If you are a fleet owner/manager, you may own your fleet of vehicles and/or trailers outright. Other fleets contain vehicles that are leased or even rented. Should you decide to rent an entire fleet, or one or two trucks to fill an acute, specific need, you’ll want to get the most for your money. When dealing with truck rental companies, what, specifically, do customers look for?
Here are a few guidelines that should help you analyze your choices when searching for the truck or trailer rental company that best suits your needs and situation.
Can the Company Meet Your Needs?
No two customers are exactly alike. A rental company must be able to suit the needs of your business and customize an agreement contract while still being flexible. You can separate the men from the boys here by looking for a company that can accommodate requests such as the following:
- Be able to scale up or scale down the number of vehicles you require
- Have the willingness to change vehicle rentals.
- Changes in the actual agreement could be needed, as an example, due to unforeseen factors dealing with the economic climate.
A good rental company will go the extra mile because they value you as a customer. You may bring them repeat business as long as they foster good relations with you.
Customer Support
A good truck or trailer rental company has a customer support team and evaluates that team on a regular basis. Customer assistance should be provided as needed and be responsive on an expedited basis when your company needs them. After all, time is money.
- Vehicle problems should be addressed efficiently and quickly by professional technicians.
- So that, whenever necessary, you can get a rented vehicle repaired around your area, they should have enough service centers to accommodate you.
- So as not to have your bottom line negatively affected, a good rental company should be able to minimize downtime by offering fast vehicle replacement.
Updated Certifications
There are government regulations that apply to everything, but particularly in the transportation and shipping business. Make sure that the truck rental business you are considering is fully government regulation compliant and that they have the certificates to prove it. Don’t let an irresistible rate fool you into going with a company that doesn’t maintain their certifications. For your safety, and because it’s the law, insist that the rental company show their professionalism by providing the following:
- Updated insurance policies
- Support certifications
- Updated licenses, etc.
Go Online
In this day and age of the Internet, it’s easy to check customer feedback and ratings for practically any business. Yes, you’re likely going to consider the lowest bidder. But also look for signs that the company is trustworthy and reputable. There are numerous challenges involved in truck and trailer rental, and those challenges will be better understood by a rental company that is seasoned and highly rated.
Check social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Search for customer reviews and ratings not provided by the rental company itself (look for independently sponsored sites).
If, rather than a rental, you decide to buy used, consider the used trailers available through Mickey Genuine Parts. They can be a real money saver. If you are a rental business in need of truck or trailer servicing, consider Mickey Genuine Parts’ certified service centers. They are conveniently located throughout the United States. Any way you look at it, Mickey Genuine Parts is here for you. Contact us today to find out how we can be of assistance.