Paccar Leasing will open seven new locations in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest as it continues to expand its franchise network in the United States.


The new franchise locations are:

* CIT PacLease, 22 Gateway Commerce Drive W., Edwardsville, Ill.

* Palmer Leasing Group, 4984 East State Road 14, Fair Oaks, Ind.

* Palmer Leasing Group, 7267 North Baker Suite A, Fremont, Ind.

* Allstate Leasing, 21800 John Deere Lane, Rogers, Minn.

* Allstate Leasing, 558 East Villaume Ave., South Saint Paul, Minn.

* Custom Truck Leasing, 2910 East Mall Drive, Rapid City, S.D.

* Western Pacific Leasing, 112 First St., Cosmopolis, Wash.

"Our location growth in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, South Dakota and Washington State is driven partly by a variety of new economic activity throughout the United States and Canada," says PacLease President Neil Vonnahme.

Private fleet trucking activity is up as new oil and gas exploration heats up across the Midwest section of the United States. Customers are also looking for alternatives to purchasing equipment as technology continues to increase in complexity on commercial trucks. These are all creating a number of growth opportunities as Paccar dealers respond to the need for full-service leasing from customers.

Full-service leasing is also a popular choice among fleets as they must meet maintenance requirements under CSA and deal with new emissions technology introduced in 2010, Vonnahme says.