According to IBISWorld.com, the U.S. truck rental market reached an estimated $37.1 billion in 2023. It’s expected the market size will continue to grow, as e-commerce continues to power the industry forward. The big players manufacturing commercial vehicles for moving are brands you likely know - Ford, GMC, Nissan, and more. Common sizes of box and flatbed trucks are a 12-ft. box, 8 to 10 ft. flatbed, and cargo van (designed best for short distances).
Bryan Partridge is the senior manager for The Home Depot Rental. He has worked at Home Depot since 2014, holding various roles within the Rental department and supports a team of "orange-blooded" associates who manage a broad vendor network and drive excellence in ordering, repairs, remarketing, pricing, assortment, and much more for U.S. stores. Rental connected with Partridge for a few questions on adding a box truck to a rental company's fleet of assets.
Rental: What is the customer profile of pros and consumers typically renting a truck?
Bryan Partridge, Sr. Manager, The Home Depot RentalThe Home Depot Rental- Consumer: The consumer will rent trucks for moving large furniture, heavy appliances, and from home to home.
Rental: If not already, what factors should rental companies consider if adding trucks to their rental fleet?
There are a couple factors one should think through before adding more rental equipment to any fleet. Expanding a fleet requires investment in time, money, and resources for maintenance, repairs, and management.
- Fuel Efficiency. Models with high miles per gallon (MPG) ratings will reduce operating costs. And regular maintenance is crucial for optimal fuel efficiency. Keep engines tuned, tires properly inflated, and ensure clean air filters. There is a lot to figure out with EVs but certainly something that we are interested in testing to see if they meet our customers’ demands.
- Insurance. Customers are required to have automobile insurance when renting a vehicle but the process of renting is just as fast and simple as a general tool or large equipment.
- Promotion. Look into an effective marketing strategy to build your brand and attract customers. It is also important to focus on exceptional customer service to foster loyalty and repeat business.
- Maintenance. We center our maintenance around the customer demand for the vehicles. We look at the individual store to determine the best cadence for maintenance, with the goal of not interrupting our customer’s projects. With many customers using these vehicles, we utilize technology to give us the right cadence to perform maintenance.
- Supporting Equipment. Efficiently managing a larger fleet becomes crucial. Consider software solutions to streamline operations and track performance.
Rental: Are there any misconceptions about box truck rental? What are they? What is the reality of these?
Many people are intimidated by the size of the truck, but we have added features to our vehicles to make them easier to drive and less intimidating. Also, there are misconceptions that these vehicles are only used for long-distance moves. They are great for local moves and are easy to drive in urban and suburban environments.
Rental: What are the latest advancements in rental trucks? (Comfort, technologies, engine efficiencies, etc.)
There has been a lot of change in our fleet’s technology. For the convenience of our customer, we have rear cameras, larger displays, and offer a broad variety of vehicle types for their projects. We also utilize the latest in telematics, which gives us an advantage on maintenance and performance of the vehicles.
Rental: Mileage vs run hours? When should a rental company retire a truck?
We don’t see a huge difference in mileage vs. run hours but there are many factors that go into the decision to retire a vehicle. We consider location, use, resale expectations, and seasonality, among other factors.
