Do you run a business? Does your business offer doorstep deliveries to its clients? Then one day you might have to decide whether you should buy new or used commercial vehicles.
Why you should even consider buying used fleet vehicles instead of new ones?
Read onto learn the pros of buying a used fleet vehicle.
What does the process of buying used fleet vehicles look like?
The process of buying used fleet vehicles is simple.
The first thing you would have to do is look for a reputed used commercial vehicle dealership. The next logical step is to negotiate with the right people in a bid to get a great price for the vehicle(s).
After that, inspect the vehicle by yourself in a bid to gauge whether it is professionally maintained or not. Experts recommend buying used commercial vehicles with relatively low odometer readings.
With that, the process of buying used fleet vehicles concludes.
Why does it make sense to buy used fleet vehicles?
Buying used fleet vehicles is a sensible decision since they cost low upfront. Insuring a used commercial vehicle is cheaper since the policy premium will be low. A used commercial vehicle does not depreciate in its market value compared to a similar brand-new commercial vehicle.
If you want to keep your driver safe, simply buy a commercial vehicle that is just a couple of years old. In this way, the vehicle will be packed with the latest active and passive safety features. If this was not convincing enough for you then remember the following. Registering a used commercial vehicle costs less compared to registering a new commercial vehicle.
What should you keep in mind while buying used fleet vehicles?
While buying used commercial vehicles, remember to follow these steps in a bid to stay on the safe side of things.
- Make sure that the price you are paying for the vehicles is on par with their actual market value.
- Ensure every single used commercial vehicle you have shortlisted is inspected by technicians you trust.
- Ask the seller to produce detailed service records of each vehicle.
- Ensure that the vehicles have any form of extended warranty applicable to them.
- Run background checks on the VINs of each commercial vehicle. Avoid vehicles that have questionable backgrounds. Additionally, if you notice that the VIN of a used commercial vehicle has any signs of tampering, avoid it right away.
- Last but not least; do not buy a used commercial vehicle without taking it out for a long test drive. A long test drive will reveal the quirks of the used commercial vehicle. In this way, you will have the chance to negotiate the price of the vehicle with the seller.
Why shouldn’t you invest in new fleet vehicles?
Well, avoiding new fleet vehicles is a good idea for the following reasons.
- You would have to shell out a bunch of money to insure the new fleet of commercial vehicles.
- New fleet vehicles will relatively consume more fuel at least for a few first thousand miles.
- New fleet vehicles lose their value as soon as they are driven off the dealership. Hence, spending hefty amounts of money doesn’t make sense.
Is it that bad to buy new commercial vehicles?
Not necessarily.
Buying new commercial vehicles does come with their fair share of cons and the biggest one of them is the hefty upfront cost. However, buying new commercial vehicles has many advantages in store for businesses.
Some of them are mentioned below.
- New fleet vehicles are more reliable compared to used vehicles.
- New fleet vehicles won’t have wear and tear hence no repairs will be needed.
- New vehicles would not need frequent preventative maintenance sessions.
- New commercial vehicles are safer than used old commercial vehicles. The vehicles will be packed with the latest automotive safety technology features.
- New fleet vehicles will be readily compatible with the best vehicle tracking systems. Used commercial vehicles are often a decade (or more) old. Chances are high that their OBD-2 port might be damaged. Hence, a GPS tracker for fleet devices might need to be attached to the used fleet vehicle using a splitter cable. That’s quite a lot of work and all of it could be avoided if you buy new fleet vehicles. However, do not forget the high cost of buying a new fleet vehicle. The high registration costs and the hefty insurance premiums will significantly increase the upfront costs. In the end, just to ensure that the OBD port is in its working condition, buying a new fleet vehicle doesn’t make sense, now does it?
Don’t forget to invest in fleet management technology
So you have finally got your hands on a bunch of fleet vehicles. New or old, that doesn’t matter now anymore. However, it will matter if you do not retrofit each of those fleet vehicles with fleet tracking devices.
Why?
Well, a business generates a lot of data each day – no surprise there. However, in-house fleets also generate additional data that needs to be managed properly. Fail to do that and you might end up with a bunch of broken-down vehicles. You can also end up getting a bunch of angry customer emails due to delayed deliveries. These combined comprise just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Without GPS fleet tracking devices, keeping drivers and vehicles safe will be impossible. Fuel costs will skyrocket due to mismanagement and blatant wastage of fuel. Additionally, instances of fleet vehicles idling will also increase. In a nutshell, invest in the best OBD trackers for fleet and benefit from connected vehicle features like vehicle health monitoring, driver behavior monitoring, and more.