Working in our clients’ best interests has been the cornerstone of Wilmar since our inception in 1980. Founder Bill Crawford insisted that if we followed this philosophy, we would have clients for life. As obvious as it may seem, there are far too many fleet management companies and dealerships that make recommendations that are good for only one company: their own.
Here are 3 typical examples of ways that lessors act in their own best interests, rather than those of their clients. If any of these scenarios look familiar, it might be time to take another look at your current leasing partner.
Vehicles today are safer and more reliable than ever. Except in extreme circumstances, most vehicles have useful lives of at least 125,000 miles. If your fleet management company structured your leases to expire before or at 100,000 miles, they’re doing you a disservice. If your vehicles average 25,000 miles per year, consider driving them for five years instead of four. The extra year will dramatically reduce the monthly payment with minimal repairs in the fifth year.
Your fleet management company is over-depreciating your vehicles. In some situations this is referred to as an equity lease, but in reality it’s just a way for the lessor to mitigate risk. At the end of the lease, if your lessor is returning several thousands of dollars to you, it means you’ve been overpaying every month. Everyone wants lower monthly payments; over-depreciation makes payments artificially high. The best leases take the true depreciation into account based on miles driven.
Your fleet management company is depreciating all your vehicles in exactly the same way. As in Example 2, the depreciation needs to match the vehicle. A Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry, Chevy Silverado, and Ram Pro-Master all depreciate at different rates. The leases need to match the vehicle and reflect the different depreciation rates.
Wilmar eliminates a lot of headaches ... they take the pressure off so we can do what we do best. With our clean cars and Wilmar’s expertise, we always get more money than we expect at the end of a lease.
Carl Howard President, Auto Bell Car Wash
Wilmar’s incredible. They care only about our needs ... delivering and maintaining the perfect vehicles for the job. I trust them. And when there’s a problem I make one phone call. Problem solved.
Kyle Hilliard Controller, Assa Abloy
We have a fleet of nearly 100 vehicles hitting the road every day. And every hour we spend worrying about acquiring, upfitting and maintaining these vehicles is an hour spent not doing what we do best. I leave it to the experts.
Trent Haston President/CEO, Roby Family of Companies
"One of the best decisions we made in the past year was to partner with Wilmar. They are a one-stop shop that professionally handles all of our requests in a very timely fashion. They make it easy for us to meet our customer demands."
Michael Griffin CFO / IT Director, ETAK Systems LLC
The comprehensive solutions Wilmar provides their clients results in significant cost savings and efficiencies that their clients enjoy. Unlike national firms, Scott and his team are life-long residents of the Charlotte, NC area. Having this ability to provide service continuity is a hallmark of Wilmar.
Dan Ewald President Ewald Fleet Solutions
Scott is great to work with. His knowledge of the leasing industry and his honest approach is valuable to those who want to better understand auto lease options. I highly recommend Scott and his team for any vehicle leasing needs.
Ward Norris Strategic Account Manager, NC/SC Future Lighting Solutions
"We wanted to thank you all for your commitment to customer service! Our salesman Barry is spot on with details and deliveries on new vehicles and Delice is great to work with on Tag and Titles. Your business partners have delivered good results for us as well. We have had positive experiences using Carolina Upfitters for customized vehicle solutions and your maintenance partner LeasePlan/Network has proven to be a valuable resource for our fleet maintenance needs. Thank you for your dedication to providing professional fleet services that keep our business moving forward, keep up the good work!
Debbie Nayman Fleet Administrator, The Hoffman Companies
"The Wilmar team does something that is almost a forgotten attribute in today's world, they put their customers' needs and service first regardless if it's one vehicle or one hundred. "
Larry Williams Supply Chain Director, Biscuitville Fresh Southern
"Wilmar has been a wonderful partner for us. I had originally decided to handle our small fleet by myself. I quickly determined that I did not have the expertise. Todd Jones came in and saved us significant time and savings. I had not understood the size and scope of the Company. We are grateful for what they do for us. Makes my life so much easier. "
Bill Wentz CFO, J. R. Cole Industries, Inc.
