A Billion Dollars of Dry Powder: Why 10 Leasing is Betting on a Market Turnaround

In this episode of the Trucking Risk and Insurance Podcast, host Chris welcomes Homan Yazari, CEO of 10 Leasing, one of North America’s largest trailer leasing, maintenance, and fleet management companies. Yazari shares his unique perspective on the current freight recession, drawing parallels from his background in aircraft and helicopter leasing during the post-COVID recovery. He argues that the industry is poised for a sharp rebound due to four years of suppressed investment, aging fleets, and constrained supply—factors that create a perfect storm for a 'snapback' in demand. With $1 billion in dry powder, 10 Leasing is positioned to support fleet operators through flexible leasing, full-service maintenance, and data-driven predictive upkeep. Yazari emphasizes that leasing isn’t just about financing—it’s about risk mitigation, operational agility, and long-term fleet strategy. He also highlights the critical talent gap in maintenance roles and the resilience of hands-on trades in the age of AI. The conversation underscores a shift in mindset: the core of trucking isn’t ownership, but reliability, safety, and service delivery—tasks that can be outsourced to specialized partners like 10 Leasing. Key takeaways include the strategic advantage of leasing over ownership in volatile markets, the importance of predictive maintenance enabled by data and GPS tracking, the growing demand for skilled mechanics in a tech-agnostic workforce, and the power of scale in managing asset life cycles. Yazari’s vision is for a future where trucking companies focus solely on moving goods efficiently, while leasing firms handle the complexity of capital, maintenance, and asset turnover. The episode ends with a call to action for fleet operators to rethink their financial and operational models in light of current industry dynamics.