When opportunity knocks, Brad Pohlmeier of Kimrad Transport knows exactly what to do. First, welcome it with open arms. Second, quickly expand your fleet to handle new business.
Based in Amarillo, Texas, Kimrad specializes in transporting petroleum crude oil, liquid asphalt and other liquid petro-chemicals in the south central United States. When a booming crude oil industry "knocked" on Kimrad's door in late 2010, Pohlmeier needed a larger fleet to service it.
Luckily, PACCAR Financial's Used Truck Centers and competitive financing offered the inventory, service and convenience to help Pohlmeier quickly add 17 trucks to his fleet of 113 used trucks.
Pohlmeier started his shopping expedition on the Internet, scanning the PACCAR Financial Used Truck Center website for potential purchases. PACCAR Financial Senior District Sales Manager Jason Wood also helped identify trucks that might meet Kimrad's needs.
Then it was time to kick some tires. Pohlmeier traveled to PACCAR Financial's Used Truck Center in Hickory Hills, Illinois. "It was a great experience," he said. "The Center Manager Bob Konneker couldn't have been more helpful. He showed us every truck we were interested in and pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of each."
"We got first class service at every step," continued Pohlmeier. "The staff at Hickory Hills even shuttled my drivers from the airport to the Used Truck Center to pick up the trucks."
Pohlmeier was equally pleased with his experience financing the used trucks. "I had a single contact at PACCAR Financial (PFC) who handled all the details. That made the financing simple and quick."
He also appreciated PACCAR Financial's industry expertise. Kimrad's business slows down during the first quarter, so Pohlmeier needed a schedule that allowed him to skip payments during January, February and March.
"PACCAR Financial obviously understands the transportation industry better than other lenders because they were willing to work with me to set up a payment schedule that suited my business," said Pohlmeier. "Other lenders have a hard time doing that sort of thing."
"PACCAR Financial obviously understands the transportation industry better than other lenders because they were willing to work with me to set up a payment schedule that suited my business," said Pohlmeier. "Other lenders have a hard time doing that sort of thing."
Many fleet owners choose a lender based solely on price. Not Brad Pohlmeier. "My top priority is a good relationship," he said. "The pricing has to be competitive, but I want to know the people I'm working with. If a problem occurs, we can take care of it together. That's only possible when you and your lender have a personal relationship."
In Pohlmeier's experience, many lenders take the opposite approach. "At a lot of finance companies, you never talk to anyone face-to-face. That doesn't work for me."
Pohlmeier particularly enjoys PACCAR Financial's personal service. "Once, some documents needed to be signed while I was traveling. A PACCAR Financial rep brought them to my hotel and waited while I signed. Another time, the PACCAR Financial guys brought documents to a Texas Rangers game."
Succeeding in today's economy means jumping when opportunity knocks. As Brad Pohlmeier knows so well, taking advantage of PACCAR Financial's Used Truck Centers and competitive financing can be a great strategy for making the most of new business – and making sure your fleet can handle it.