Where can I rent a 53 dry van with maintenance that's affordable?

Have you an accountant at all your spending good to rent a trailer! Really?

 

I am going from an $800/mo. trailer rent to owning a 10 yr old flatbed outright this weekend. Do the math, if you buy a solid used trailer, what are the odds you will spend that much EVERY month on upkeep? Eventually, you will run out of stuff to repair and have a great asset for your company.
Unlike a rental or lease, you will build equity that you can tap into later on.

 

OK is this a joke thread?

To the OP, first get over this trivial stuff, buy a trailer, they are cheap and what you put into it will pay for itself. If you are worried about tires and brakes, then you are acting too cheap. this is a business and there are costs related to running the business, tires and brakes are almost considered commodities when it comes to running the business, just like fuel.

Second thing is this - if you are fretting about this trivial crap worried about driver tearing apart brakes and tires, then do not hire drivers, stay an O/O and do not think of expanding.

Third is this, if you are paying for a rental on a trailer which means it is a short term use agreement, then the maintenance is on the company you rent from, not you. If you lease (which you are not doing) and you are paying for maintenance directly, then you are being screwed.

Each arrangement normally has a fixed price for the unit and then a per mile cost involved to cover mileage, not a direct "you pay for brakes and tires". I would have told that company to go to hell for even considering a direct cost on maintenance and would never rent from them.

 

Advantage Trailer Sales in Ottawa Lake, MI. 440/ month for first 4 months than a 10% discount down to 396/ month thereafter. They take care of the maintenance. Sure, I could've bought a trailer but at this cost, it seemed just as easy. Most of the auto plants and suppliers I go to have an 8 or 9 year old cutoff for trailers. I just consider the rent as a tax deductible business cost and don't worry about it. When this 2012 Wabash that I'm currently pulling hits 8 years old, I'll just get it swapped out for a newer one in their fleet at that time. No messing around with buying and selling trailers. You still have to pay for a tire if you're out somewhere and have a blowout. So, I keep a good eye on the tire psi's and condition. If I see any that are starting to look rough, I run it back to them to have a new one put on before it turns into a problem on the road and it's my cost. So far so good.

 

What kind of "maintenance" would a dry van trailer need anyhow? What, now that LED's have taken over, not even a bulb.

Modern bogies don't even need to be greased.

Brakes and tires is all that I can think of.

 

I rent one trailer for $350 per month from Jim Hawk Trailer in Kansas City, MO. It was a good trailer when I got it. Maintenance is not included because anything that needs fixed got broke by me.

 

OP just wants it for free and honestly has no idea what it takes to make this work.

 

I don't think the OP had a bad question. He is clearly over paying for his current rental trailer though. At 750/ month, you could buy a trailer. At sub 400/ month, it starts to be just as cheap to rent. It all depends on what his individual needs and goals are. Shop around, OP, you can get a trailer for half of what you are paying.

 

The 400 is true..I'm here in San antonio and I rent one 400 mo..jtm

 

Lights, wiring, the dreaded ABS come pull me over yellow beacon on the trailer. Wheel bearings, dragging brakes etc.