and small are turning to PacLease rental services to manage demand fluctuations. They continue to enjoy the freedom a rental truck provides.”
According to Pecyna, customers historically turn to PacLease rentals for a variety of reasons. “Whether they have seasonal demands spikes, win new business, want to evaluate new technology, or need emergency services to replace a truck in the shop, PacLease has a full suite of rental trucks and services available,” he said. “Our customers often require little to no interruption in product delivery and a PacLease rental meets those needs through Kenworth or Peterbilt trucks and a full-service rental package.”
Pecyna said the PacLease rental fleet has grown substantially compared to last year. “Our franchises saw the big picture and understood that investing in rental trucks was critical for the success of their operation,” he said. “While rentals support companies wanting short-term transportation answers, rentals also support our lease customers as well. Part of a lease, and a core reason fleets lease from PacLease, is the assurance of uptime. That’s ensured by meticulous maintenance programs, and it’s backed with replacement vehicles should the need ever arise. What’s more, all of our rental units come with 24/7 emergency roadside service through our PacCentral program.”
Helping propel the popularity of PacLease rental units is how the trucks are spec’d. “Our rentals aren’t stripped-down models,” said Pecyna. “They offer a variety of options including the latest in aerodynamics and the very fuel-efficient PACCAR MX-13 engine. Plus, many of our franchises equip their rentals with PacTrac, our proprietary telematics system powered by PeopleNet. Our franchises also do a great job of matching the rentals with the local market needs so the trucks meet the power and size requirements of the majority of applications in the area – be it general freight delivery, building supplies, food and beverage and even some vocational applications.”
According to Pecyna, a growing trend in the lease/rental business is the “try-before-you-buy model.”
“By that I mean a growing number of our customers try out our Peterbilt and Kenworth equipment through our rental services before they make the decision to lease from PacLease or buy Kenworth and Peterbilt vehicles,” Pecyna said. “This way they get a feel for the quality of the equipment and driver acceptance -- plus how well the PacLease franchise works with them. In a full-service lease, especially with PacLease, it’s a great combination – a premium truck custom spec’d for reliability and local application, backed by a lease/rental company dedicated to uptime and productivity.
“We’re never afraid to put our rental trucks to the test,” added Pecyna. “We feel our Kenworth and Peterbilt lineup of rental trucks are the best quality trucks -- and best-maintained trucks -- in the industry. They provide great value to our rental customers and are a great way for a potential lease customer to test drive the lease company before they make a final decision.”
About PacLease and PACCAR
PACCAR Leasing Company (PacLease) is one of the fastest-growing commercial truck leasing companies in the transportation industry. PacLease has independent and company-owned full-service leasing locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. PacLease provides customized full-service lease, rental and contract maintenance programs designed to meet the specific needs of customers. A combination of reliable, custom-built trucks and complete service offerings allows customers to maximize the value of their transportation resources.
PACCAR Leasing is a part of the financial services group of PACCAR Inc, a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. PACCAR shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, symbol PCAR, and its homepage can be found at www.paccar.com.