Every fleet lease manager knows this feeling: carefully budgeting for your fleet’s needs for the year, only to have your strict budget desecrated by an unexpected repair. Unlike normal car ownership, these repairs aren’t just $400 tire solutions; these are $7,000 transmission failures or $10,000 engine replacements, both of which can hit without any warning and cause detrimental damage to your budget. The unfortunate reality of fleet ownership is that it is nearly impossible to accurately predict how much upkeep costs, a figure that becomes even more unpredictable as the size of your fleet begins to grow.
Because of this, fleet leasing can help eliminate this high-stakes guessing game from your daily stress and transform fleet maintenance into a simple, flat rate that makes budgeting predictable, efficient, and affordable. At Glesby Marks, we aim to take the guesswork out of utilizing a fleet by offering our clients simple, budget-friendly solutions for their unique problems. Use this blog to learn more about how Glesby Marks can reduce your monthly repair expenses and save you money down the line.
The Roller Coaster of Fleet Maintenance: Why Ownership is Volatile
Everyone knows the damage that fleet maintenance can cause to your monthly budget spreadsheet. To fully maximize your resources, there isn’t a simple fix. It requires a complete switch in how your fleet is managed, and investing in a fleet leasing company like Glesby Marks is the first, most impactful step. Choosing to enter a full-service fleet lease program like ours at Glesby Marks is not just a different way of financing your fleet; it becomes a dedicated, strategic risk-management service that can save you significantly. What makes this so predictable is that it offers a fixed-rate promise, opposed to relying on reactive and much more costly repair prices.
What makes managing a fleet on your own costly is the cycle of expense volatility. Regardless of how much time you spend researching individual models and makes, no car is perfect. Every fleet will face emergency repairs, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. Additionally, cars typically face breakdowns every year you own them, usually following this model:
- Early years: Costs may be deceivingly low, but are mostly preventative, which may induce a false sense of security in your investment.
- Mid-years: This is typically when warranties begin to expire, your tires start to be replaced, and minor repairs start to overlap. Most often, this is when fleet owners see costs spike, but rarely come back to the base level.
- Late years: During the end stages of a car’s lifetime, it is typically when expenses begin to stack up the most. This could include full system failures that are not only unpredictable but also highly expensive.
Pinpointing the Real Fleet Budget Killers
While learning the primary life cycles of a fleet is essential, understanding what the big three most common budget killers are is imperative to seeing the reason for fleet leasing. These costs can lead to severe budget overruns, placing a significant strain on your company’s valuable resources. These are the three most common, yet still wildly unpredictable, fleet expenses that come with fleet ownership:
- Catastrophic failures
- Unexpected regulatory maintenance
- Accident repairs and insurance deductibles
While these expenses might seem straightforward, when managing a fleet, they can become out of control in an instant. Because of that, working with Glesby Marks is the best way to take control of your budget and use your fleet as a strategic, money-saving asset rather than a slow bleed on your resources.
Fleet Leasing vs. The Finance Trap of Ownership and Maintenance
When it comes to securing your budget and taking it from a reactive, unpredictable cost to a predictable and fair monthly fee, fleet leasing is the ultimate solution. In order to flatten your maintenance fees, Glesby Marks offers a full-scale operating fleet lease option for our clients. This is the best route for optimizing your lease and eliminating the bulk of overhead fees that can build up through your vehicle ownership. This type of lease isn’t just a different way to finance your fleet; it is a complete transfer of the major risks associated with managing a fleet and a team of drivers across the country. That’s because within an operating fleet lease, the entire lifecycle of repairs, maintenance, titles, and accidents is all handled by our team – even the explained, surprised breakdowns that can destroy your budget.
The Calculus of Certainty: How Your Fleet Lease Absorbs All Risk
A fleet lease offers one all-encompassing solution – turn your chaotic and unpredictable fleet maintenance budget into a predictable, reliable guarantee. This is because it absorbs both the minor and major repairs that your lease requires to stay in peak operation.
The first aspect of maintenance that your fleet lease takes care of is preventative maintenance. This includes oil changes, inspections, and general tune-ups. Additionally, on the other side of the spectrum, the reactive maintenance that we take care of includes things like engine work, transmission solutions, and suspension issues.
Additionally, tires can also make a large impact on your monthly budget, but with an operational lease, you don’t have to worry about scheduling and paying for replacement, rotations, and blowout repairs. Lastly, we also cover roadside assistance when you need emergency towing or repairs on the go, especially when facing tight deadlines or demanding clientele.
Finally, one of the largest benefits of fleet leasing is that your monthly payment doesn’t encompass the depreciation of the vehicle. You can rest easy knowing that your payment will stay stagnant, regardless of the maintenance or state of the vehicle.
Eliminating Hidden Administrative and Downtime Costs With Fleet Leasing
Along with the overhead maintenance costs, fleet leasing can also help eliminate the hidden fees that might be draining your budget. This could include things such as the time and labor required on your end to manage owning the fleet. Not only does this take considerable time away from staff and the role they need to accomplish, but when you work with Glenys Marks, our team is dedicated to this service. Meaning, that we know how to get you the best rates and the best service – allowing you to focus on your job and your staff.
Additionally, paperwork with Glesby Marks is an afterthought for you when you choose a fleet lease. We take care of all the busy work and stress, letting you focus on your goals, while we help support you behind the scenes. By doing this, you can significantly minimize your downtime and increase productivity, while also ensuring that your staff is using the safest, most high-performing fleet vehicles on the market.
Your Next Fleet Decision: Choosing Predictability Over Risk
The biggest financial threat that comes with fleet ownership is unexpected maintenance fees. By choosing to use a fleet lease instead, you can effectively eliminate that budget stress and instead strategically enter a predictable, monthly payment plan that gives you the flexibility you need. At Glesby Marks, we help you find fleet leasing solutions that work for you and your company, regardless of your needs. Stop wasting valuable resources on growing maintenance expenses and vehicle depreciation; instead, choose fleet leasing and see how it can positively impact all sectors of your operation. Contact us today for a free fleet lease estimate for your business.