How Many Work Vehicles Does Your Business Actually Need?

Many small trade businesses start with employees using their own vehicles for occasional work-related driving. As the company grows, however, there may come a point when dedicated company work vehicles make more sense. There isn't a universal fleet size where that transition should happen. The better question is whether personal vehicles still fit the way the business operates. When Personal Vehicles Can Work For occasional business driving, using employee-owned vehicles can be a practical arrangement. Businesses may reimburse employees for qualifying business mileage or vehicle expenses under an appropriate reimbursement policy. However, occasional trips are different from asking an employee's personal vehicle to function as a work vehicle every day. Look at What Employees Are Actually Doing As field work increases, consider how employees are using their personal vehicles. Are they regularly traveling between job sites? Carrying company tools or materials? Making frequent customer visits? Towing or transporting equipment? Putting substantial business mileage on their own vehicles? If business use has become a major part of the vehicle's daily role, it may be worth evaluating whether a company-owned vehicle is a better fit. Company Vehicles Give the Business More Control With a company-owned work vehicle, the business chooses the vehicle based on the work it needs to perform. The company can also establish consistent policies for authorized drivers, maintenance, fuel, vehicle use, and equipment. That's different from relying on employees' personal vehicles, which may vary considerably in age, condition, capability, and suitability for the work. Insurance should also be reviewed carefully whenever employees drive for business, whether they use personal or company vehicles. The appropriate coverage depends on the business and how the vehicles are used. Consider the Employee Side Too Regularly using a personal vehicle for work can mean additional mileage and wear for the employee. A reimbursement program can address qualifying business vehicle expenses, but it doesn't necessarily answer the broader operational question of whether an employee's personal car or truck is the right vehicle for the job. As a company adds crews or expands its service territory, providing work vehicles may become part of building the infrastructure needed to support field operations. Plan for the Transition to Company Vehicles Moving to company-owned vehicles gives a business greater control over how its work vehicles are selected, maintained, and used. It also means bringing expenses such as insurance, maintenance, registration, fuel or charging, and fleet administration into the company's operating plan. Clear vehicle-use policies are important as well. If employees are allowed to commute or use company vehicles personally, there may be tax and recordkeeping considerations depending on the circumstances, so businesses should work with their tax and insurance professionals when establishing those policies. Planning for these responsibilities from the beginning can help a business build a fleet that supports its crews and continues to work as the company grows. Is your business reaching the point where dedicated work vehicles make sense? Connect with the Jet Chevrolet team at (253) 336-4216 to discuss your commercial vehicle needs. Do More. Save More. Experience MORE. Final Thoughts Employee-owned vehicles can work well when business driving is limited. But, as crews spend more time on the road and vehicles become more important to daily operations, dedicated company work trucks may deserve a closer look. Consider how often employees drive for work, what they're carrying, what the job requires, and how much control the business needs over its vehicles. The right time to build a company fleet is different for every business, but the decision should follow how the company actually operates.

