Tips to Help You Purchase Vehicles for Your Business Fleet
Setting up your business is a lengthy and expensive process, this is especially true if you plan on providing service and delivering products. To do this effectively, you’re going to need a fleet. A fleet is a personalized group of vehicles that are used for commercial purposes. Investing in a fleet is going to cost you a fortune, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend more than necessary. In this article, we’ll be providing business owners tips to help them purchase vehicles for their fleets.
First Decide Your Budget
It won’t do to be going into this process without a good financial plan in place. Before you start researching dealerships, you must come up with a good budget. To start, set an amount you’re comfortable spending. Remember that vehicles cost tens of thousands, so you can’t afford to be careless. Determine how many vehicles you need to start off with. Do you want to play it safe and only get a small handful of vehicles? What vehicles are you looking to obtain? Are you going to opt for trucks? These are all questions you need to consider as you create your budget.
Look for a Dealership With a Fleet Department
There are some dealerships that offer buyers a fleet department where they can easily find the vehicles they’re looking for. These dealerships know that you don’t have time to waste. The buying process is the same but doing it through a fleet department can help lighten your load.
Consider Buying Electric Vehicles
One of the best ways to label yourself as a reputable business is to advocate for the environment. In the case of fleet vehicles, you’d be shocked at how much they emit greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are so dangerous to the environment, it’s been proven to affect the very atmosphere. In fact, did you know that vehicles are one of the top contributors to climate change? Fortunately, there’s a way you can have a robust fleet while reducing your carbon footprint: electric vehicles (EVs).
Electric vehicles function pretty much the same as traditional vehicles with only one notable difference. This difference is how it refuels. Rather than spend a lot of money on something that actively harms the environment, you’ll be investing in recharge stations for your EVs. These stations will automatically recharge the vehicle’s battery. Keep in mind, however, that the electric car ranges may be different from others. You’ll need to review a guide that covers the longest ranges for EVs, what kind of options you have for chargers, and how you can make the most of the technology.
Don’t Hesitate to Purchase Used Vehicles
Something many people don’t take into consideration is the efficiency of used vehicles. Used vehicles are often overlooked simply because they’re too old or outdated. However, this isn’t exactly the case. The truth of the matter is that most used vehicles function pretty much the same as brand-new ones. Sure, the model may be a little older, but that’s no reason not to get it. Used vehicles are also far cheaper than new ones. You could easily save hundreds, if not thousands, on used vehicles if you shop right. One thing we should mention, however, is that you need to get every vehicle inspected regardless of whether it’s new or used.
Try to Get the Dealer Fee Waived
When you buy your fleet vehicles, the dealer often has a fee included in the initial transaction, this fee can cost around $100 to $700 depending on the lender. However, what new business owners don’t know is that this fee can be waived. All you need to do is ask and the dealer should be able to come to a compromise. Purchasing from the fleet department is your best bet as this fee can be waived automatically.
Look for Discounts
As you shop around, make sure to keep an eye out for any sales and discounts, this is one of the ways to reduce vehicle ownership costs on the front end. This can help shave off a decent amount of the final bill. Ask the dealer if they have any kind of specials in effect and when they end. If you’re able to get a sale off a used vehicle, then it’s possible to save almost half of what you would have spent on a new one.