Questions on creating a rental company

Hello! I use Google translator, so sorry if something is not clear. I need help. I have a rental company for construction equipment (excavators, dozers, cranes, loaders etc.) in Russia, Moscow. Since in our country there is an economic crisis, I had a desire to create a company for the rental of equipment in the United States. I would like to understand:

- how are things with rental companies in America.

- in which city to start better?

- how is construction equipment rented with or without a driver?

- with or without fuel?

- do customers buy more equipment through the site or come to a sales point?

Do rental companies retake other equipment for rent or rent only their own?

Do you work on prepayment or postpay? Often, construction companies do not pay their debts? Immediately I would like to say we have in Russia all the special equipment for rent with a driver and fuel! and we also have a very advanced re-renting of another's construction equipment, since it allows us not to lose a client if, for example, a client needs an excavator and he is busy, we take an excavator from a partner company or a small owner and provide the client with an excavator. in this way, we make money on this and do not lose a client, since we satisfy his need.


I would also like to understand if your clients come to the site to choose a technique? In our country, the customer calls and orders the equipment, pays the bill and we deliver the equipment to the customer’s object, i.e. the client does not need to come to the office or to the place where all the equipment is.


thanks for the help!

Lots of big companies and small companies in the field plus equipment dealers usually rent too

Most are rented full, returned full (or customer pays to fill)

Most are rented without operator

Welcome to the Forums dcs-rent.

First of all the rental market in the US is very good. Our economy is doing well and the construction market is doing even better.

The normal way equipment is rented in my area of the country with is the Southeast, it is rented without operator. The customer is responsible for providing the operator and fuel. Transport is offered by the rental company or the customer can move it.

All the equipment is for sale with the rental companies I deal with (Cat Rental Store, United Rentals). Now that doesn't mean the price is a good price but every piece of equipment can be bought if the customer wants it.

When I need to rent a piece of equipment I call one of the salesmen/saleswomen at Cat or United Rentals and see if they have what I need and for what price. My default is Cat because I have a relationship with the dealer, they take care of us and have the dirt moving equipment we need.

We are set up on a monthly account for the equipment which means everything that was rented during the month comes due at the end of each month and payable by the 15th of the following month.

Hope this helps.

I find it very interesting to see how others in our industry around the world conduct business.

Something I have seen trending lately is a lot of companies relying heavily on rentals I know a handful of guys with upwards of 20 machines over 15 are rentals for every day equipment like backhoes

I wouldn't want to be in the rental business equipment gets destroyed to easily

I rent mainly from the dealer cause its higher end equipment most rental houses have base line equipment that can lack in performance

AzIron said:

Something I have seen trending lately is a lot of companies relying heavily on rentals I know a handful of guys with upwards of 20 machines over 15 are rentals for every day equipment like backhoes

I wouldn't want to be in the rental business equipment gets destroyed to easily

I rent mainly from the dealer cause its higher end equipment most rental houses have base line equipment that can lack in performance

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Many of our customers rent for longer terms and quite a few rent several machines.

They don’t have to pick up the tab for maintenance, if a machine goes down they can get it swapped out, and the machines are fairly new and are taken care of decently. They can also customize the machine for the job- I.e. maybe they need an excavator with a thumb for demo one job, then swap it out with a machine with grade control for another job. Or change out machines for smaller/larger. The flexibility is very useful for companies that take on varied projects.

We rent mostly from Cat Rental for the same reasons AZ and 955. I can get a hoe with a hammer, thumb or even a pulverizer. Or we can get a mini-ex or mini dumper. They have a wide selection of late model earthmoving equipment and if it breaks they have excellent service to get it back going or swap it out.

The Cat Rental Store in my region rents well below all the competition. It seems like a "loss leader" to me, an attempt to draw in Cat sales. They are somewhat underhanded in their dealings, agreeing to one price then getting the driver to ask you to sign something different upon delivery. One time they said they would throw in "free delivery", then I got charged for them to pick it up. They said "free delivery is delivery only, not pick up" knowing that most customers assume free delivery means free pick up too. But I still rent from them, doing so with extreme vigilance and shrewdness.

Home Depot is now renting mini excavators, skid steers, wood chippers are other semi industrial equipment. When I've rented from dealers they usually required you to have contractors insurance and some idea how to run the machine. I'm not sure what is required at Home Depot. Some people shouldn't use a simple tool like a hammer for fear of injury. I can only imagine what could go wrong when someone with no clue rents a construction machine from Home Depot. Pretty scary if they rent to anyone. I had to laugh though when I saw the chains and boomers on the trailer were from Princess Auto yet they sell chains in their store.

The Cat rental store here is owned by Finning but they have gotten out of renting a lot of smaller hand and power tools. They sold most it off a couple years ago.

Welder Dave said:

Home Depot is now renting mini excavators, skid steers, wood chippers are other semi industrial equipment. When I've rented from dealers they usually required you to have contractors insurance and some idea how to run the machine. I'm not sure what is required at Home Depot. Some people shouldn't use a simple tool like a hammer for fear of injury. I can only imagine what could go wrong when someone with no clue rents a construction machine from Home Depot. Pretty scary if they rent to anyone. I had to laugh though when I saw the chains and boomers on the trailer were from Princess Auto yet they sell chains in their store.

The Cat rental store here is owned by Finning but they have gotten out of renting a lot of smaller hand and power tools. They sold most it off a couple years ago.

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The HD here in the states have rented compact equipment for a while now. They must be expanding because I have seen some small service trucks with Home Depot logos on them advertising the equipment

Welder Dave said:

When I've rented from dealers they usually required you to have contractors insurance and some idea how to run the machine.

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I have never had to have anything but a drivers license to rent equipment in the States, no matter how large, but it has been about 4 years since I rented anything.

check said:

The Cat Rental Store in my region rents well below all the competition. It seems like a "loss leader" to me, an attempt to draw in Cat sales. They are somewhat underhanded in their dealings, agreeing to one price then getting the driver to ask you to sign something different upon delivery. One time they said they would throw in "free delivery", then I got charged for them to pick it up. They said "free delivery is delivery only, not pick up" knowing that most customers assume free delivery means free pick up too. But I still rent from them, doing so with extreme vigilance and shrewdness.

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Sounds like your Cat dealer sucks and that sucks.

I rent from UR as a second choice behind our Cat house because they bent me over a barrel once on a forklift tyne. Mason had a UR rented lift on a job we were on and I backed over the tip of the tyne with our 953 and broke it.

Since it was my fault I made sure to tell the UR driver picking it up that I broke the tyne, have an account and don't charge the mason for the broke tyne charge me. Well I get a bill in the mail for $1400 for 1, ONE brick tyne for a forklift. Now UR is second choice if the Cat house absolutely has nothing that will fit what we need.

Customer service is the key.

Personally if I have to be that vigilant to rent from a company I will spend my dollars somewhere else I might pay a little more in rent to have better service and response but when I call with an emergency my rental guy responds in aces night or day but he wants to have that reputation

If the company you deal with has no problem being known for being shady there is not a line they probably wont cross if they are given the opportunity

AzIron said:

Personally if I have to be that vigilant to rent from a company I will spend my dollars somewhere else I might pay a little more in rent to have better service and response but when I call with an emergency my rental guy responds in aces night or day but he wants to have that reputation

If the company you deal with has no problem being known for being shady there is not a line they probably wont cross if they are given the opportunity

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Agree it,Services is important very much.Quality equipments and professional drivers are necessary.

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