Phone app saves on fuel in U.S., plus some humour

In today’s message:

• Phone app saves $$ on U.S. fuel
• Fancy finance footwork (for those who missed it last time)
• Some humour…
• Helping you buy or sell equipment

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Phone app saves $$ on U.S. fuel

A new leasing client who is a multi-tractor owner-operator just introduced me to a free phone app, designed by him and a partner, that locates the lowest diesel price on any route in the United States.

A driver simply chooses a state and a highway, then the app provides real-time fuel pricing for independent and chain truck stops. I was surprised to see that prices at the chains are much higher than at many independents. I’m guessing that’s because the chains offer fleets a discount off the retail price, so they try to keep retail prices higher.

Fleets can get a unique code that allows their drivers and owner-operators to find the true, discounted fuel price already negotiated by the fleet.

To get the free app, go here: http://www.fuelbook.com/

For more details about the app or fleet codes, please contact me.

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Fancy finance footwork (for those of you who missed this last time)

The last couple of weeks have been busy here at Aquilian, what with bringing on several new clients who needed some customized financing. Here are a few of them:

One fellow recently lost a relative who owned a trucking company and some other businesses. The survivor has been working hard to keep things going while also selling off everything gradually to raise cash for the other beneficiaries of the estate. He came to us looking for a way for him to buy some of the trucking company’s tractors. The problems here were: The units had high mileage, he needed to be able to show the other beneficiaries that he paid Fair Market Value, his own credit score was not the best, and he intended to run the tractors as a “new” owner-operator for another carrier. We arranged a third-party appraisal to determine the Fair Market Value and then approved him for financing. We expect to pay the estate a lot of cash next week, once all the paperwork comes in.

Another owner-operator wanted to buy a reefer trailer from a carrier owned by his brother. It can be difficult to get financing for a sale between related parties, but we were able to determine that the price was fair, so this one will get paid next week, $32,000.

An engine in Alberta needed replacement. That, along with other repairs, came to a total bill of $22,000. We financed the repair bill over 12 months without any early-payment penalty.

We got called one week before a small fleet took delivery of a new tractor. They asked whether we could get a better price or cut their monthly payments. We did both: We bought an identical unit from another dealer at a lower “wholesale” price ($12,000 less), and then financed it at a full 2% less than the dealer. Please note that the dealer said their rate was the same 7% as ours, but we could prove that the rate they were actually charging was 9%.

A medium-sized carrier called us to raise some cash from their fleet of trailers. They are looking for $550,000. We will get the fleet appraised, then buy just enough of the trailers to raise that amount. The carrier will then have a 3-year term to pay off the loan/lease. At the end of the term, they’ll own the trailers outright once again.

Let us know if our fancy finance footwork can help you.

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Some humour

We are reaching way back into the early 20th century today, for some quick ones from Henny Youngman:

I’ve got all the money I’ll ever need. If I die by 4:00.

Getting on a plane, I told the ticket lady, “Send one of my bags to New York, send one to Los Angeles, and send one to Miami.” She said, “We can’t do that!” I told her, “You did it last week!”

The food on the plane was fit for a king. “Here, King!”

There was a girl knocking on my hotel room door all night! Finally, I let her out.

A man is at the bar, drunk. I pick him up off the floor, and offer to take him home. On the way to my car, he falls down three times. When I get to his house, I help him out of the car, and on the way to the front door, he falls down four more times. I ring the bell and say, “Here’s your husband!” The man’s wife says, “Where’s his wheelchair?”

A doctor gave a man six months to live. The man couldn’t pay his bill, so he gave him another six months.

A bum asked me, “Give me $10 till payday.” I asked, “When’s payday?” He said, “I don’t know, you’re the one who is working!”

Then he said, “I haven’t eaten in two days!” I said, “You should force yourself!”

A doctor says to a man, “You want to improve your love life? You need to get some exercise. Run ten miles a day.” Two weeks later, the man called the doctor. The doctor says, “How is your love life since you have been running?” “I don’t know, I’m 140 miles away!”

The other day playing golf I broke 70. That’s a lot of clubs.

A drunk was in front of a judge. The judge says “You’ve been brought here for drinking.” The drunk says “Okay, let’s get started.”

The patient says, “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.” “Then don’t do that!”

A man goes to a barbershop and asks, “How many ahead of me?” “Five.” The man leaves. He comes back the next day and asks, “How many ahead of me?” “Four.” The man leaves. He comes back the next day and asks, “How many ahead of me?” “Six.” The man leaves, and the barber says to another, “Follow that man!” The man comes back and says, “He goes to your house!”

Once I read about the evils of drinking, so I gave up reading.

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Helping you buy or sell equipment

• Do you have equipment you’d like to sell, but buyers don’t have enough cash?
• Do you want to buy from a private seller who wants only cash?
• Do you have an employee who could be an owner-operator, if only they could get financing? (Sell them your older units and get newer ones!)
• Do you want your owner-operators to replace aging equipment or get additional units?
• Does your bank or leasing company say, “No”?

We can help, at no cost or obligation.

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