Why are they selling fleet vehicles before the rest of us great unwashed?

[Robert C]

I went to my local auto parts store to get parts to keep my old vehicle running
as Ford just cannot sell me a Maverick.
This was the store's fleet vehicle in the parking lot - my exact truck.

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[commadorebob]

Because you are looking to buy one vehicle for the next five years. That company will buy 500 every year.

 

[notfast]

Also because automakers go through a bidding and acquisition process. Large fleet buyers are brand agnostic; they want a vehicle with X characteristics and automakers submit bids, provide test vehicles, and so on.

Then a contract gets awarded where the automaker guarantees that the fleet buyer will get X amount of vehicles by X date and so on.

Small fleet buyers can get shafted just like private buyers. Ford's requirement for a fleet identification number is 5 new vehicles per year or 15 vehicles currently in service.

 

[Timothyd]

I went to my local auto parts store to get parts to keep my old vehicle running
as Ford just cannot sell me a Maverick.
This was the store's fleet vehicle in the parking lot - my exact truck.

Money, money. You get the red carpet if you spend more.

 

[Shay]

Fleet customers are customers too.

 

[Daverick]

Or since you are still waiting for a 2023 there's a possibility they may have had that vehicle before you even ordered one.

 

[OleFordGuy]

I went to my local auto parts store to get parts to keep my old vehicle running
as Ford just cannot sell me a Maverick.
This was the store's fleet vehicle in the parking lot - my exact truck.

[/QUOTEwell]

I went to my local auto parts store to get parts to keep my old vehicle running
as Ford just cannot sell me a Maverick.
This was the store's fleet vehicle in the parking lot - my exact truck.

Well it’s like if You were selling items, would give some priority or prefer to sell 1 to somebody or hundreds + to another somebody/company. There’s only one logical answer

 

[commadorebob]

Another thing to keep in mind is Ford will utilize fleet orders for their "fluff" production where quality might be in question as fleet vehicles tend to be less concerned about fit and finish than retail.

 

[WhiteMaverick12]

The Great Unwashed!

 

[Ozarkbeard]

Because thy

Another thing to keep in mind is Ford will utilize fleet orders for their "fluff" production where quality might be in question as fleet vehicles tend to be less concerned about fit and finish than retail.

This seemed to be true when I worked for a large nationwide company and drove fleet vehicles. One common quality issue seemed to be small, but visible, flaws in the auto glass - especially windshields. They were certainly usable, but would probably be unacceptable to a retail customer buying a vehicle for their own personal use.

 

[PlantMan]

Different allocation pool. They're selling Canadian and Brazilian customers too.

 

[BoskoPColtrane]

I went to my local auto parts store to get parts to keep my old vehicle running
as Ford just cannot sell me a Maverick.
This was the store's fleet vehicle in the parking lot - my exact truck.

An order is an order

 

[FordDiehard]

I went to my local auto parts store to get parts to keep my old vehicle running
as Ford just cannot sell me a Maverick.
This was the store's fleet vehicle in the parking lot - my exact truck.

I saw one of these parked beside a newly opened Advance Auto Parts store. Went inside and inquired if it belonged to an employee. Nope, company delivery vehicle.

 

[23OxOrdered]

You might start seeing this same post in reply to different threads around the same subject matter – LOOKING to START a GENERATIONAL MOVEMENT here!

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I wish Ford would stop trying to fall behind the shield or global supply chain issues.

The facts are clear that Ford the billion-dollar company is run under executives who can’t manage an order system to say “OUT of STOCK” like when I order no. 2 pencils at a mom-and-pop website.

Ford allowed ~65K orders for 2023 hybrids to be placed while they knew they could only build ~35K with a battery constraint.

And now have no messaging transparency around how or when orders will be fulfilled!

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Ford is playing on a slippery slope with consumers with 2 words that may change their stranglehold on the small pickup market and future business loyalty through the next generation or two.

The two words are “TOYOTA STOUT”.

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I truly do want my hybrid Ford Maverick for ME but I have no allegiance to a company that is run by executives that clearly cannot run a sales company to meet consumer demand with a transparent plan. I will begrudgingly go down the MY24 order process with Ford (if I don’t receive MY23) because I like the Ford model (not the company at the moment), but also will put in an order for a “Toyota Stout” in 2024”. So c’mon Ford do the right thing and build a consumer US retail product (not fleet or overseas) before Toyota so as not to lose a couple of generations of Ford buying from this family, meaning will guide my kids to stay clear of Ford.

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