How does dealer allocation work?

[kskis]

Apologies in advance because I am sure this information is available elsewhere on this forum.

Would someone mind explaining how dealer allocation works?

Why I'm asking: I ordered a '23 XLT Lux Tremor w/ Copilot 360 on 9/21/22; it was assigned priority code 19, same as all the other new '23 Maverick orders at my dealer (I think rollovers got a higher priority). It was ordered from a small-town dealer that I assume has relatively low overall sales volume. Does this mean it has a lower chance of getting scheduled than the same vehicle with the same priority code that was ordered from a larger, higher-volume dealer?
My salesman told me today that the dealer has had several of the '22 rollovers scheduled for builds already, so that seems like decent news. I also remember him mentioning once that they've had enough retail orders that they don't expect to get any new ones to put on their lot this year, so I assume that means their whole "allocation" has been filled by retail orders.

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[Redneck Garage]

To answer your questions -
A: Never listen to a salesman
B: There is no making sense of Ford and what they build and deliver
C: Maybe you will get a truck - maybe you wont - until you get a vin# its a crap shoot.
D: Ford's Allocation system is something we mere mortals will never understand.

 

[KevCuRaoi]

Apologies in advance because I am sure this information is available elsewhere on this forum.

Would someone mind explaining how dealer allocation works?

Why I'm asking: I ordered a '23 XLT Lux Tremor w/ Copilot 360 on 9/21/22; it was assigned priority code 19, same as all the other new '23 Maverick orders at my dealer (I think rollovers got a higher priority). It was ordered from a small-town dealer that I assume has relatively low overall sales volume. Does this mean it has a lower chance of getting scheduled than the same vehicle with the same priority code that was ordered from a larger, higher-volume dealer?
My salesman told me today that the dealer has had several of the '22 rollovers scheduled for builds already, so that seems like decent news. I also remember him mentioning once that they've had enough retail orders that they don't expect to get any new ones to put on their lot this year, so I assume that means their whole "allocation" has been filled by retail orders.

It does depend on the number of allocation that each dealer has...and the options that their orders have. Plus a ton of other factors.

Basically, your dealer needs to have allocation in a given month for Ford to even considered scheduling any of their Mavericks.
When Ford is looking to scheduling, constraints are king. Ford will want to keep the factory as full as possible based on parts availability. The order that dealerships are looked at for scheduling is random and changes every week.

If there is still capacity left, but no buildable orders (retail first, then stock) in dealers that have allocation that week/month, Ford scheduling may also look at orders in dealerships that don't have allocation (That has happened to our dealership before...with vehicles other than Maverick.)

Basically, you can't know at this point w/out knowing the make-up off all the orders at your dealership vs those at the (hypothetical) high-volume dealer. Both dealers probably have more hybrid orders than will be able to be built. Right now, it looks like Ford has sufficient capacity to build Tremors, so you have a decent chance of being scheduled if your dealership has allocation and the orders before you are un-buildable / full of constrained items.

 

[dalola]

How does dealer allocation work?

Never, ever, never, NEVER ask that question!

(you might look into "disappearing" for a while...)

 

[commadorebob]

If you have an EB order, the math would indicate Ford will have those wrapped up before the start of summer. I personally don't think Ford will leave any open EB orders they can otherwise build simply because a specific dealer is out of allocations. But that is just conjecture.

We are a month into the production of the model year. Too soon to panic just yet.

 

[kskis]

It does depend on the number of allocation that each dealer has...and the options that their orders have. Plus a ton of other factors.

Basically, your dealer needs to have allocation in a given month for Ford to even considered scheduling any of their Mavericks.
When Ford is looking to scheduling, constraints are king. Ford will want to keep the factory as full as possible based on parts availability. The order that dealerships are looked at for scheduling is random and changes every week.

If there is still capacity left, but no buildable orders (retail first, then stock) in dealers that have allocation that week/month, Ford scheduling may also look at orders in dealerships that don't have allocation (That has happened to our dealership before...with vehicles other than Maverick.)

Basically, you can't know at this point w/out knowing the make-up off all the orders at your dealership vs those at the (hypothetical) high-volume dealer. Both dealers probably have more hybrid orders than will be able to be built. Right now, it looks like Ford has sufficient capacity to build Tremors, so you have a decent chance of being scheduled if your dealership has allocation and the orders before you are un-buildable / full of constrained items.

Thanks! (to you and the others who responded)
Basically, what I get out of this (and as a production engineer myself, it makes sense) is that dealer allocations have some effect, but, in the current environment, not nearly as much as supply chain constraints (gotta keep that factory full). Therefore, based on the info currently available, I might be in luck as a Tremor orderer, and it probably doesn't matter too much that I ordered that Tremor from a small dealer.
If I had to make a very uninformed guess about the purpose of "allocation," I'd say it probably just has to do with shipping. I'm sure they try to allocate builds and subsequent deliveries to dealerships that are close to each other (and do so in advance) so they can arrange efficient freight. If this is true, maybe your dealership's location/region has more to do with allocation than its size.
Of course, this could also mean that my Tremor gets built soon cause there's room on the assembly line, but doesn't get shipped to me til they can get a full load of vehicles out to Utah/Idaho.

 

[The Weatherman]

!

 

[prsncat]

Go to 47:28 on the following @fordvideoguy Youtube video

For a good look at this process.

 

[commadorebob]

Thanks! (to you and the others who responded)
Basically, what I get out of this (and as a production engineer myself, it makes sense) is that dealer allocations have some effect, but, in the current environment, not nearly as much as supply chain constraints (gotta keep that factory full). Therefore, based on the info currently available, I might be in luck as a Tremor orderer, and it probably doesn't matter too much that I ordered that Tremor from a small dealer.
If I had to make a very uninformed guess about the purpose of "allocation," I'd say it probably just has to do with shipping. I'm sure they try to allocate builds and subsequent deliveries to dealerships that are close to each other (and do so in advance) so they can arrange efficient freight. If this is true, maybe your dealership's location/region has more to do with allocation than its size.
Of course, this could also mean that my Tremor gets built soon cause there's room on the assembly line, but doesn't get shipped to me til they can get a full load of vehicles out to Utah/Idaho.

Allocation is how Ford limits the number of trucks a dealership can sell to prevent a large dealership in, say, Dallas from getting all of the trucks simply because they are the largest dealership in the country. The allocation method means that every dealership will have a chance at a truck. While the Dallas mega-dealership will be given an opportunity at more total trucks, they won't get a second truck scheduled before a dealership in Abilene gets their first one scheduled.

It's all about equal distribution.

There are a ton of factors involved, but I don't think shipping is one. The shipping factor simply plays a role on whether your truck lingers in Mexico a few extra weeks or not. But trains tend to follow the spoke-and-wheel transportation design. So, it's generally the last mile that takes the longest.

 

[Braderick]

I'm writing a doctorate thesis on the topic.

Ford has provided me an expert for consultation:

 

[gte105u]

You have an Ecoboost on order, you will get built. Allocations make it when, not if for EB.

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