Want to acquire the best flatbed trailer for your operations?
Today, expensive equipment for trucking operations is relatively easy to acquire. Businesses can now get additional funds from different lenders when their capital alone isn’t sufficient.
They can even acquire the tools they need through equipment leasing companies. For example, trucking companies can acquire new trailers through flatbed trailer leasing.
Flatbed trailer leasing is often offered by privately held trailer leasing companies and bank owned equipment leasing companies. This type of equipment leasing can help your business in a lot of ways, and that’s what we’ll discuss today.
In this blog post, we’ll talk about flatbed trailer leasing, how it can help your business, and where to get it. We’ll also talk about some of the trailer brands you may want to consider for your flatbed trailer needs.
Improve Your Business Using the Best Flatbed Trailer Leasing
Many trucking companies are already using flatbed trailer leasing. That’s because it gives them a ton of benefits compared to straight-up flatbed trailer purchasing.
Flatbed trailer leasing can help companies update their fleets without their hurting cash flow, for instance.
It also lets them try out flatbed trailers so they can gauge their worth before making the commitment of purchasing them.
We’ll get to all of those benefits eventually. Before that, however, we should note that the way to reap all the benefits of flatbed trailer leasing is to ensure that these 2 conditions are met:
- The leasing agreement you’ve struck up is a financially-sound one, and
- The flatbed trailer being leased is of good quality.
We’ll discuss how to fulfill the first condition later. For now, let’s tackle the second one, which is to ensure that the flatbed trailer you’re leasing is worth your while.
Getting the Best Flatbed Trailer
It should be fairly obvious, but trucking companies shouldn’t settle for average flatbed trailers. They tend to break because of rust and regular wear-and-tear faster.
That means using subpar flatbed trailers can cost you money because of frequent repairs. Also, they can create problems (like delays due to breakdown) that can affect your operations.
That’s why you should focus on acquiring high-quality flatbed trailers.
Now, good-quality flatbed trailers are usually more expensive than other ones, admittedly. However, they also offer better value for your money.
For one thing, the best-quality flatbed trailers usually last longer than low-quality ones. They are reliable because they are made from high-grade materials that can stand the test of time.
Remember that when deciding what flatbed trailers offer the best bang for your buck. On the whole, it’s best to acquire flatbed trailers that can help you save money in the long run.
But how do you figure out which flatbed trailers are high-quality ones?
There are many ways to do it, but one of the best is to get trailers from trusted manufacturers. That way, you can ensure that your flatbed trailer leasing can really benefit your business.
Best Manufacturers of Flatbed Trailers
There are many manufacturers of flatbed trailers. In fact, there are so many that it can be hard to choose one.
Almost all of them promise that their flatbed trailers are the best, of course. However, you can’t believe everything they say immediately.
You need to be picky in choosing flatbed trailers. Getting one represents a significant investment for your business, after all.
By the way, remember that a flatbed trailer being expensive doesn't instantly mean that it's reliable and made of the best materials. Some of the best trailers aren’t even among the most expensive ones.
At any rate, some manufacturers tend to be more reliable than others regardless of the price of their trailers. These are often the ones that have been producing flatbed trailers longer than other brands.
To help you pick the best flatbed trailers, here are the best manufacturers of trucks and trailers right now:
Doepker Industries
Doepker Industries is a flatbed manufacturer located in Anaheim, Saskatchewan, Canada. They are the leading Canadian manufacturer of semi-trailers and grain haulers.
Apart from that, Doepker Industries is also known for working closely with their clients. The trailers they make are made to meet the standards of their client demographic.
So are their trailers worthy of flatbed trailer leasing? It’s for you to decide.
But to help you, here are some notable facts and achievements for Doepker Industries:
- The company made over 1,300 trailers in 2017.
- They even increased their production by 8% in 2016.
- Doepker also acquired a heavy-haul trailer manufacturer out of Alberta, Canada, on October 2016. That helps indicate the high demand for their products and the general regard for their trailers.
East Manufacturing Company
The East Manufacturing Company is located at Randolph, Ohio. They build specialized equipment and accessories for trucks and trailers, besides the vehicles themselves.
Their company beats its competition by producing reliable and high-quality products. East flatbed trailers are generally very well-regarded by truckers.
Though they sell high-quality products, they also sell them at a relatively fair price. That’s another key factor that gives them an edge over their competitors.
If you’re about to use flatbed trailer leasing, you might consider The East Manufacturing Company as a possible manufacturer. Their company has notable facts/statistics that might interest you:
- They built 2,885 trailers in 2017, which is a 16% increase over 2016.
- Their company has made the largest revenue for making all-aluminum flatbeds. They are thus a good option if you’re seeking low-maintenance aluminum trailers.
- They recently expanded plant capacity to handle building 1,800 platform trailers annually.
Felling Trailers
Felling Trailers is from Sauk Centre, Minnesota. They produce trailers that are designed for transporting.
