9 Reasons to Change Your Approach to Acquiring Fleet Vehicles
Most businesses do an inadequate job of acquiring corporate fleet vehicles. This includes not only the purchase process itself but also the often-overlooked complexities of fleet vehicle leasing. Given the significant costs of vehicles, fuel, and maintenance, even in a small fleet, careful consideration of all acquisition methods is essential.
Common Mistakes in Fleet Vehicle Acquisition
The reasons for this behavior at a business will vary, but generally fall somewhere into the following areas:
- Vehicles are not a high priority: Fleet decisions are often made haphazardly, without proper planning or consideration of long-term costs.
- The employee coordinating company vehicles has many other responsibilities: Fleet management is treated as a side task, not a core function, leading to oversights and inefficiencies.
- Vehicles are often acquired in a consumer fashion: Businesses fail to leverage their buying power or explore fleet-specific discounts and options.
- Vehicle selection often defaults to past acquisitions: Companies stick with familiar vehicles without evaluating newer, more efficient models or considering their evolving needs. Fleet, volume, and unpublished discounts often go unclaimed.
- A comparison analysis is not performed factoring future value, operating costs, or fuel economy: Acquisition decisions are based on initial price rather than total cost of ownership, potentially leading to higher expenses down the line.
- Needs analysis is not performed: Companies fail to assess whether their vehicle choices align with their current operational needs, resulting in potential waste and underutilization.
- Lack of standardization resulted in varying vehicle options within the fleet: This can complicate maintenance, increase costs, and reduce efficiency.
- Annual vehicle selector is not developed: Without a systematic approach to vehicle selection, companies miss opportunities to optimize their fleet and control costs.
- Acquisitions are unplanned or result only when mechanical issues arise: Reactive, rather than proactive, acquisition strategies lead to rushed decisions and missed cost-saving opportunities. Partnering with a fleet management company that provides a dedicated account team and hands-on approach will correct these inadequacies and bring cost savings.
Dedicated Expertise for Optimal Fleet Management
Partnering with a fleet management company that provides a dedicated account team and hands on approach will correct these inadequacies and bring cost savings. Ewald Fleet Solutions’ service model is built around a high level of personalized attention and ongoing involvement. You will not be required to adjust your business model to a pre-established “one size fits all” program.
Our key difference is not in the fleet tools that we bring to your business, but rather the fact that we provide you with a dedicated “technician” that knows how to use the tools and will bring improvements and savings to your business. This is what separates us from other fleet management companies and why we are able to bring ongoing savings and improvements.
Start Saving on Fleet Costs Now
Don’t let inefficient vehicle acquisition practices drain your budget. Contact Ewald Fleet Solutions today for a free consultation and let our experts help you optimize your fleet for maximum cost-effectiveness.