Fleet automobile sales refer to the sale of vehicles to companies, organizations, or government agencies that own a fleet of vehicles. Vehicle manufacturers rely on fleet sales for a large percentage of their sales, but it can also diminish a vehicle’s value in the public eye. Some customers find buying a vehicle from a fleet of cars a smart purchase because these vehicles are regularly serviced and generally well cared for in use. Fleet automobile sales may also refer to non-fleet customers who purchase vehicles directly from an automobile dealership’s fleet department.
Fleet automobile sales are sales of vehicles to companies, organizations or government agencies that own a fleet of vehicles. Some types of businesses that may own large fleets of vehicles are car rental companies, businesses that provide products or packages, taxi and shuttle services, and those that provide vehicles for employee use. Government organizations or agencies that may own a fleet of vehicles include charities, police departments, fire departments, postal services, the military, and local and national government agencies.
Many vehicle manufacturers rely on fleet car sales for a large percentage of their vehicle sales and offer special programs and incentives for fleet buyers. In fact, when automakers tout a vehicle as the “best-seller” in a particular category, it may be due in large part to auto fleet sales. Of course, manufacturers can’t advertise the fact that a car’s sales volume is actually due to fleet sales of cars, as opposed to sales to regular consumers.
There is also a downside to fleet sales for vehicle manufacturers, as they typically generate lower profits per vehicle and often diminish a vehicle’s value in the public eye. For example, the Ford Taurus was the best-selling vehicle in its class in the United States in the mid-1990s. Ford highlighted this fact prominently in its advertisement for the Taurus.
However, approximately 50% of its sales were to rental fleets, and customers began to associate the Ford Taurus with affordable rental cars. This in turn devalued the public’s perception of the Ford Taurus, which affected sales. Within a few years of being the best-selling car in its class, Taurus sales had dropped to such an extent that the nameplate was discontinued for a time by the Ford Motor Company.
Many companies, organizations and government agencies actually sell their used fleet vehicles to consumers. Some customers find buying a vehicle from a fleet of cars a smart purchase because these vehicles are regularly serviced and generally well cared for in use. Others believe that buying a vehicle from an automotive fleet, especially a rental car company, can be risky. This is because, although car rental companies may routinely maintain and care for their vehicles, rental car customers are known to abuse and not take care of the cars they rent.
Fleet automobile sales may also refer to non-fleet customers who purchase vehicles directly from an automobile dealership’s fleet department. This process is commonly known as “fleet airline” and allows non-fleet customers the ability to purchase vehicles at discounted fleet prices. Dealers do not often advertise this service and many do not offer it, therefore customers interested in ‘air fleet’ purchases are advised to contact their dealer and ask to speak to their fleet manager to find out if the dealer can offer fleet sales to non-fleet customers.
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