Driving is an important aspect of every business, no matter how you look at it. It could be taking your staff to work, driving them to meetings, moving goods and people, providing services, or everything in between. That is where fleet vehicles can excel in terms of maximising earnings while also being efficient. When the time comes to offload the fleet, whether to upgrade, downgrade, or simply for a change of pace, you should consider defleeting.
In this blog, we will discuss some fleet defleeting basics along with their importance in making your business more cost-effective.
What is Defleeting?
Defleeting is the process by which fleets prepare vehicles for auction or resale. Servicing, maintenance, and repairs are critical to ensuring vehicles are in pristine condition for resale, ensuring businesses receive the greatest value out of their used fleet vehicles.
It is critical to understand the health of fleet vehicles so that drivers may be appropriately supervised over the care of the vehicle and assist with keeping up to date with the company’s fleet information, such as devaluation and damage.
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How Can a Fleet Manager Save Money With Defleeting?
Understanding what goes into defleeting is one thing, but there is another side to the coin that must also be handled. You need to consider what that means for you and your company, as well as why it is such an important service to obtain in the first place. After all, there needs to be a rationale for so much labour, even if it goes beyond what you may already have in mind.
- Increase Company Profits
The most significant advantage of defleeting your business is that you will get the vehicles in the best possible condition, allowing them to get the largest possible turnaround, generate the most revenue, and help to maximize overall profits of the business by not having to sell them for less than they are worth.
- Upgrade Your Fleet
Another advantage of saving all that money with a little defleeting? More money for the following one. If your company is defleeting, it is always worth taking advantage of the opportunity to build a larger, stronger fleet that is ready to take your company to the next level. By correctly defleeting, you will ensure that you have the largest potential budget for the following generation of business vehicles, ready to help you make even more money.
- Safety
Finally, it is a sign of approval that is always beneficial in business. The very worst thing for profit-driving is unpleasant surprises and poor practice, and this is the greatest method to avoid both. Defleeting is one of the finest methods to ensure that the vehicles you are getting rid of are the best, most dependable, and most profitable equipment possible.
- Liability
When you sell off a well-maintained fleet vehicle, it speaks a lot about your company because you can take care of your assets while also ensuring that the buyer of your fleet appreciates your company. Good relationships are always beneficial, especially at such a high level of practicality.
What Factors Should Fleet Managers Keep in Mind When Planning Defleeting?
When planning defleeting for your business, fleet managers should keep in mind the following:
- Inspections
Getting a vehicle inspection for your company vehicle is the best method to ensure you fully understand the condition. You can gain insight into every part of your vehicle to ensure that you know what is ideal. It is difficult to make choices without the necessary information, and this is the best approach to obtain it.
- Repairs
Following a thorough inspection conducted using a fleet defleeting checklist, the important, necessary, and logical repairs are completed. Anything that is necessary or cost-effective can be done to the fleet to ensure that it is in the condition that you require, regardless of the reason.
- Servicing
Finally, servicing is always a possibility. There is no better way to go the additional mile and keep your vehicles in top condition than to have your entire fleet serviced. Every vehicle is primed and ready to accomplish what is best for the next phases of your business.
Effects of Improper Defleeting
- All resale vehicles are thoroughly inspected by dealership personnel. Their staff is educated to develop a keen eye when it comes to leased vehicles, finding any flaws that the temporary owner may have covered up.
- Cheap repairs are never successful. They will be identified, highlighted, and punished, costing you much more money in the long run.
- Failure to properly de-fleet can result in an unhappy lender, contract disputes, fines and fees, and other unneeded friction. That is why it is critical that you never take the risk.
- When it is time to return a vehicle to its rightful owner, take it to a team that can do all necessary repairs to the highest standards.
- De-fleet correctly and rest certain that your leased vehicle will be returned in excellent condition.
Tips for Proper Fleet Defleeting
Finally, let us discuss the top 5 tips for defleeting:
- Have the vehicle evaluated by a professional service provider and sell it for the highest possible price.
- Tell the truth to the buyer and don’t waste time attempting to make a subpar vehicle look great.
- Know the vehicle’s worth and the cost at which you should be able to sell it.
- Do not restrict yourself to a single channel or offer.
- Compare pricing and keep in mind: It is frequently preferable to take a modest loss now rather than wait for a larger loss later and incur all of the holding costs.
Key Takeaway
Finally, if you really understand defleeting, it can be one of the best business moves you can make. It mitigates any losses that are unavoidable from such depreciating assets and ensures that money stays in key locations, such as with the people and assets within it. It is also one of the most important things you can take to ensure your company is prepared for the future. The competitive landscape and its markets are always changing and evolving. Making sure you have the greatest equipment for the job by strategically deleting outdated ones can be really beneficial.