Adding a new work truck or commercial vehicle to your fleet is only the beginning. The first few months of actual use can tell you whether the vehicle is performing the job you purchased it to do. Instead of waiting until the end of the year to evaluate a new vehicle, use its first 90 days to establish a baseline. Mileage, fuel use, maintenance needs, utilization, and feedback from the employees using the vehicle can all provide useful information for future fleet decisions. Start With a Clear Vehicle Record Before the vehicle enters regular service, document the basics. Record the VIN, vehicle configuration, assigned driver or crew if applicable, in-service date, initial mileage, and any accessories or upfits installed on the vehicle. Keep relevant warranty, maintenance, and vehicle documentation accessible as well. Starting with accurate records gives you something to reference later when reviewing operating history or comparing vehicles within the fleet. Track How Much the Vehicle Is Actually Used One of the simplest things to measure is utilization. Depending on the type of work vehicle, useful measurements can include: Miles driven Days in use Number of trips Engine hours, when relevant Type of work or routes the vehicle regularly handles After 90 days, compare actual use with what you expected when the vehicle was purchased. A truck intended for daily field work may be operating differently than anticipated, and that information can be useful when deciding what the next vehicle should look like. Establish a Fuel-Use Baseline Record fuel purchases and mileage consistently from the beginning. The goal isn't necessarily to decide whether a vehicle is “good” or “bad” based on its first few tanks. Fuel consumption can be affected by driving conditions, load, routes, idling, weather, and how the vehicle is used. Instead, the first 90 days can provide an initial operating baseline that can be compared with the vehicle's performance over time or with similar vehicles performing similar work. Fuel consumption and mileage are commonly tracked together as part of fleet performance monitoring. Get Feedback From the People Using It Numbers don't tell you everything. Ask the employees who regularly use the vehicle whether it fits the work. Are they frequently carrying passengers? Is the vehicle being used for the jobs you expected? Are there features or equipment they use constantly? Is something about the configuration making routine work unnecessarily difficult? This doesn't mean every preference requires a change. The goal is to identify patterns that could inform the next vehicle purchase or upfit. Review the Vehicle at 30, 60, and 90 Days You don't need a complicated reporting system to learn from a new fleet vehicle. A simple review at roughly 30, 60, and 90 days can help answer: Is the vehicle being used as expected? Look at mileage, trips, routes, assignments, and the work it's performing. Is the configuration working? Talk with the employees using it and note recurring issues or needs. What is it costing to operate so far? Review fuel and any maintenance or other vehicle-specific operating expenses you've chosen to track. At 90 days, you should have a clearer picture of how the vehicle fits into the business than you had on the day you bought it. Use What You Learn on the Next Purchase The greatest value of tracking a new vehicle may come when it's time to buy another one. If a particular configuration works well, you have real-world experience supporting that decision. If the vehicle is consistently being used differently than expected, that information can help you reconsider the next purchase. Over time, keeping consistent records across multiple vehicles can give a business its own operating history rather than relying entirely on assumptions when making fleet decisions. Fleet utilization data is commonly used to inform acquisition, allocation, and replacement planning. Adding or replacing a commercial vehicle? Connect with the Jet Chevrolet team at (253) 336-4216 to discuss your business and fleet needs. Do More. Save More. Experience MORE. Final Thoughts The first 90 days with a new fleet vehicle are an opportunity to learn whether the vehicle fits the job it was purchased to perform. Track how it's used, what it costs to operate, how employees work with it, and whether the original configuration still makes sense after real-world use. Those early observations can help turn one vehicle purchase into better information for the next fleet decision.

When choosing a heavy-duty work truck, one of the biggest decisions is whether to go with a gasoline or diesel engine. Neither is automatically better. The right choice depends on what the truck will actually be asked to do. For fleet buyers, the best place to start is with the job rather than the engine. Start With How the Truck Will Be Used Before choosing gas or diesel, consider: How frequently the truck will tow The trailers it needs to handle Typical cargo and passenger loads Daily driving conditions How the vehicle will be used throughout the workweek A truck primarily carrying crews and equipment between job sites may have different requirements than one regularly towing substantial trailers. When a Gas Work Truck May Make Sense A gas-powered truck can be a practical choice when its capabilities match the work the business needs to perform. Businesses using trucks for job-site travel, carrying crews and equipment, or towing within the vehicle's rated capabilities shouldn't assume diesel is necessary simply because the vehicle is used commercially. The important question is whether the specific truck and configuration can safely handle the work required of it. When Diesel May Make Sense Diesel deserves consideration when a business has more demanding towing requirements. Diesel engines offered in many heavy-duty pickups can provide greater torque than comparable gasoline engine options, which can make them worth considering for more demanding towing applications. That doesn't mean every business that tows needs diesel. The actual trailer, frequency of towing, vehicle configuration, and operating requirements should guide the decision. Look Beyond the Engine The engine isn't the only factor that determines what truck fits a certain job. Cab and bed configuration, drivetrain, equipment, passengers, cargo, trailer type, and installed accessories can all affect a vehicle's capabilities. Fuel costs, purchase price, maintenance requirements, expected ownership period, and utilization can also affect the financial side of the decision. Rather than assuming gas or diesel will always cost less, businesses should evaluate those factors based on their own expected use. Check the Specific Vehicle Published maximum towing figures shouldn't automatically be treated as the capability of every truck in a model line. Before purchasing a work truck for towing or hauling, review the ratings and documentation for the specific vehicle and configuration being considered. Comparing gas and diesel work trucks for your business? Connect with the Jet Chevrolet team at (253) 336-4216 to discuss your commercial vehicle needs. Do More. Save More. Experience MORE. Final Thoughts Gas versus diesel isn't about which engine is universally better. A gas work truck may provide everything one business needs, while a diesel may be better suited to another operation with more demanding towing requirements. Start with the work the truck needs to perform, then compare the specifications and ratings of the specific vehicles you're considering.