Nu-Way Transportation Dedicated to Great Service
March 4, 2016
Leased Trucks from PacLease Part of the Formula
As one of the leading dedicated carriers in the country, Nu-Way Transportation has a no-holds-barred approach to gaining and retaining business. It’s a goal for every carrier to deliver on-time and exceed customer expectations, but this is rarely accomplished to the level of Nu-Way. Nu-Way provides specialized and dedicated equipment for some of the leading companies in the country.
“We have a projected annual growth rate of 8 to 10 percent,” said Mike Hospelhorn, Nu-Way’s director of fleet services. “Once we have a new customer, it’s very rare that our contract is not renewed. We grow with our current base, and add customers each year. Our people, culture and equipment make the difference. A testament to that is our driver turnover rate, which is just 31 percent.”
The company operates 315 power units – the majority of which are Kenworths and Peterbilts, and 475 trailers (plus customer supplied trailers). While Nu-Way owns a number of those trucks, it also leases a good percentage through PacLease. It’s a recipe that gives Nu-Way flexibility and the ability to bid on new contracts with certainty.
“Whenever we get an RFP, we know the customer can be located anywhere in the country,” said Hospelhorn. “That means we need to put trucks into service that are dedicated solely to that customer, often times with that customer’s signage -- even parked at the customer location. We analyze the location, see what truck dealerships are in the area, and what type of maintenance support is available. We then crunch numbers with either owned vehicles or vehicles under a lease. With PacLease’s footprint of over 450 locations we feel leasing trucks offers many advantages.”
According to Hospelhorn, knowing the cost of the lease and having one payment each month with no surprises in billing takes guesswork out of the RFP. “Leasing allows us to accurately bid on a piece of business since we know what our equipment costs will be,” said Hospelhorn. “And, we promote the fact that we’re working with PacLease when going after the business. The customer is not only looking for a good rate from us, but they also want assurance that equipment used on their behalf will be superior, well maintained, and that it will project an image of quality. That’s why we work so well with PacLease – they understand our business and how important uptime is to our customers. We’re dedicated to our customers, and PacLease is dedicated to us.”
Thus far, Nu-Way utilizes PacLease in 9 locations throughout the United States. “With each new contract, we work with PacLease to custom spec the truck for the job at hand,” said Hospelhorn. “Most of our jobs require hauling dry van trailers, but we also haul bulk tankers as well as dump trailers. Since many of our customers max out in weight, we look at lightweight spec’s and PacLease contributes greatly to the spec’ing process – letting us know what’s new and offering ideas. That’s a huge advantage over other leasing companies, which, for the most part, are order takers, or offer a pre-spec’d truck. With PacLease, we get the exact truck we need.”
To help keep driver retention high, Hospelhorn said Nu-Way drivers are also involved in the spec’ing process. “We ask for their suggestions on amenities for the trucks. They will also offer ideas on component spec’ing since they’ll be running the route the customer requires. This gives the driver a sense of ‘ownership’ in the truck and as a result, it connects them on a deeper level with the truck, our company, and our customer.”
The latest PacLease trucks joining the Nu-Way fleet have been the Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt Model 579. These ultra fuel-efficient tractors are powered by the PACCAR MX-13 engine. “Fuel economy has been excellent,” said Hospelhorn. “And the engine has been very reliable and extremely quiet. Drivers really like the performance of the engine and how comfortable the Kenworths and Peterbilts are. Equipment is an integral part of our success not only with customers, but with our drivers.”
Maintenance on the tractors is typically handled at night or over weekends at PacLease locations. “And, since PacLease can work on the tractor and the engine, it truly is a one-stop shop for us, and we know maintenance and repairs are done right the first time.”
Moving forward, Hospelhorn said the relationship with PacLease will continue to strengthen. “We pride ourselves on excellence in all that we do,” he said. “Quality is top down. The equipment, maintenance, and customer support we receive from PacLease allows us to be the best that we can be.”