INDIANAPOLIS — DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas has announced its entry into the trucking industry’s full service leasing market. Its comprehensive Sterling Trucks CompleteLease and Chrysler Financial CompleteLease initiatives are aimed at small business owners in the vocational segment.

CompleteLease was announced at the National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) “Work Truck Show” at the RCA Dome, in Indianapolis.

CompleteLease offers the convenience of a single-source transportation package for busy entrepreneurs. It features sturdy, durable vehicles and includes tailored financing, like an operating lease, maintenance, repair and other value added time-saving options such as titling, registration, compliance services and a fuel card.

The all-new Sterling Bullet and Dodge Sprinter Chassis Cab were also introduced CompleteLease will support these vehicles as well as the rest of the Sterling Trucks and Chrysler Group lineup.

“Based on the depth of our experience in both the commercial vehicle industry and the financial services industry, our customers and dealers have been asking us to develop a full service leasing package,” said Geoff Robinson, director sales for DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial. “Our primary target market is the commercial vehicle customer with a small to mid-size fleet of fewer than 100 vehicles in the vocational segment.”

CompleteLease is designed for customers, whose core business focus is in areas such as the food service and beverage sector, furniture stores, fuel distribution, plumbing supply, landscaping and contracting.

Robinson said DaimlerChrysler recognizes the opportunity to reach out to small business owners utilizing medium to heavy duty trucks as well those in the light to mid-range truck classes.

“Our research shows there is an appetite for full service leasing in the United States which led us to develop and introduce an all-new full service leasing initiative supported by the depth and scope of DaimlerChrysler,” Robinson continued. “All of that is framed by the needs of our dealers and those entrepreneurs who are running small businesses.”

Currently, CompleteLease is being offered by a select number of Sterling Trucks dealers and Chrysler Group BusinessLink dealers. The program will be offered by most Sterling Trucks and Chrysler Group BusinessLink dealers by 2009.

“We provide a wide range of vehicle choices with one monthly payment that covers vehicle acquisition, tailored financing, fleet management, maintenance support and hassle-free disposal at the end of the term,” Robinson said. “Essentially, we’re saying to small business owners, ‘You handle your business and we’ll handle the rest.’”