PowerLease has launched a new equipment financing platform designed to help fleets retain experienced owner-operators and manage truck replacement cycles without adding balance-sheet risk.

The company’s new PowerLease 3.0 program focuses on keeping productive owner-operators seated by financing equipment replacement and supporting driver-to-owner transitions through approved carrier partners.

David Falk, senior vice president of PowerLease, said the initiative comes as fleets and independent operators continue to face tight credit conditions and prolonged freight market pressure.

“The current operating environment has put sustained pressure on the trucking industry, particularly around equipment replacement,” Falk said. “PowerLease 3.0 is not transactional financing. It is a structured continuity platform built to stabilize fleets, reduce unplanned capacity loss, and support measured growth where economics and timing are critical.”

Unlike traditional lending models that rely heavily on credit scores, the program evaluates applicants based on operating performance, work history, earnings consistency, and carrier alignment, the company said.

Falk said the approach is intended to prevent fleets from losing experienced operators when equipment replacement becomes financially challenging.

“As I see it, we keep proven owner-operators seated by financing equipment replacement and ownership transitions through approved carriers, based on performance — not credit alone,” he said. “The result is disciplined approvals and a repeatable model that keeps productive trucks in service.”

PowerLease said the platform offers streamlined applications and performance-based underwriting to deliver consistent credit decisions while supporting structured ownership pathways for qualified company drivers.

The program is available through approved transportation carriers across North America.