SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                        Date of Event: December 10, 1998
                        Date of Report: December 14, 1998

                             PLM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter

                                    Delaware
                         (State or other jurisdiction of
                         incorporation or organization)

        1-9670                                 94-3041257
(Commission File Number)            (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)


One Market
Steuart Street Tower, Suite 800
San Francisco, California                                      94105-1301
(Address of principal executive offices)                       (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:            (415) 974-1399







ITEM 5.           Other Events

On December 10, 1998,  the Board of Directors of PLM  International,  Inc.  (the
"Company")  elected Warren G.  Lichtenstein as a Class III director of the Board
of Directors of the Company,  with a term expiring at the 1999 annual meeting of
the Company's shareholders. A copy of the press release announcing this election
is  attached  as  an  exhibit  to  this  form.  In  order  to   facilitate   Mr.
Lichtenstein's  election as a Class III director,  the Board of Directors of the
Company resolved,  pursuant to Article Sixth of the certificate of incorporation
of the Company,  to increase the number of directors of the Company from five to
six, and designated the newly created  directorship as a Class II  directorship.
Douglas P.  Goodrich,  Senior  Vice  President  and a director  of the  Company,
resigned as a Class III  director of the Board of  Directors  of the Company and
was immediately  reappointed by the Board of Directors of the Company as a Class
II director of the Board of  Directors of the  Company.  The Company  expects to
nominate Mr.  Lichtenstein  for election as a Class III director of the Board of
Directors  of  the  Company  at  the  1999  annual   meeting  of  the  Company's
shareholders.

Attachment:

Exhibit 1:                 Press release, dated December 14, 1998








Exhibit 1
                                         Contact: Janet M. Turner
                                         Vice President, Investor Relations
                                         (415) 905-7214


           PLM INTERNATIONAL ELECTS LICHTENSTEIN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San  Francisco,  California,  December  14,  1998  --  PLM  International,  Inc.
(ASE:PLM)  today announced that Warren G.  Lichtenstein  has been elected to its
board as a Class III director.

Mr.  Lichtenstein,  33, is the Chief Executive  Officer of Steel Partners LLC, a
New York-based investment  partnership and the General Partner of Steel Partners
II, L.P. Steel  Partners II, L.P. is PLM  International's  largest  shareholder,
currently owning 16.3% of the Company's common stock.

Additionally,  Mr.  Lichtenstein  is  currently  Chairman  of the Board of Aydin
Corporation, a NYSE-listed defense electronics concern. Mr. Lichtenstein is also
a director of Gateway Industries,  Rose's Holdings,  Inc., and Saratoga Beverage
Group,  Inc. Mr.  Lichtenstein is a graduate of the University of  Pennsylvania,
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

PLM  International  Chairman,  President and Chief  Executive  Officer Robert N.
Tidball  said,  "We are  pleased to  welcome  Mr.  Lichtenstein  to our board of
directors.  His  investment  and  operating  management  expertise  will make an
important  contribution  to the Company as we continue to execute our  strategic
growth plan to improve financial performance and shareholder value."

PLM International is a diversified  equipment leasing company providing services
to transportation,  industrial,  and commercial companies. With a combined owned
and  managed  portfolio  of  approximately   $1.2  billion  in  equipment,   PLM
International operates one of the twenty-five largest asset leasing pools in the
United States  today.  The Company  specializes  in creating  equipment  leasing
solutions for domestic and international customers.

                              ###






                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  in its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                           PLM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
                                           (Registrant)

DATE:  December 14, 1998

                                           By:   /s/ Susan C. Santo
                                                 -------------------------
                                                 Susan C. Santo
                                                 Vice President, Secretary and
                                                 and General Counsel