When you need a vehicle now, a fleet management company’s purchasing department can come to your rescue.
The traditional factory ordering process remains the best way to acquire fleet vehicles. But what if you can’t wait months for a new vehicle? Perhaps your company is going through a growth spurt. Or maybe an accident has rendered a vehicle no longer operational. Or possibly you hired someone unexpectedly. Whatever the reason, there’s an alternative available through your fleet management company (FMC) when you need one or several vehicles sooner rather than later.
What is dealer purchasing?
Purchasing departments at FMCs search dealer inventories nationwide for the vehicles to fulfill your pressing vehicle needs efficiently and effectively. To better understand how these programs work and their key benefits and considerations, we sat down with Casey Morris, Mike Albert’s Dealer Purchasing Manager, to learn more about the nuances of finding a vehicle fast.
Morris shared five key considerations that fleet managers should keep in mind when in need of a vehicle like, well, yesterday.
- Be wary of tackling the job yourself.
Sure, you can attempt to locate a vehicle on your own through cold-calling and internet searching. But this is time-consuming and not necessarily fruitful. Besides, even if you locate a vehicle, how do you know you found the best deal possible?
Experienced teams like Morris’s work with vetted dealers for whom they maintain detailed intelligence, enabling them to find the best deals in a hurry. “In addition,” Morris says, “vetted dealers understand our industry and grasp the urgency a fleet feels when it’s down one or more vehicles.”
Key Question: Do you have the time, resources, and market knowledge to effectively source the vehicles yourself, or would professional assistance provide better value?
- Your local dealer likely isn’t the right option.
As tempting as it may be to attempt to secure the vehicle you need from a dealer down the road, it’s rarely your best option. “You’ll almost certainly end up paying more, perhaps significantly so,” Morris says. “Even when you factor in the cost of transporting a vehicle from a dealer in another city or state, it’s often the more economical route to take with a lower net cost.”
Morris notes that fleet-friendly dealers are also more apt to offer better service and faster response times. “Plus,” Morris says, “we also work with dealers who offer third-party upfitting capabilities.”
Decision Framework: Compare total costs (purchase price + transportation) and evaluate service capabilities before defaulting to local options.
- Not all dealers are fleet-friendly.
As noted above, regardless of where a dealer is located, it may or may not be fleet-friendly. If it isn’t, that dealer likely won’t understand the industry’s nuances, which can slow the process down with needless complications. “It’s a red flag to us when a dealer doesn’t have a dedicated fleet or commercial person because that often means that they don’t know how to execute a fleet deal appropriately, and, therefore, may not be aware of applicable fleet incentives or how to execute an out-of-state deal,” says Morris.
Why This Matters: Inexperienced fleet dealers can slow the process with complications and may not maximize available savings opportunities.
- Speed isn’t the only concern.
Yes, you want your vehicle as soon as possible, but there are other factors to consider. For example, what if the requested vehicle isn’t readily available anywhere in dealer inventories? In that case, accomplished dealer purchasing teams can advise you on suitable alternatives that can be acquired faster, if that’s a viable alternative.
“Dealer purchasing associates act as consultants,” says Morris. “We’re not just order takers—we’re advisors, helping our clients work through any decisions that need to be made.”
She adds that another benefit of engaging with an experienced dealer purchasing team is that, should a problem arise, such as a scratch on your new vehicle, they can help mitigate the issue and see that it’s resolved to your satisfaction.
Value-Added Services: Experienced procurement professionals can serve as consultants, providing advice on alternatives and helping resolve issues (such as vehicle damage during transport) rather than simply processing orders.
- Understand scalability options
What if you need more than one or a couple of vehicles? Is dealer purchasing still an option? “Yes,” says Morris. “Dealer purchasing can also support strategic growth.”
Morris says that while her team typically deals with requests for one to five vehicles, it’s not uncommon to locate many more. “For new clients, we often handle large batches—30 vehicles or more—to start a new business division or to replace an aging fleet.”
For fleet managers facing urgent vehicle needs, taking time to understand available procurement options and asking the right questions can lead to better outcomes in terms of cost, timing, and service quality.
Should you need one—or more—vehicles in a hurry, contact Mike Albert to learn more about how our dealer purchasing department can help you out in a pinch.
