A lease and maintenance program is providing measurable benefits for United Linen and Uniform Services
“We’re not in the truck repair business,” says Mat Saddoris, president of United Linen and Uniform Services, a family-owned and operated company based in Bartlesville, Okla. “Our focus is on providing first-class, high-quality products and services for our customers.”
United Linen, Saddoris goes on to say, is also intent on making a highly favorable impression on customers by fielding a fleet of productive and efficient trucks. Beginning in 2006, that has meant replacing older vehicles with a new and growing group of Kenworth T270 Class 6 trucks supplied and maintained by MHC Truck Leasing, a Tulsa, Okla.-based PacLease franchise.
Started as Saddoris Laundry and Dry-cleaning in 1936 by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Saddoris, the current president’s great-aunt and uncle, the company began as a personal laundry service. Now run by a third generation of the same family, it has grown steadily through expansion and acquisition. Today, it serves about 2,500 customers in southeast Kansas, northwest Arkansas and all major markets in Oklahoma with linen and uniform rental and cleaning services. The company also is a supplier of cleaning, restroom, first-aid and healthcare products to restaurants, manufacturing facilities and other businesses.
“Fielding vehicles to pick up and deliver products to customers has been a part of our operation since its beginning,” Saddoris relates. “For more than 30 years, our fleet consisted of gas-powered walk-in vans that were maintained in-house. That presented a number of problems, including a lack of load carrying capacity, that lead to fairly frequent breakdowns and a short life-cycle of 150,000 to 200,000 miles. The image our trucks portrayed, driver satisfaction and safety were considerations also, as was the big fluctuation in transportation costs each month.”
A final issue for United Linen came about three years ago with the retirement of the company’s in-house technician and the difficulty in finding a suitable replacement. In response, Saddoris began looking for alternatives, in part by talking to other companies in its industry in other parts of the U.S.
Best practices
“Several of those companies told us that one of their best practices was to lease trucks, so we asked them about their likes and dislikes and began talking to different vendors,” Saddoris relates. “Ultimately, we decided that a full-service leasing and maintenance program was our best course of action, and two years ago we pulled the trigger. Since then we have replaced about half the fleet with 12 Kenworth T270s and the balance will be changed over by about 2012.
“We chose PacLease and its MHC Tulsa franchise because they worked hard to build a relationship with us,” Saddoris states. “With Brendan VanDorn, our account executive, and others at MHC, we have been able to improve our productivity, efficiency, safety and image, and boost driver satisfaction. We’re now in our third year of this partnership and it’s been very positive for us.”
United Linen’s lease agreements with PacLease range from six to eight years and 300,000 miles. Having closed its company shop, the Kenworth T270s in its fleet are maintained at MHC locations in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and in Van Buren, Ark. Also available at those locations are substitute vehicles so United Linen always has trucks available if a repair is needed.
With a GVWR of 26,000 lbs., Saddoris notes, the Kenworth T270s in the United Linen fleet have significantly greater carrying capacity than the 15,000-lb. GVW walk-ins they replaced. The ability to handle larger loads means fewer trips to and from the company’s cleaning facility, and is also enabling United Linen to consolidate and optimize routes.
Working with MHC also enabled United Linen to specify vehicles that more closely meet the needs of its linen and uniform business. The Kenworth T270s, for example, are fitted with customized 24-ft. Morgan bodies designed to last 15 years, or for at least two chassis.
FRP models, the Morgan bodies in the United Linen fleet, feature aluminum floors for durability and ease of cleaning. The manufacturer’s engineering team also designed a sliding side door to help improve productivity during unloading, as well as a a unique garment rack system that utilizes E-track positioned on walls about eight inches from the ceiling for securing moveable hanging garment racks. Safety, productivity and flexibility are also enhanced by interior halogen lamps as a well as Maxon aluminum, level ride, tuck-away lift gates fitted with cart stops and equipped with a remote control for safer driver operation.
More effective
“Leasing has also greatly eased administrative requirements for us,” Saddoris states, “including outsourcing all of our licensing and fuel tax reporting to PacLease. In addition, while our costs varied greatly in the past, we can now budget more effectively because we only have to pay a single pre-determined monthly bill.”
Saddoris also acknowledges that full-service leasing most likely provides a cost savings for United Linen, in part because it has eliminated unpredictable vehicle repair costs and no longer has the overhead associated with operating its own shop. The new trucks have also improved fuel economy from about 7 MPG with gasoline-powered walk-ins to over 9 MPG with the diesel-powered T270s, a potentially significant savings for a fleet that operates about one million miles per year.
Less tangible but just as important, Saddoris notes, is the big change in driver satisfaction and safety that the Kenworths provide. “Our drivers are paid on commission so time is money and these trucks make them more productive,” he says. “They also provide for ease of loading and unloading. While drivers used to unload bins and place linen sacks in vans, for example, now they can move bins directly into the van bodies, saving a great amount of time.
“None of our competitors have trucks like this,” Saddoris continues, “and the image they portray of our company is noticeable to customers as well. The trucks look great and serve very effectively as moving billboards. These Kenworths are top-quality vehicles and that fits perfectly with what we want our image to be.”
Now serving as the face of the company, the Kenworth T270s at United Linen and the full-service leasing and maintenance program it has in place with PacLease are providing benefits in efficiency and productivity. In a business that is based on providing pick-up and delivery services, Saddoris says, these benefits have improved employee satisfaction, enhanced customer service and strengthened the bottom line.
United Linen Truck Specifications
Model: Kenworth T270; Class 6, 26,000 lbs. GVW
Wheelbase: 260 in.
Engine: PACCAR PX-6; 240 HP @2300 RPM, 560 lb.-ft. @ 1600RPM
Transmission: Allison 2500HS, 5-speed automatic
Driveshafts: Spicer
Front Axle: Dana Spicer E-1002I;10,000-lb. capacity, taper leaf springs
Power Steering: TRW TAS 65
Rear Axle: Dana Spicer 21060S
single; 16,000-lb. capacity, 5.29 ratio
Rear Suspension: Hendrickson HAS 210L
Brakes: Bendix Spicer
ABS: Bendix
Wheels: Accuride, steel disc
Tires: Bridgestone 295/75R22.5; R250F steer, M725 drive
Batteries: (2) PACCAR Group 31, 1400 CCA
Alternator: PACCAR, 130 amp
Compressor: Cummins 18.7 CFM
Air Dryer: Bendix AD-IS, heated
Air Cleaner: Donaldson
Driver’s Seat: Kenworth Air Cushion Plus
Mirrors: Prutsman, dual 8-in. convex; fender mounted
Paint: Dupont Imron
Fuel Tank: 100 gal., aluminum
United Linen Body Specifications
Model: Morgan Dry Freight, 24 ft.
Inside Height: 91.12 in.
Inside Width: 100.56 in.
Side and Front walls: FRP
Roof: aluminum
Floor: inverted T-Ribbed aluminum; 6-in. scuff band
Logistics: E-track
Rear Door: Whiting, roll-up
Side Door: Morgan Maximizer, sliding
Lift gate: Maxon GPT-3; aluminum, tuck-away; dual cart stops; remote control
