The first step in vehicle acquisition isn’t necessarily evaluating what it needs to do. Before buying, ask yourself if your internal customer really needs that truck. In addition to upfront costs, eliminating unnecessary units could reduce routine maintenance and licensing costs and even labor requirements.
Just because a truck is in the fleet doesn’t mean that it must be replaced with the same model. It may have been acquired to meet a requirement that no longer exists. Multiple trucks may be performing the same basic task. Changes in demand for that task or increased fleet productivity through upgrades may have eliminated the need for some units.
“Rightsizing” should be a part of every replacement cycle’s evaluation process. Do you have a specialty unit that’s only used occasionally? If so, see if the work can be subbed out to a rented unit.
Next page: Rethinking engine option
