HOW INTERNATIONAL® FINANCIAL DELIVERS FINANCING SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE FULL CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE

A front-facing view of an International LT truck

By Izabela Zaluska, communications specialist, International Motors, LLC

International® Financial supports customers at every stage of fleet ownership. By bringing together financing, maintenance and service into an integrated experience, the team helps simplify how fleets plan, pay for and maintain their equipment.

With a deep understanding of commercial operations and customer needs, International Financial tailors its approach to fit a wide range of situations — from financing a single vehicle to managing an entire fleet.

Patti Brault, vice president of sales and business development at International Financial, discusses how International Financial delivers flexible fleet financing solutions across the lifecycle and how that approach helps support uptime, cost predictability, and long-term customer engagement.

Brault has more than 30 years of experience across dealer- and customer-facing roles. Her career includes leading large-scale portfolios, guiding teams through periods of transition, and aligning finance strategy with commercial priorities while staying close to dealers and customers.

The following Q&A has been edited for style and brevity.

International: When we talk about becoming a solutions provider, what does that mean for International Financial?

Patti Brault: The finance company is the invisible glue that holds the different services and solutions together, including preventive and predictive maintenance. The finance company makes the creation of that bundle invisible to the customer, so the customer doesn't have four different invoices. International Financial makes it easy to create the bundle, and we make it easy for the customer to consume the bundle by having one monthly payment with one place to go.

International: How does being a captive finance organization change the way we support customers compared to traditional lenders?

Patti Brault: As a captive finance organization, we look at the credit fundamentals in a similar way but with a deeper understanding of the market. Unlike a bank, we don’t step away from the transportation market during a freight recession. We don’t have the ability or desire to shift to technology or retailers when the freight market gets tough. We are dedicated to the transportation market.

International: How does financing help us deliver value and solutions across the full lifecycle, not just at the point of purchase?

Patti Brault: One of the unique aspects of the finance company is that our relationship with the customer spans their entire use of the equipment. We interact with that customer every month when they have a payment due, which creates naturally recurring checkpoints. As we think about how we stay engaged with customers and get ourselves included earlier in the buying decision, International Financial is well positioned for that because we are already connected to the customer.

International: How is predictive maintenance incorporated into the financial conversation with customers?

Patti Brault: The most powerful way is being able to translate an upfront cost for preventive maintenance into cost per mile. When you have a monthly payment that's due, instead of saying something costs $20,000 up front, you can say it costs 4 cents per mile based on the mileage you're going to run. It moves the maintenance from an upfront capital expense to an operating expense, which is much more palatable for our customers.

International: What is the value of bundling services and maintenance?

Patti Brault: The value I see in the bundles is that it removes uncertainty around maintenance events. It's a way to know your truck is optimally running and in the best position to maximize uptime. You’re also giving yourself peace of mind and locking in a cost versus needing to pull into a preventive maintenance facility that could charge more than your local dealer.

International: How do market conditions shape how customers think about fleet investment and modernization?

Patti Brault: Right now, the market is showing signs of improvement after a yearslong freight recession, and as such, this is a good time to consider fleet modernization. However, customers shouldn't feel like they have to time the market. When you work with a strategic partner like International Financial, the focus is on developing solutions that meet your business needs, allowing you to invest when it's the right time for your operation.

As customers consider when and how to modernize their fleets, technologies like the International® S13® Integrated Powertrain offer an opportunity to prepare for the future while improving operational performance today. The S13 Integrated Powertrain is designed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2027 emission standards, and the 2027 model carries over approximately 90% of hardware from the current platform, delivering fuel efficiency expected from the proven S13 Integrated Powertrain while helping to manage total cost of ownership.