PacLease Helps At-Risk Youth Program Arrest Runaway Fleet Maintenance Costs

Last year when Tom needed help not once, but twice, the 17-year-old troubled youth could count on the Idaho Youth Ranch (IYR). Thanks to the money it raises through a network of 24 thrift stores located throughout Idaho, the IYR had the resources to help Tom overcome a history of gang affiliations, substance abuse and expulsion from public school.

With help from IYR counselors, Tom learned how to address his at-risk behaviors and how to access community resources and support. He recently started attending Boise State University. He’s now determined to finish school and become a social worker so that he can help others receive what he’s been given: a second chance.

Every year, the IYR helps 1,800 young people like Tom and their families deal with the problems associated with delinquency, abuse or neglect, family conflicts, mental illness, or drug and alcohol abuse. About 60 percent of the money it uses to pay for counseling services at its ranch outside of Rupert and its five residential homes located across Idaho comes from its thrift store operation.

A few years ago, the IYR Board of Directors, in response to a growing need in the community for services, developed a plan to grow its network of thrift stores. But the organization suffered from high maintenance costs associated with its fleet of used trucks because of their age and condition. The IYR trucks pick up donations of clothing, furniture, and other household and office items from residential homes and businesses.

Gregg Crow, director of distribution for the IYR, said an analysis conducted on its trucks showed that with some units, the IYR paid as much as 60 cents in maintenance costs alone for every mile of road they traveled. Like many other non-profit organizations, the IYR had collected a hodge-podge of used trucks that it bought used or that businesses had donated. Since it didn’t have the money to buy new equipment, the organization just simply fixed what it had and limped along.

“We quickly came to the realization that we couldn’t meet our growth plan without first getting a better handle on the maintenance costs for our truck fleet,” Crow said.

Just as Tom turned to the IYR for help, the IYR turned to PACCAR Leasing (PacLease) and the experts at its Boise franchise, Trebar PacLease, for help dealing with its high fleet maintenance costs. The IYR now leases 13 trucks from PacLease for its distribution centers in Boise and Twin Falls: including 10 Class 6 Kenworth T300s.

Every day, Monday through Friday, those trucks pick up donations and deliver them to distribution centers in Boise and Twin Falls. At the distribution centers, the donations are sorted by quality and grade and then stacked on pallets for delivery to the stores the next business day.

Crow said his organization chose to lease trucks from PacLease because of the quality of the trucks and the ability of its franchise, Trebar Leasing, to customize the trucks for its needs.

The Kenworth T300s are equipped with 260-hp PACCAR PX6 engines with 620 ft-lbs of torque powered through automatic transmissions. The heavier duty trucks are used primarily on the longer distance routes where the trucks’ horsepower and torque gives drivers more power to pass or to climb mountain passes more quickly. In the city, IYR drivers need a lighter, more nimble truck to pick up donations at residences.

Since the IYR started leasing trucks from PacLease in May of 2007, Crow said fleet maintenance costs have evaporated. That’s how the organization has been able to absorb two thrift store operations without increasing its operating costs at the distribution centers.

“From an operational standpoint, we also don’t have to play this shell game where we have to find another truck when one breaks down,” Crow said. “Downtime was a huge problem for us, but not now that we have these new trucks.”