Running a business that requires repair or deliveries in the field is going to mean a significant investment in fleet vehicles. While you perhaps want to invest in a large fleet eventually, your status as a startup may only require anywhere from one to five vehicles to start.
Otherwise known as a micro fleet, many startups prefer going this route to get their field business on the road without having to invest in dozens of trucks.
It's not always possible to find a fleet option like this without going through a top-tier fleet management consultancy.
Being Able to Lease a Micro Fleet
Finding the best leasing options is going to help your bottom line considerably, and leasing usually has variations to help you out. For instance, you have walk-away leasing options, allowing you to essentially walk away from your lease at a date you specify.
Using this for a micro fleet could help you save even more money and build the capital you need to accrue for larger asset investments.
This is only the beginning of what you could do with your micro fleet. You have other options in aftermarket items, or even buying the vehicles at a later date.
Leasing Equipment to Go in Your Micro Fleet
When you go through the right consultant, they'll give you some great options to use in your micro fleet. Equipment leasing is another major money saver while giving your micro fleet a chance to use the most state-of-the-art technologies.
Telematics are a big deal now in all fleet management. Your drivers are going to have a chance to use technologies like in-vehicle cameras (dash cams), GPS systems, mobile apps, and other vehicle tracking devices.
All of these help you keep track of where your small fleet is at all times. Despite having only one to five vehicles on the road to start, you'll want to know where they're going and how your drivers perform. Ultimately, this helps you figure out better routing to give you more gas efficiency.
Ideal for When Companies Pay for the Vehicles
When you find a fleet management service offering a micro fleet option, it can benefit you greatly if the company holds responsibility in paying for your vehicles. Those of you working as contractors may find this option worthwhile without having to dip into your own funds to get quality vehicles on the road.
Your company might be able to find good deals in buying or leasing used corporate vehicles, something some fleet management services offer. Of course, you'll want a vehicle history before buying these as a micro fleet. Any reputable fleet management consultancy will give you the facts so you can make an informed buying decision.
Sometimes you'll find micro fleet services with options equal to large fleet leasing or buying.
What Options Can You Use to Save Even More Money?
Once you decide on micro fleet leasing or buying as a logical choice, ask if you can get volume discounts, something you'd normally only find if you leased or bought dozens of vehicles.
Using volume discounts on a smaller fleet will certainly continue to save you money, despite being a rarity to find through all fleet services.
Adding maintenance programs should become another feature to watch out for, especially having alerts on where to go to get service if it's needed immediately. Predictive maintenance plays a big factor in success here, part of what telematics brings.
However, you should also have a single-source fleet management headquarters you can rely on. Don't go through a service with multiple locations where communication could easily become confused.
Contact us at Wilmar, Inc. to learn about how we can bring a micro fleet plan to your field business. We'll provide the options you see above for long-term savings.
