Get most out of the leased

tlaHOSE who succeed in the increasingly pressured, I always competitive lumber industry have to keep an eye on costs and service. Redwood and cedar manufacturer and distributor Capiral Lumber Co., Healdsburg, Ca., finds that leasing is trucks saves money in the long run and inproves service sn 6 daily basis.

Capital Lumber produces finished prodrrcts such as siding, decking and paneling at a rate of up to 300,000 board feet per day, making it one of the largest suppliers of redwood in the country. Headquartered in Phoenix, Az., Capital opened the Healdsburg mill and distribution center in 1986. Its fleet there has since grown to seven Pete6ilt 379s and 14 Reliance trailers, leased through Paclease, Santa Rosa. Capital Lumber has several other distribution centers (Phoenix; Denver, Co.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Lubbock, Tx., and Chino, Ca.) - which each run between two and seven Kenworth and Peterbilt tractors.

According to Mafty Olhiser, general manager for the Healdsburg facility, quality redwood products coupled with fast delivery have fueled the company's growth. "Dependable delivery in today's market is imperative," he said. "We do a lot of business with home centers which need reliable service. We offer guaranteed 48-hour service and we need to keep that commitmenl If we have 14 loads scheduled with seven trucks and we lose a truck, we lose two loads and tlrat's unacceptable to our customer."

Leasing its fleet helps put things at ease. Capital has yet to miss a delivery due to equipment failure. "Out relationship with our leasing company has always been excellent," Olhiser continued. "Never in seven years have we had a down day on a truck. If a truck has a problem, it's replaced immediately and we stay on schedule."

One of the keys to keeping the fleet in good working condition is a meticulous maintenance program. According to transportation manager John Tunnicliffe, the company usually calls the leasing company the day a truck hits its mileage mark for periodic maintenance. Paclease, Santa Ros4 offers same day service, so the driver is back in the rig within an hour.

The fucks average around 80,000 miles a year, but PacLease replaces them regularly. The leasing fimr's replacement schedule is aimed at keeping each vehicle's mileage down to keep its resale value up, guaranteeing lessees always have new, reliable transportation.

Capital originally chose leasing to alleviate the maintenance headaches associated with ownership. When the Healdsburg facility was opened, Capital had no mechanic and no desire to staff a parts deparErent. And, said Tunnicliffe, "not having to worry about the trucks lets me concentrate on making deliveries to our customers in Z hours. We guarantee 48, but do our best to make the delivery within a day."

Paclease's Duke Yolo has worked with Capital from Day One to ensure the equiprnent is best suited to the less@'s n@ds. Olhiser explained, "I'm not in the trucking industry. I'm a lumber person. I trust Paclease to tell me what's best for me. I rely on them to be the experts."

First" Capital provided Paclease with its basic requirements. Then, after analyzing the distributor's routes and image concerns, Yolo spec'ed the Peterbils with Cummins 430 engines driven through Fuller l3-speed transmissions. The bigger engine was chosen due to the hilly terrain the drivers encounter. To increase the load hauling capacity, the trucks were also spec'ed with a lot of aluminum, such as the wheels.

Since Capital Lumber's routes are in a 250-mile radius, drivers are home every night - one reason they don't have a driver turnover problem. Typical routes are to the San Francisco area, about 200 miles roundtrip, or the Sacramento Valley, which is about 250 miles roundtrip.

Story at a Glance

Leasing trucks can improve reliabilaty and eliminate headaches ... advantages in delivering wood products.