Fleet Auto Sales Considerations
The acquisition of an auto fleet is similar to purchasing an individual car on a much grander scale. Private and public buyers looking for auto fleet vehicles should research carefully the reputations of prospective vehicles. Construction companies, manufacturers, and other companies interested in buying American should find models with the best safety and mileage ratings possible. Businesses and government agencies looking at foreign and domestic vehicles should look carefully at performance, safety, and value metrics from multiple sources.
Another consideration with fleet auto sales is the proximity of dealerships to service these vehicles. Universities and major corporations may have in-house service departments capable of handling maintenance schedules without heading to service centers. The volume of maintenance for dozens to hundreds of fleet vehicles means that the local lube shop is insufficient. Your company’s fleet auto sales experience may be dictated by the service stations and dealerships in your community.
Your auto fleet is designed to make your employer’s daily work easier to complete. Construction companies acquire full-sized pickup trucks for foremen and general laborers to reach their work sites. Government agencies purchase sedan and van fleets to transport workers and guests from site to site comfortably. The fleet auto sales world is geared to meeting very specific needs from clients rather than general transportation requirements. Your company needs to sort out its fleet vehicle needs before proceeding with costly acquisitions.
Approaching Fleet Auto Sales Responsibly
After you have found the right vehicles for your auto fleet, you should contact a fleet sales manager at a dealership capable of handling your needs. A fleet sales manager is different from an online or traditional auto sales manager because of his familiarity with vehicle costs, warranties, and available fleet vehicles. The fleet sales manager should be consulted when your company is ready to test drive prospective vehicles for your fleet. The manager can also track down units at other dealerships and regional distribution centers to fulfill your order.
Your auto fleet order cannot be completed without a decision on whether to lease or own your fleet vehicles. An auto dealer with a fleet sales department can lease out fleet cars, trucks, and SUVs to customers not interested in long-term vehicle investments. Your fleet auto purchase can be completed with a traditional auto loan from a dealer or neighborhood bank. If you want to get better value for your auto fleets, you should consider applying for loans early to acquire fleet vehicles instead of leasing.
An inexperienced fleet buyer may not realize that the per-unit cost of a fleet vehicle goes beyond the sticker price. Your company may need to acquire extended warranties for each vehicle to head off repair and labor costs on manufacturer defects. Your auto fleet provider may offer maintenance packages for each vehicle that increase monthly payments significantly. An increase in the trim level for each fleet vehicle may seem insignificant at a per-unit level, but these costs accumulate quickly. No matter how you pay for fleet auto sales for your company, you should take into account these additional costs before signing on the dotted line.
Popular Fleet Auto Sales Models
Vincentric’s Best Fleet Value in America™ (http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/03/15/040415. html) is a set of awards issued each year to recognize the best cars, trucks, and SUVs based on their values in fleet vehicles. Vincentric’s™ examines lifestyle costs over the years including fuel, insurance, depreciation, and taxes to find the best values. Instead of examining overall sales and vehicle quality, Vincentric’s™ focuses on fleet vehicles that should be purchased by private and public buyers. The 2007 Vincentric’s Best Fleet Value in America™ awards show the best values among domestic and foreign fleet vehicles currently on the market.
Vincentric’s™ best values among passenger cars in 2007 included the Saturn Ion®, Subaru Outback®, and Chevrolet Impala®. The awards for best fleet values among SUVS and crossovers included the Nissan Murano™, Mercury Mariner™, and Jeep Compass™. Companies looking for great values among trucks and vans should look at the Ford F-150® and the Dodge Caravan®. These ratings help first-time fleet buyers eliminate vehicles that are costly to operate and unlikely to live up to years of use.
Nationwide Fleet Services Inc. ©
Nationwide Fleet Services Inc.© (http://www.nationwidefleet.com/) is a unique auto fleet sales network based out of Apopka, Florida. The used fleet vehicle market is dominated by online and traditional auctions run by inexperienced handlers. Nationwide Fleet Services Inc.© works with auto dealers and retailers to sell used fleet vehicles to companies nationwide without resorting to auctions. The incentives offered by Nationwide© to its clients ensure that used fleet vehicles are in great shape when they arrive at your garage.
The company travels nationwide to pick up used fleet vehicles from their retail partners. These vehicles are photographed, inventoried, and stored in a large warehouse until fleet buyers can be found. The use of an intermediary like Nationwide Fleet Services Inc.© eliminates concerns about fleet vehicle histories. Buyers and sellers of fleet vehicles throughout the United States are both satisfied when working through Nationwide’s© fleet auto sales network.
CU Auto Fleet©
CU Auto Fleet© (http://www.cufleetauto.com/) is a fleet auto sales company based in West Allis, Wisconsin. The company calls itself the second largest independent dealer in Wisconsin, thanks to its extensive list of used and new fleet vehicles. CU Auto Fleet© applies a very strict standard to the used cars, trucks, and SUVs listed on its website. Fleet vehicle customers should check daily to find newest entrants to the CU Auto Fleet© family. The company facilitates leases and car loans to help customers flexibly finance their auto fleets.
Ford Fleet©
Ford Fleet© (https://www.fleet.ford.com/default.asp) is symbolic of fleet auto sales services offered through major automakers. The American automaker offers an online fleet vehicle menu broken down by models and vehicle uses for customer convenience. Ford© arms its fleet vehicle customers with information including incentives, special rebates, and model information to ensure informed purchases. Ford Fleet© also provides a full menu of warranty, maintenance, and car care package information for buyers interested in augmenting their fleet purchases.
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