There’s more to the price of a truck than what’s on its sticker. That’s why Patrick Gaskins, vice president of financial services for AmeriQuest Transportation Services, recommends factoring in vehicle financing costs, tax implications, expected utilization and resale value in estimating the true cost. He says the buy-use-sell phases as a single continuum, and that different people within a truck fleet will have different perspectives about what aspect of pricing is most important.
“If you’re in procurement, you may think getting the lowest price and best financing has the biggest impact,” hw writes in a recent blog post. “For the fleet manager, it might be all about getting the best fuel efficiency and keeping repair costs down. And if you’re responsible for remarketing, you might think the best resale price is most significant.”
Gaskins goes on to discuss why trucking fleets and companies that work in silos of operation often have little understanding of the big picture. He advises fleet managers and operators to take a fresh look at the way they do business and to foster active communication between each department.
