BELLEVUE, Wash. — Paccar announced today that the demand for PacLease rental trucks are at an all-time high.

“Freight capacity continues to tighten driving increased demand for new trucks, as well as rental trucks,” said Tom Pecyna, Paccar Leasing Company’s (PacLease) rental development manager.

Pecyna also said that PacLease franchises have been ahead of the curve by adding rental trucks in anticipation of this demand.

“We’ve grown our overall rental fleet by 20 percent since 2012 and the demand we’ve found is at an all-time high,” he said. “Rentals are a leading indicator to the health of the trucking industry – and in new truck sales. With 120,000 new trucks in the industry’s backlog it’s no surprise that we have a strong rental market.”

Pecyna went on to say that the company’s rental customers have reported growth for their products/service, “ yet they’re maintaining conservative fleet procurement strategies. Fleets big and small are turning to PacLease rental services to manage demand fluctuations. They continue to enjoy the freedom a rental truck provides.”

The PacLease rental fleet has grown substantially compared to last year, according to the company. The company suspects the way the trucks are spec’d has something to do with this increase.

“Our rentals aren’t stripped-down models,” said Pecyna. “They offer a variety of options including the latest in aerodynamics and the very fuel-efficient PACCAR MX-13 engine. Plus, many of our franchises equip their rentals with PacTrac, our proprietary telematics system powered by PeopleNet. Our franchises also do a great job of matching the rentals with the local market needs so the trucks meet the power and size requirements of the majority of applications in the area – be it general freight delivery, building supplies, food and beverage and even some vocational applications.”