Collaborations among dealers, lenders, manufacturers, and freight companies are crucial for the trucking industry’s success as it emerges from a challenging year.
According to ACT Research’s outlook for 2026, released on November 21, freight carriers are shifting their focus towards efficiency, utilization, and liquidity instead of expansion. A significant recovery in freight and rates is not expected until the latter half of next year.
Mark Udy, fleet manager at The Pete Store, emphasized to Equipment Finance News the importance of dealers, lenders, and manufacturers in supporting their carrier partners through these transitions.
“Dealers will only engage if they can establish a partnership with customers and collaborate with finance departments,” he stated. “This teamwork is essential not just at the purchase stage but throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.”
Amid rising freight bankruptcies and lenders leaving the market, partnerships have become even more critical. Kevin Murphy, president of 1st Source Bank, noted that the current softened market presents an opportunity for lenders to demonstrate their partnership strength.
“With our ample reserves and robust capital, we can engage with clients to address challenges together,” he explained. “We are equipped to navigate these difficulties alongside our customers.”
Long-term partnerships among dealers, lenders, and trucking firms can often last longer than traditional financing commitments, sometimes rivaling mortgages. Jim Ledsome, general manager of The Pete Store’s Mid-Atlantic region, remarked that trucking companies may have deeper commitments to their dealers and lenders than to their homes.
Recent months have seen DLL establishing a joint venture with transportation OEM Iveco Group, while lenders North Mill Equipment Finance and Oaktree Capital have partnered to offer fair market value leases to logistics companies. Additionally, companies like Hyundai Capital America, Ford, and GM are enhancing their dealer support, with AP Equipment Financing and Daimler emphasizing collaborative efforts as well.
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