Equipment lenders see an advantageous market in 2025 after years of pandemic-induced capital and supply chain challenges.
Equipment lenders are “full throttle” for financing this year following a challenging 2023 and 2024, Matt Manero, president of Carrollton, Texas-based Commercial Fleet Financing, said during today’s Equipment Finance News webinar, “Dealers and Lenders: Solving Shared Challenges.”
“We do not have the same conservative nature that we had the last two years, so in 2025 we are all systems go, and our company has every intention of growing,” Manero said. “We think it’s a great time for customers to be buying equipment and trading out and really starting to focus on, how do they grow their businesses again.”
Buying trucks and equipment now presents advantages because more companies are likely to go out of business before the market right-sizes, Kit West, business development director at Wheatland, Wyo.-based equipment lender C.H. Brown, said during the webinar.
“If you can, you should be buying trucks right now and you should be buying some equipment right now, because more people will be going out of business that maybe shouldn’t be in business, and that’s unfortunate,” he said. “If you can afford to do it, and you have the fleet to be able to do it, then we’re saying, we’re going full bore.”
Availability for commercial trucks and trailers continues to increase, with EFN’s Index of Commercial Trucks & Trailers Available for Sale & Lease standing at a value of 84, up 58.5% month over month. As availability remains elevated and the market remains favorable, dealers and lenders can capitalize.
Education, communication between dealers, lenders
Anderson Equipment Co.’s deal making process with lenders includes deal education on what the customer is doing and what they have, as well as the equipment’s value as far as hours, where it is, what it looks like, and even providing pictures if needed, John Boy, finance and sales administration manager at the Bridgeville, Pa.-based firm.
“It’s mutually beneficial that we provide all that information because then we get the best approval for our customer as well because we have to sell both sides of this,” he said, adding that dealers need to “sell the lender and the customer to make sure they’re happy with the approval terms.”
Strong communication between dealers and lenders helps ensure satisfaction and agreements being reached, C.H. Brown’s West agreed.
“Having that open communication” is important he said. “There’s room to work together and get everybody on the same path and the same expectations, as that just makes everybody happy. Feedback is the biggest thing right there.”
The third annual Equipment Finance Connect at the JW Marriott Nashville on May 14-15, 2025, is the only event for both equipment dealers and finance providers. Learn more and register here.
