PacLease is celebrating its 45 year anniversary this month.
Launched in June 1980 as an extension and new service for Kenworth and Peterbilt dealerships, PacLease was developed to enable dealerships to better serve their customers, many of which were looking into full-service leasing as a product offering for these specific buyers.
Today, that has culminated into nearly 41,000 Paccar vehicles being in lease or rental service worldwide through PacLease.
“In 1980, PacLease was established during a pivotal moment in the trucking industry marked by deregulation, offering customers greater flexibility and control over how they managed their transportation needs,” says Ken Roemer, president of Paccar Leasing. “It made a lot of sense for our dealerships to join the PacLease network — we started with 17 franchises located across the United States and Canada. While fleets could lease Paccar products from other full-service leasing companies, we felt a direct connection with Kenworth and Peterbilt dealerships — who could custom-spec a truck for their customer’s exact requirements — would be a differentiator in the marketplace. And, looking back, it certainly has been.”
Once launched, momentum for PacLease quickly grew and “it hasn’t stopped,” Roemer says. “Today, we’re continuing to touch customers in the U.S., Canada, as well as in Mexico, Australia and Europe. It’s been exciting to see the growth.”
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Supporting those vehicles is a network of 665 PacLease service locations — 540 of which are in the U.S. and Canada.
“Providing service virtually everywhere has been a key to our sustained growth,” says Roemer. “Our franchises, while independently owned, know the key to great customer service is to treat each customer as if it were their own. If there ever is a problem on the road, a PacLease location is there to offer full support to keep the truck moving.”
Since its inception PacLease also has expanded its service offerings to augment its full-service leasing and rental truck programs. In 2024, it launched an online Franchise Portal, providing its network with a suite of real time reports, including fleet prognostic information, to enhance operational efficiency and drive uptime.
The company also provides customers with contract and managed maintenance programs, which Roemer says has “been especially attractive for fleets that have a combination of leased and owned vehicles,”
He adds, “Trucks continue to evolve in technology, making them more challenging to service for those with their own shops. As a result, more fleets are relying on PacLease to provide that support — saving them time, money and downtime.”
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Roemer also credits the people and products of PacLease for its continued success.
“Premium Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF trucks are the hallmark of Paccar. It’s why the company has been so successful over the years,” he says. “But it also takes a strong, dedicated franchise group to back those products with an unrelenting passion for customer support and service. Great products, backed by great service, is the key to being successful in today’s environment. I couldn’t be prouder of our team, our franchises and our customers of what we’ve achieved in our first 45 years. Our goal remains the same — to be the transportation solutions provider of choice for the full-service lease and rental market.”
