Service transportation and loaner management

What to check before you decide

Look at the agreement and the paperwork. It should print or deliver a loaner agreement that fits the manufacturer's program, capture the driver's license and insurance, and record the condition of the vehicle with photos at each handoff. Ask how damage is documented and charged, and how tolls, tickets and fuel are traced to a driver.

Ask about the connection to the repair order. An open repair order should create the loaner record without retyping, and closing the repair order should prompt the return. Check how split billing works when a warranty, the customer and the manufacturer each pay part.

For pickup and delivery, ask how routes and drivers are scheduled, how the customer sees the driver's arrival, and how a vehicle is inspected before it leaves.

Measure utilization (days on loan against days idle), cost per loaner day, outstanding charges and customer satisfaction. Ask for reports by vehicle. Check the manufacturer's requirements for loaner and mobility programs before you buy.

Track the cost of the program honestly, including vehicle depreciation, insurance, fuel, cleaning, driver time and damage, against what it earns in retained customers and added repair orders, since some stores discover that their loaner fleet is expensive for the customers who need it least, and a simple eligibility rule, such as repair orders above a stated amount, can keep the benefit while controlling the cost.

Give drivers a simple checklist for every handoff, covering fuel level, mileage, photos of each side, the customer's signature and the time, and review a sample each week so a disputed damage claim can be answered from the record.