Problem:
While working on a consulting engagement, a supervisor in your team has given you an assignment. The client is a regional trucking company. A new customer has approached the client with an opportunity that would require 120 trailers more than the trucking company currently owns. The client is uncertain how long the relationship with the customer may last, but the deal has the potential for significant growth.
Your supervisor has asked you to research leases and lease structure issues on the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) website, in particular the current practice and thought related to direct financing, sales type, and operating leases.
Address a memo to your supervisor that summarizes your FASB research results. Keep the memo brief while exploring the issues. Remember that both the client and the supervisor have limited time, and you want to make a good impression. Recommend an approach that the client can use to evaluate and capitalize on this opportunity.