With approximately 1.2 million trucking companies operating in the U.S., the transportation industry is as competitive as it is lucrative. To stay ahead of your competition, you must have rapid and robust solutions for all the challenges you face. Given that trailers are at the heart of your transport operations, you should have an effective plan B in case one of your semi-trailers fails or when the demand exceeds your resources. And this is when trailer leasing will save the day.

Here’s when trailer rental services will be most useful to your transportation company.

1. When Seasonal Fluctuations Exceed Your Carrying Capacity

This happens a lot to many freight companies, even well-established ones. No matter how prepared you are to accommodate bulk orders, sometimes you’ll have more cargo than your trailers can handle. While less-innovative companies will turn down extra business, a savvier company will utilize semi-trailer rental and get the extra job done. Given the cut-throat competition in the transport industry, it’s a major disadvantage to turn down new business because all your trailers are engaged. Think about it this way — the seasonal client who makes a last-minute request may be your next big customer in the future. So it pays to go over and beyond to provide swift solutions. Luckily, trailer leasing companies will be at your beck and call whenever you need to rent a semi-trailer.

2. When Your Company Can’t Afford to Buy New or Used Trailers for Sale

With limited resources, new or used trailers for sale may be out of your financial reach if you just started your transport business. On the other hand, trailer leasing will provide you with convenient, efficient, and affordable plans. This way, you can build your company steadily without running out of capital. Sadly, it’s estimated that about 29% of new companies fail because they run out of cash. Semi-trailer rentals provide new transport companies with more cost-effective solutions. You can rent a semi-trailer for as long as you need it. The top trailer leasing companies will devise tailor-made leasing plans to suit your changing needs.

3. When One of Your Trailers Is Under Maintenance or Has a Mechanical Breakdown

Downtimes in the transportation industry are very costly for your bottom line. Delivery delays can cause you to lose customers. This means that you must plan strategically and anticipate every scenario that may impede your operations. For instance, when your trailer is under scheduled maintenance, you can lease a semi-trailer to fill in the gap. Even when you need to rent a trailer for a couple of days, a good trailer leasing company will work out a fair lease agreement that makes renting a trailer economically viable. Semi-trailer rentals are also ideal for when you have an emergency, such as when one of your trailers develops a mechanical problem. Rather than postponing your delivery, you can easily utilize semi-trailer rental services.

4. When Expanding Your Business or Venturing into a New Market

For instance, you may only have dry freight vans and cartage trailers in your fleet because they are ideal for the goods that you transport. However, as your business expands, you may decide to venture into new areas and start transporting cargo that would need reefer trailers, flatbeds, or lift gate trailers. Entering a new market is risky, and it requires caution and strategic planning. Utilizing trailer rentals is a reliable way of reducing the high risk involved when starting a new venture. Instead of buying new trailers, you can make use of semi-trailer rentals. As you learn the ropes of your new market, you can then buy new or used trailers for sale. This will help you mitigate the high risks associated with market entry by minimizing your capital expenditure.

Trailer leasing is beneficial to all transport companies, regardless of the size. Semi-trailer rental is cost-effective, convenient, and provides fast solutions for transport companies that need to rent an extra trailer within a short time.