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FleetMaintenance_NovemberDecember_2016

| Light Duty management consultant Christensen of Mercury Associates generally advises that fl eets lease d or borrowed vehicles. Specifi cally, she recommends a pay-as-you-go solution. Ryder Leasing, among other companies, off ers this pay-asyou go option, along with several diff erent fl eet options. Its new ChoiceLease program caters to diff erent fl eets who want diff erent levels of maintenance control. “We came to fi nd that there is a strong interest in the marketplace for having options and greater control, which is how ChoiceLease came to fruition,” said John Gleason, executive vice president and chief sales offi cer, Ryder (www. ryder.com). “Th is unique off ering is providing customers the opportunity to do business with Ryder on their terms.” Off ering more or less maintenance control depending on the customers’ needs can be a major pull for fl eets who may see buying as the only way to maintain control of maintenance, he notes. Th e Ryder ChoiceLease’s maintenance options – Full Service, Preventive and On-Demand – enables customers to decide the terms of their lease alongside the level of maintenance they prefer, from total bumper-tobumper coverage to pay-as-you-go maintenance, accessed only when and where they need it. Most commercial operations opt for a traditional operating lease, Christensen says. Th is type of lease allows use of the asset for a portion of its life, usually between fi ve to seven years, before turning it back in before it’s fully depleted itself. WEIGH THE BENEFITS With diff erent operations and applications, it’s easy for a single pro-con leasing list to get a little messy. A downside for one company could be an upside for another, depending on what a company wants to get out of their fl eet. For example, leasing allows a fl eet to elect to pass on maintenance duties to a leasing company. Th at means also passing on the burden of training and recruiting technicians to keep up with the increasing complexity of technology. It can be an out of sight, out of mind mentality. Th at works for some, but electing to contract maintenance duties could also mean not being able to make maintenance decisions, like when, where and who is going to be working on their fl eet. But, it also gives fl eets access to maintenance facilities across the country, which isn’t a luxury you can have with an owned fl eet most of the time. Leasing can also take care of the titles and registration of fl eets that are based across the country. Leasing companies are increasing fl exibility in leasing programs and off ering more customization options in order to appeal to both those who want more control, or less control, and, it’s working, say some fl eet consultants. In general, leasing light duty vehicles for fl eets means a lower monthly cost, the option to customize a program and benefi ts from a new and constantly upkept fl eet. VehicleServicePros.com/10122353 VehicleServicePros.com/12078497 32 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com


FleetMaintenance_NovemberDecember_2016
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