Strong USA economy to drive 2019-MY fleet orders
The majority of fleets operating in the USA report their vehicle acquisition strategies are being stimulated by strong business growth. The forecast for the 2019 model-year indicates it will be a strong asset acquisition year for the commercial fleet segment, which is comprised of 6.3 million light-duty vehicles in operation.
The strong economic indicators in the US are causing the overwhelming majority of companies to keep acquisition volumes at that same level as the 2018 model-year, which was a strong year for commercial fleet orders.
The buying dynamics of MY-2019 are very similar to those experienced in MY-2018, but appear stronger due to the more robust economic conditions. Bullish economic forecasts call for ongoing increased business activity through late 2018 and early 2019, which offers the potential of further order increases later in the second half of the model-year.
Increased order volumes
Compared to the prior year, more companies are forecasting increased order volume, all of which cite improved business conditions prompted by the strong national economy.
The US fleet segment where this was a recurrent reply was the energy sector, which is experiencing increased business activity. After a long period of depressed fleet purchases due to low crude oil prices, the energy sector continues to ramp up its orders in 2019, which started in 2017.
Another key segment of the US economy that is a large purchaser of fleet vehicles is new-construction market. All industry indicators, such as the issuance of building permits and starts for new-home and commercial construction are increasing, which bodes well for commercial sales of pickups and full-size vans, which are the primary vehicles acquired by construction companies.
Aging units
In addition to business growth, another recurring theme by many fleets is the need to replace aging units that have been kept in service for longer-than-normal mileage guidelines. For instance, another reason for the forecasted increase in order volume in the oil and energy sector is due to pent-up demand caused by low order volumes in the preceding model-years.
The top factors influencing the types of vehicles to be acquired in the 2019 model-year are corporate initiatives to acquire the most fuel-efficient models available for the specific fleet application and the incorporation of additional safety features and equipment options into company-provided vehicles.
Selecting models with higher mpg than the predecessor model continues to drive many acquisition strategies. Some fleets have elected to expand on this fleet initiative by acquiring additional hybrid vehicles; however interest in full-electric vehicles continues to be limited.
More safety options
Similarly, most fleet will be spec’ing greater safety options in their 2019-MY fleet buys. The availability and composition of safety packages will have a direct bearing on what will be ordered for 2019-MY.
OEMs are responding to fleet manager concerns by migrating more safety technology that previously was only available on upscale models to vehicles typically ordered by fleets. However, getting advanced safety technology in work trucks and vans continues to be difficult, since they are often ordered with the lowest base trim level package.
Most fleets do not anticipate changes to vehicle types, as choices of vehicle type are driven by business requirements. However, there is a growing number of fleets considering and choosing crossovers instead of mid-size sedans, which is causing a shift in the type of vehicles found on corporate selectors. Today, there is a growing acceptance of crossovers in fleets.
5 OEMs with largest commercial fleet sales
- GM
- Ford
- FCA
- Toyota
- Nissan
5 largest fleet management companies
- Element
- ARI
- Wheels
- LeasePlan
- Enterprise Fleet Management
Author: Mike Antich, Automotive Fleet
Image: Ram Promaster (source: Ram Trucks)
