Delivering the Best Vehicles for Your Business

Small business owners who juggle a fleet of company vehicles oftentimes find themselves trading in or selling a number of vehicles at the same time.

If you fall into the fleet swapping category, then it's important to get the best price while making sure all the auto paperwork is properly taken care of.

In order to help you through the vehicle buying and selling process, here are just a few things to keep in mind when your small business is taking the fast lane to a new fleet:

Work with the Dealership's Fleet Manager Directly

Before you steer your small business toward a new fleet of vehicles, it's important to make sure the dealership you're interested has a fleet sales department. The easiest way to find this out is to call the dealership and ask for the fleet manager.

The fleet manager can help you determine if your small business qualifies for a fleet license and identification number. Fleet qualification means your business has access to lower lease and purchase pricing.

In addition, the fleet manager can fully explain other requirements your small business must meet.

This includes the lease period and the number of vehicles you can lease or purchase at any given time.

Most dealerships allow a maximum of ten leased vehicles depending on the size of your business.

Vehicle Resale Factors

Buying a fleet of vehicles is one thing, but reselling your used fleet vehicles is something else entirely.

As the following article shows, “Selling your car? Use this checklist” and these pointers below to get the most bang for your resale buck.

First of all, you'll want to choose options and add-ons that not only appeal to your small business, but a wide range of other businesses that might be in need of fleet vehicles.

Models are important too, so think standard pickup trucks and vans as opposed to SUVs with tons of pricey options.

In addition, don't choose colors that are too flamboyant and don't repaint your fleet!

Static cling decals and wraps are a great way to advertise your small business on your fleet vehicles and when you're ready to sell, the decals peel right off.

Leasing your fleet is always an option, so keep this in mind too if reselling your fleet sounds like too much of a hassle.

Obtaining Titles for Your Fleet

When it comes to obtaining titles for your fleet, the process is similar to buying a vehicle for personal use.

The title itself will be a fleet title, but as far as the title application, registration, proof of residency, proof of insurance, and emissions testing goes, everything is the same as a standard purchase or lease.

To save you the hassle of driving an entire fleet of vehicles to the DMV for VIN verifications, many states offer on-site VIN verifications.

You can call your local DMV to find out whether they offer on-site VIN verification service - there is an added fee for the convenience, but it's minimal.

Potential Risks Involved

If you're buying your fleet used, then it's important to be aware of some risk factors.

These include undue wear and tear, vehicle misuse, higher than average mileage, and inaccurate vehicle history reports. Knowing about these potential risks can help you avoid buying a fleet of lemons, so ask plenty of questions and do your own research.

By keeping in mind the pointers above, you'll drive away with a great fleet of vehicles for your small business.