6 6 #3 Fielding and maintaining equipment and drivers Trucks, tractors and trailers with the right specifications for the freight you haul and the lanes you travel are essential for realizing the lowest possible cost of operation. Does it make more sense to buy and finance new equipment or to find used vehicles being remarketed by dealers and other carriers? That depends on a number of factors. Among them are the relative prices of new and used equipment, the cost of capital for financing your investment, the age of available used assets and any remaining warranty coverage. Fleet equipment choices also impact maintenance and repair expenses. Equipment service is a large part of a fleet’s operating costs. Ensuring timely preventive maintenance can keep costs for higher-priced repairs in check, especially those associated with breakdowns. Finding the best vendors for parts and major items such as tires can also limit unnecessary expenses. For example, a strategy for routinely and correctly inspecting tire pressures can eliminate blowouts. That ounce of prevention can avoid costly roadside repairs, and even accident costs, which can increase insurance expenses and exposure to DOT violations. Not to be overlooked is the impact of equipment choices and well-maintained assets on driver recruiting and retention success. With finding and keeping drivers a long-standing industry-wide challenge, the increased competition driven by a larger number of carriers can only make that problem bigger. And beyond finding the right equipment to attract drivers, how do your pay, benefits, and incentive programs increase your chances of recruiting and retaining the help you need? A Proactive Approach is Especially Important Your Official Small Carrier Playbook Your Offcial Small Carrier Playbook Trimble Transportation