Trailer rental and leasing company XTRA Lease, part of the Berkshire Hathaway group, has announced it has ordered approximately 9,400 new vans and reefers for 2012.

Equipped with fuel-saving aerodynamic side skirts, the new models will replace many older model trailers that will be re-designated as local cartage or storage trailers, or sold.

XTRA Lease said that since 2010 it has invested heavily in new trailer orders, making late-model equipment accessible to trucking companies and shippers via rental and leasing programmes.

To keep its inventory updated, the company has ordered nearly 25,000 trailers over the past two-and-a-half years. In addition, the trailer lessor is refurbishing approximately 1,000 flatbeds to restore them to like-new condition.

“In an economic era in which few companies have the capital resources to keep fleets updated with high-performance, late-model equipment, XTRA Lease will continue to offer new trailers through rental and leasing opportunities,” said Bill Franz, president and CEO. “Shippers haven’t reduced expectations for on-time deliveries. But completing them with an ageing, over-the-road fleet is risky.” Franz continued: “We plan on helping fleets reduce their risk by making high-performing equipment available to them. Not only will they reduce chances of mechanical failure and breakdowns, fleets can avoid higher maintenance costs inherent with older equipment.”

Companies mentioned in this article