One of our major pharmaceutical clients was planning large sales staff and fleet expansion in anticipation of the release of two new drugs expected to lead the market.
They needed to quickly procure 500 new vehicles in a number of color combinations.
We worked closely with the client to understand the needs of the project, and various Wheels Departments were quickly informed that a large number of the client’s vehicles would be moving through the system. We proactively notified the delivering dealerships to expect a large number of vehicles during their off-season (the client’s expansion took place in the spring, when order volume is typically lower). We sent detailed, daily vehicle location reports to the client’s Fleet Administrator. This enabled Wheels and the client to know, at all times, which vehicles did not yet have drivers and where those vehicles were located.
Additionally, our Dealer Relations department negotiated with dealerships to have vehicles placed in storage, as necessary, until the new start dates. Because many dealers offer fleet delivery without receiving much benefit, delays in driver pick-up can cause dealers to raise courtesy delivery or other fees. Wheels spent significant time managing each situation to prevent many of the dealers from raising prices.
As a result of our diligence, more than 500 vehicles were ready for the new-hire start dates, and were set to be delivered to the appropriate dealerships. With the help of detailed reports from Wheels, the Fleet Administrator was able to successfully place all drivers in vehicles convenient to their locations while incurring out-of-stock fees in less than 3% of cases, netting an estimated savings of over $1,220 per vehicle. Because drivers received their vehicles immediately upon completing training, driver productivity was maximized and driver satisfaction levels were remarkably high.