As we enter 2022, we find ourselves faced with many of the same challenges we tackled in 2021. The global supply chain continues to be impacted by Coronavirus outbreaks leaving manufacturers in a very difficult position. Labor markets around the world... read more

January 2022

Ray Ellingsen: Pat, it appears market pundits believe supply chain restrictions may last well into 2022 if not beyond. What general insights can you share about the near-term asset availability shortage and longer-term impact assessment? Availability forecast? Model year implications?... read more

November 2021

With increasing regularity, corporations are adding sustainability goals to their business strategies. This new sense of corporate responsibility is in part being driven by changes in customer demand. Consumers are asking questions around the sustainability and environmental efforts of corporations... read more

July 2021

Lately there has been a lot of activity on the electric and hydrogen-electric commercial vehicle space. It seems like nearly every day there is a new item on a truck manufacturer and a technology company or battery manufacturer entering into... read more

March 2021

2020 was quite a year, and much of the talk surrounding the events center on COVID-19. That said, even with all of the heartache, there were some bright spots that need to be celebrated. Let’s start with the fact that... read more

January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has muddied that decision even further as it has become even more difficult to determine long-term implications of a purchase. Nowhere is this clearer than with residual values, which are one of the key factors in the... read more

July 2020

The first step in developing a long-term equipment financing strategy is to identify all of the fixed and variable costs associated with operating your current fleet. In other words, what is your current total cost of operation? A spend analysis... read more

October 2019

Asset sale lease-backs are not a new idea. However, it is an idea that makes good sense today. But before we get into why this strategy works to your advantage, given current market conditions, let’s go over some basics. The... read more

February 2019

In a rapidly changing market where we see wild swings in financial markets, the political landscape changing worldwide, oil production through the roof and the U.S. Federal Reserve increasing interest rates, how should we adjust our asset financing structures to... read more

January 2019

There is no arguing that the pace at which change is occurring is quicker than it has ever been before. It used to be that when new technology was introduced it was on the market for some time before it... read more

October 2018

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) recently identified the Top 10 equipment acquisition trends for 2018. I’d like to add my comments to some of what they said. According to the ELFA, tax reform will help unleash pent-up demand... read more

March 2018

As we kick off the New Year, we are faced with sweeping changes in both the tax system and equipment technology. If you have not already evaluated how these changes will affect your business, now is the time to do... read more

January 2018

When you think about putting together a finance structure that accommodates changes in the economy, there are a number of factors you need to take into consideration. Those include asset cost, equipment specification trends, used asset values, inflation, changes in... read more

September 2017

Considering the rapid pace of technology in our industry, replacing an asset based on gut feel or even historic patterns is no longer an efficient strategy. Equipment purchasers operating on the principle of inertia are deluding themselves if they are... read more

June 2017

Election season shines the spotlight on a wide variety of issues as both parties lay out their platforms on everything from jobs and voting rights to education and national security. They also take positions on infrastructure and transportation, which is... read more

September 2016