The Fleet Manager oversees the dealership's fleet sales department, responsible for building relationships with corporate clients, managing commercial vehicle inventory, and securing high-volume sales. This role requires a mix of outside B2B sales expertise, logistics management, and a deep understanding of commercial vehicle configurations.
- Prospect and Acquire New Accounts: Actively hunt for new business by prospecting local companies, corporations, rental agencies, and government entities that require commercial vehicles.
- Maintain Client Relationships: Build and nurture long-term relationships with existing fleet accounts to ensure repeat business and customer loyalty.
- Conduct Outside Sales Presentations: Meet with business owners, logistics managers, and purchasing agents to pitch the dealership's fleet capabilities and volume discounts.
- Respond to RFPs and Bids: Prepare, calculate, and submit formal bids for corporate and government requests for proposals (RFPs).
- Inventory Selection: Order and maintain an optimal mix of commercial inventory (e.g., cargo vans, heavy-duty trucks, chassis cabs) based on local market demand.
- Coordinate Vehicle Upfitting: Partner with external vendors to manage "upfitting"-customizing vehicles with specialized equipment like ladder racks, toolboxes, refrigeration units, or custom flatbeds before delivery.
- Delivery Coordination: Oversee the logistics of delivering bulk vehicle orders to clients, ensuring vehicles are detailed, fueled, and inspected.
- Volume Pricing & Profitability: Structures high-volume deals that offer competitive pricing to businesses while maintaining dealership profitability.
- Finance & Leasing Coordination: Work closely with the Finance & Insurance (F&I) department to arrange commercial lines of credit, specialized business leasing (like TRAC leases), and tax-incentivized financing.
- Manufacturer Incentive Compliance: Stay up-to-date on manufacturer-to-dealer fleet incentives, rebates, and allocation rules to maximize dealership profitability.
- Documentation Management: Ensure all commercial registrations, tax exemptions, and fleet identification numbers (FIN codes) are correctly processed.
- Cross-Department Synergy: Collaborate with the Service and Parts departments to set up priority maintenance programs for fleet clients, turning sales into long-term service revenue.
- Market Analysis: Monitor local industry trends (e.g., growing construction, delivery, or electrical sectors) to anticipate what types of commercial vehicles will be in high demand.
