If part of your business involves trucking goods or supplies across a state or the country, but not frequently enough for you to possess your own trailers, then trailer leasing is an attractive option. Trailer equipment leasing or trailer equipment rental is a smart consideration when purchasing equipment is not in your budget.

Trailer leasing is a cheaper alternative to purchasing your own trailer, as trailer leasing prices are reasonable, tax cuts may apply and maintenance costs can be less expensive. If you're thinking it's time to lease a trailer, there are some trailer leasing basics you should review before signing a trailer lease:

1. Learn the many benefits of trailer leasing.
2. See the many types of trailers available for trailer leasing.
3. Choose from several options available from most trailer leasing companies.
   

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Reap the many benefits of trailer leasing

From financing 100 percent of trailer leasing costs to tax deductions, trailer leasing has many advantages over purchasing a new or even used trailer. Save money on taxes and costs, get the best trailer for your needs and even reduce your risks with trailer equipment leasing.

I recommend: Learn about the many profitable benefits to trailer leasing, including tax benefits and the positive impact on capital, at Lease Line, a credit line company specializing in equipment leasing. From establishing credit to the convenience of fixed payments, review the benefits of trailer leasing at Alpha Equipment Leasing.

Pick from a variety of types when selecting a trailer for lease

Trailer leasing offers you a wide selection of trailers to choose from. From flatbed trailers to specialized equipment such as refrigerated trailers or dump trailers, trailer leasing will provide you with a trailer to meet your specific needs, without locking you in long-term to any particular trailer type.

I recommend: Choose a trailer for lease, from 28- to 53-feet in length, flatbeds, dry vans and even refrigerated trailers, at Trailer Fleet. Learn more about dry vans, durable Z-plate, steel-plus trailers and extra-wide trailers at Premier Trailer Leasing. RTR Rentals specializes in leasing diesel and electric refrigerated trailers.

Know your options when considering trailer lease services

There is no single trailer lease agreement that would fit every business owner's needs. There are many options available when it comes to trailer leasing. You can choose an option to purchase, short- or long-term leases, and even add in a year or two of maintenance services.

I recommend: Xtra Lease offers an operating lease, a purchase option lease or a finance contract or conditional sale to fit your particular needs. Learn about several maintenance service options and billing options, or take advantage of a one-way lease, at National Semi-Trailer.

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• •  For further savings, consider a used trailer for lease.

Trailer equipment rental is broken down into three main categories. Dry transport vehicles are usually flatbed or van style, commonly called box trailers. Liquid transport, often called bottles, usually carry liquefied gases, acids and petroleum products. Refrigerated trailers carry perishable goods. These trailers have a single setting for the whole truck or are broken into smaller sections, each with their own thermostat.

Most trailer leasing companies have three basic options. Rental trailers are for short-term use, such as single trip or season. You can lease a trailer for a longer term, often a year or more. Lease-to-own allows the option to purchase a trailer at the end of the lease; these leases often cost more but carry other benefits. Consider the following when leasing a trailer:

1. Dry transport trailers ship any standard goods, often without special equipment or preparations.

2. Refrigerated trucks are a specialized trailer lease service.

3. Liquid transport requires specialized equipment based on what product you need to ship.

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Ship dry goods without specialized trailer equipment leasing

Overland shipment of dry goods is the broadest category of trailer leasing. A single flatbed or box-style trailer can carry an endless variety of goods. Specialized equipment is rarely necessary beyond standard packing processes.

I recommend: Xtra Lease is one of the largest companies of its kind. It provides a large selection of trailer lease services and options, as well as several web applications for clients. Another industry leader, National Semi, specializes in dry goods trailers in the eastern part of the United States.

Find a trailer leasing company that specializes in refrigerated trucks

It's possible to modify a standard dry goods trailer into a refrigerated unit, but trucks built with refrigeration in mind often have more and better features. Multi-compartment, multi-temp trailers are just some of the options you can find in dedicated refrigerated trailers.

I recommend: PLM Trailer Leasing provides a large number of different sizes and styles of refrigerated trailers and has customization options so your trailer is perfect for your cargo. PTR Rentals specializes in insulated trailers. In addition to normal refrigeration options, they carry trailers for things that need to remain hot.

Locate a trailer equipment rental company for a specific liquid cargo

Liquid transport is often the most hazardous type of overland transport. The chemicals are often poisonous, flammable or harmful and sometimes all three. Because of this, suppliers will specialize liquid transport trailers for one type of liquid cargo only.

I recommend: For compressed gas shipment, STL has a large variety of options available. For a wider selection of trailers that you can view right from their webpage, check out Global Tank Leasing.

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• •  Many trailer leasing companies also provide storage containers. These containers are similar to ones used for waterborne shipping and can greatly increase your on-site storage capacity.

Within your lot, you may have different equipment vehicles and want to provide a new service, like trailer leasing. Trailer lease services work in a similar way as providing a lease on a car, where the lessee must meet a payment schedule in order to borrow the trailer.

As part of your trailer leasing education and training, you’ll want to learn about the different type of leases you can offer as well as terms that you can set. Trailer leasing companies have the option of leasing the equipment out on their own or using a bank to complete the transaction.

1. Earn a degree or certification that will prepare you for commercial trailer leasing. You will need to develop your educational background as an automotive and equipment lender.

2. Learn about trailer equipment leasing and the different facets of the industry. There are numerous types of trailer lease services, like equipment buyout leases, operating leases and conditional sale leases.

3. Determine competitive trailer leasing prices. Training will involve researching trailer equipment rental costs and networking with others in the industry.

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Attend an educational institute that can prepare you to lease a trailer

In order to protect your business, you'll want to know what you are doing before opening a trailers for lease branch of your company. This will include attending courses that deal with lending options within the automotive industry.

I recommend: Through the College of Automotive Management, you can get lender training in order to have access to the information needed to start a trailer leasing company. At the end of the training course, you will receive a certificate of completion. The Automotive Dealership Institute has a special finance course of studies that covers leasing options.

Learn the basics of trailer equipment rental

Trailer leasing basically involves renting out a piece of equipment to another party for a fixed fee. Franchises and other business opportunities can provide you with operational training in order to rent out trailers and other pieces of equipment.

I recommend: Nation-Wide General Rental Centers featured on Franchise Solutions will not only help you launch your trailer equipment rental business, but also provide you with the training manuals to do so. You can also choose to steer away from the franchise and learn how to operate your trailer leasing company with software like Equipment Rental Start Up Business Plan from Amazon.com.

Join an association with trailer leasing companies

If you are new to the industry, then you need to network with others to find out how to provide your customers with reliable and profitable leases on trailers. An association allows you to contact these individuals as well as receive insider information on current news within the auto leasing industry.

I recommend: The National Vehicle Leasing Association is one of the best groups that you can join if you plan to start a trailer lease service. Member benefits include conference invitations, business counseling and leasing publication subscriptions. The American Automotive Leasing Association extends membership to all types of auto leasing companies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you set up a trailer lease for a client, you'll also need to research your state's regulations regarding registering the vehicle. The Department of Motor Vehicles can provide you with this information.