The brand has a long and solid history backing it. Felling Trailers have been known for their quality craftsmanship for years.
In fact, the company has 100 years of sales experience. So you can be certain that they can meet your needs in terms of transportation.
Are their trailers good picks for flatbed trailer leasing? Here are some noteworthy facts and statistics about Felling Trailers to help you decide that:
- They built 1,524 truck-trailers in 2017. That’s a 7% increase from their 2016 output.
- They have also made 4,434 light-duty trailers that are capable of carrying 10,000 pounds. That may be significant if you’re in the market for light-duty trailers.
- In 2017, their total unit count was 5,958 trailers. That’s an 18% increase over the 2016 combined total.
Fontaine Trailer Company
The Fontaine Trailer Company from Alabama is known for being the largest platform trailer manufacturer in the world. They sell a complete line of aluminum, steel, and composite trailers for flatbed, drop-deck, and heavy-haul trucking equipment.
You can consider getting trailers from their company. Here are the reasons why:
- They built 5,844 trailers in 2017. That overall production includes flatbeds, drop-deck platforms, heavy-haul, and military trailers.
- Their overall production increased by 77% over their 2016 output because of their military contracts. The fact that their equipment was used by the government may stand as an endorsement of their products’ quality.
Fruehauf
Fruehauf is a flatbed manufacturing company in the United States. Their headquarters can be found in Detroit, Michigan.
If you use flatbed trailer leasing, you can consider getting trailers from Fruehauf. Their company is known as a pioneer and undisputed leader in the trailer manufacturing industry in Mexico.
Moreover, the company is popular among trucking companies. This is because they are known for hiring employees with experience in making reliable and durable trailers.
Smart Ways to Get Flatbed Trailers
Now that you know about the top brands for flatbed trailers, we can move on to how you can get those flatbed trailers for your business.
First, there’s the possibility of buying the trailer by paying for its total cost outright… but that’s not a good idea.
In fact, it’s hardly ever wise to use your capital for buying flatbed trailers. This is a risky decision that you must avoid.
You see, using your capital can cause financial instability due to the huge cost of a new flatbed trailer.
Small trucking companies should save capital, not least due to the risk of emergencies or downturns in the market. There’s also the risk that you’ll end up unhappy with your new flatbed trailer after you take possession of it.
You might discover that it doesn’t hold up well against the amount of use you have to put it through for your business, for example. There’s also a chance that you might change your preferred flatbed trailer type in the future.
For instance, you might start out with a steel and wood deck only to realize you prefer aluminum afterwards.
That’s why the best option for small trucking companies is generally to use flatbed trailer leasing instead of buying new flatbed trailers outright.
Flatbed trailer leasing allows you to use flatbed trailers without having to spend huge money upfront. That helps you preserve your operating capital.
Depending on your lease, flatbed trailer leasing also allows you to refrain from buying the trailer at the end of the lease. This gives you freedom to switch to a new trailer afterwards if you want a different type of flatbed trailer.
Flatbed Trailer Leasing
So now you see that flatbed trailer leasing is the most practical choice for small trucking companies seeking flatbed trailers.
Getting a loan from a local bank is still an option too, but it’s not reliable. There’s no assurance of getting loan approval and the application process alone can be very lengthy. Banks typically ask for twenty to thirty percent down where as a flatbed trailer leasing company may let you skip the first few payments.
By comparison, flatbed trailer leasing is usually more accessible. Flatbed trailer leasing is offered by equipment leasing companies like Trust Capital.
They have lower requirements for applicants than banks. Usually, the approval for flatbed trailer leasing depends primarily on your credit score.
Having a good credit score (say, 640 or higher) allows you to negotiate a low monthly payment for your equipment lease. That can make flatbed trailer leasing easier on your budget than ever.
That said, there’s also a chance of getting flatbed trailer leasing even if you have poor credit. You’ll just end up paying higher monthly payments than those with good credit scores.
It’s also worth noting that there are equipment leasing companies that offer flatbed trailer leasing to startup businesses. Contrast that to banks, which often don’t even lend money to startups.
If you have a startup trucking business, you can try negotiating with Trust Capital. They can arrange a flatbed trailer leasing agreement that fits your startup business.
Final Thoughts on Flatbed Trailer Leasing
In this blog post, we talked about flatbed trailer leasing. Acquiring flatbed trailers for a business is now fairly easy. You can get additional funds from lenders or use flatbed trailer leasing. Flatbed trailer leasing is the best choice. It allows you to use the trailer you need without having to pay a large sum of money to commit to its purchase. You merely have to pay monthly payments for the duration of the lease. The payment terms for flatbed trailer leasing depend on your agreement with the leasing company.
But to ensure that your flatbed trailer leasing will benefit you in the long run, remember that you must acquire your trailer from the best manufacturers.
Trust Capital can help you lease the best flatbed trailers from the most reliable manufacturers. To know more about it, contact them at (866) 458-4777.