TruLite: The Go-To Commercial Glass Company in Montreal
June 25, 2024
Utilizes Medium Duty Trucks from PacLease to Ensure Timely Deliveries
With 26 fabrication plants and more than 3,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada, Trulite is a leader when it comes to manufacturing and selling glass and aluminum solutions for those in the building community. Its product line consists of office partitions, railings, entrance doors, storefront systems – even showers -- to name a few.
While its products are top-of-the-line, so too are its sales and service. To ensure timely deliveries, each Trulite branch has its own fleet of trucks, making the company a one-stop-shop from fabrication to delivery.
“You can have the best product in the world, but if you can’t back that up with service and on-time delivery, then you’ll have problems,” said Dominic Leclerc, who is the General Manager for the Montreal branch of Trulite. “It’s why we rely on PacLease for our trucks. We worked with PacLease before we were acquired by Trulite in 2018, so we knew about the quality of Kenworths and the service PacLease provided to keep us on the go. Plus, we knew how leasing simplified cost accounting. We know what to expect in our bill every month.”
According to Leclerc, PacLease is one of the preferred truck leasing vendors that is pre-approved by Trulite. “So, when we became Trulite, we simply transferred the lease to our new name.”
To serve Montreal and outlying areas, Leclerc utilizes five Kenworth T480s – two are boom trucks for deliveries to job sites, and three are 23-foot box trucks which deliver to glass retailers. In Montreal, the company primarily delivers glass office partitions, showers, and railings and serves a 250-kilometer radius of the city. Each truck normally averages about 100,000 kilometers a year.
Unlike other leasing companies in the area, PacLease was able to lease the entire truck package to Trulite. “Others wouldn’t include the body or the boom in the package,” said Leclerc. “With PacLease it’s turnkey, and that makes it easy for us. They also work within our schedule. For maintenance, we normally will have PacLease pick up our trucks on a Friday after the shift has been completed and have them returned by Monday morning. This weekend service – and their pickup/delivery service – assures we have trucks available during the weekday with no downtime.”
For the box trucks, Leclerc worked with PacLease to spec a single-axle configuration, utilizing a PACCAR PX-9 engine rated at 260 hp, driven through 10-speed automated transmissions. Inside the boxes, which have racks to hold glass, rubberized floors help cushion payloads. A typical truck can carry between 5,000 and 15,000 pounds of glass products and do between five and twenty stops per day.
The 22-foot flatbed boom trucks were spec’d as tandem-axles with PACCAR PX-9 engines rated at 350 hp, using 10-speed automated transmissions. To handle heavier loads and the boom, the trucks feature 16K front axles and 40K rear axle ratings, using heavy-duty front tire (size 315). Their trucks feature a full insert on the frame to handle added stress. The boom trucks can carry up to 20,0000 pounds of product on four racks – that’s up to 10,000 square-feet of glass -- with each truck normally visiting between one and three job sites each day.
Since the trucks are specialized, there aren’t substitute vehicles waiting in the wind should a truck go down and need to be replaced. “PacLease certainly understands us; they know our delivery radius and need for reliable equipment,” said Leclerc. “It’s also nice having PacLease locations throughout our region. If there were ever a need outside of Montreal, we’ll be covered.”
According to Leclerc, a four-year lease keeps drivers in newer equipment, and they help showcase the company in a positive light. “We offer premium products and the trucks we run reflect that,” he said. They’re very well built and look sleek. We’ve had people come up to us and ask us where we got our trucks. Our drivers also like being behind the wheel. They’re comfortable trucks and they respond well on the road. Plus, the turning radius is great – sometimes we are in tight spots for deliveries.”
Going forward, Leclerc said the Montreal area is growing, and that means more potential business for Trulite. “We’re ready with products, and more importantly with excellent service,” he said. “It’s nice to have PacLease as a partner -- they’re a big contributor to our success.”