Power in numbers

Nov. 1, 2005
It makes good sense for a truck operator to lease from a large organization like NationaLease. With approximately 85,000 vehicles under contract maintenance and administration served by nearly 550 locations nationwide NationaLease enables truck fleet customers to tap into its extensive resources to lower their maintenance costs, according to NationaLease president and CEO John Grainger. NationaLease

It makes good sense for a truck operator to lease from a large organization like NationaLease. With approximately 85,000 vehicles under contract maintenance and administration — served by nearly 550 locations nationwide — NationaLease enables truck fleet customers to tap into its extensive resources to lower their maintenance costs, according to NationaLease president and CEO John Grainger.

“NationaLease is developed around reciprocal services. A truck fleet customer can rent a vehicle, for example, from any member facility across the U.S. and Canada. In addition, customers with vehicles in many locations can deal with a national accounts group and get the lowest quotes because we pool our purchasing,” Grainger explains.

He says one of the ways NationaLease is helping customers is through the use of the Enrich Leasing & Rental Management system, developed by Richer Systems Group, in Calgary, AB. “At our home office in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, we use the Enrich system for centralized billing of national accounts. This gives truck fleets a consistent view of their data from multiple sources so they can analyze their maintenance costs more effectively.” NationaLease member companies are encouraged to use the Enrich system, and currently about 50% of them are doing so, Grainger reports.

Interstate NationaLease was the first U.S. affiliate to purchase the Enrich system. According to Jack Zolomy, president, Albany, GA-based Interstate NationaLease, they started using the system in July 1998.

“Enrich is a state-of-the-art system, which is broader and more robust in applications than any other system for our industry on the market today,” he says.

Zolomy says the Enrich system does everything needed to run a leasing company, from billing to general ledger and fuel tax reporting. “It also has a tremendous maintenance system that allows us to schedule maintenance and maintain detailed cost records on each vehicle, down to the component level.”

Interstate NationaLease, with 15 locations in Georgia and three in Alabama, grew out of a Mack truck dealership and was incorporated in 1966, at which time it also became a part of the National Truck Leasing System. The affiliate offers customers a variety of tractor, truck and trailer makes, all spec'd to match vehicle applications or preferences.

AIM became a member of NationaLease in 1978 when Tom Fleming took over as owner and president. Growth for the affiliate — now one of the largest in the NationaLease system — began in earnest in 1982 when it moved to its current facility in Girard, OH. John Reed, CIO, says AIM has gone from one to 34 maintenance facilities, with 750 employees in 12 states.

“The NationaLease network gives us access to over 100 other affiliates with over 400 maintenance facilities in North America,” says Reed. “At the center of all our business decisions is the data stored in our Enrich system. It allows us to gather an enormous amount of data and track everything that touches our equipment from cradle to grave.”

Reed says Enrich has given his organization the ability to see failures at the parts level, determine mechanic productivity, and flag warranty for parts, systems and units. “Enrich is a valuable tool that has allowed us to manage by exception rather than drown in data,” Reed points out. “We've also done some in-house programming projects that allow our customers to view histories of their road failures in real time.

“Enrich has been a great partner in helping us to provide a full complement of services to customers. We don't consider ourselves to be a truck leasing company, but rather a technology company that leases trucks.”

About the Author

DEBORAH MCGUFFIE

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