MISSION HILLS, CA – Terry Young, the new chairman of the Truck Renting & Leasing Assn. (TRALA) believes the next few years will offer more business opportunities for full-service lease providers, especially where truck maintenance is concerned.

"We've been below typical truck replacement demand for several years now and the upcoming 2007 emission regulations may convince many fleets to starting leasing equipment," he told Fleet Owner.

As president of Charlotte, NC-based Advantage Truck Leasing, Young thinks leasing firms will also benefit as more fleets look to outsource maintenance in the face of the increasing technical complexity of trucks.

"Truckload carriers are doing less and less heavy work and we're seeing more business from LTL fleets," he explained. "That's because the technology curve, especially with the new emission compliant engines, is just so high. That's why I think more fleets, especially smaller ones, will look at the full-service lease option more closely."