Posted on Apr 10, 2008 - 9:43am by Everitt Mickey in Trucks
I read a LOT. I don’t read to get informed or to get edumacated, I read because I enjoy it. It’s relaxing and stress relief.In the course of my reading I came across an outfit called Baen Books. They do E-Books. They are about the only outfit that does it right in my very biased opinion. Well, to read ebooks you need some kind of electronic device to read them. I use computers. Either desktop, laptop or palmtop…I’ve experimented with them and have them all. Heck, I even read ebooks on my phone.
What does this addiction of mine have to do with buying trucks? Well, I’ll tell you. Some of the ebook addicted readers of the Jim Baen publishing house (of which there are several thousand, poor souls.) felt that they needed a special ebook reader. One that would work better than what I’ve mentioned above. This was in the days before the Amazon Kindle a device I don’t have. Won’t have because it embrasses DRM and I can’t abide DRM I refuse to use VISTA for that same reason…and others.
At any rate, these intrepid entrepreneurs embarked upon a fearsome task. They contacted an offshore manufacturer (Taiwan I think…might be Hong Kong….no American firm would touch it) and developed an ebook reader. The price was agreed upon and it was determined to be too expensive, unless bought in lots of a thousand.
So, they formed a club. An ebook device buying club. They take orders and deposits, until they come up with a certain number of folks wanting the ebook reader (a thousand I think) when that number is reached an order is placed. Some time later they receive the shipment and then (stuff happens, dunno or care about the distribution details) The ebook readers are cheaper by the thousand,don’t you see. A LOT cheaper.
Why wouldn’t that work with trucks? Are trucks cheaper by the dozen? By the hundred?I bet they are. Somehow I doubt that Werner, Swift, JB Hunt or any of the “Big Boys” who buy multitudes of trucks at one time pay the same as I do , per truck.
Nope, I got a sneaky hunch they get it a LOT cheaper.
Here’s the plan. Some bright lad (or lady) needs to do a little reasearch. Contact a few truck manufactures will they sell direct? No, probably not. Then contact some dealers. What are their “break points”. “If I buy two trucks at once how much discount do I get? If I buy ten, if I buy fifty”?
Then contact drivers. What do they NEED in a truck. The absolute gotta have.
Do this for several trucks. Dry Box Hauler, Flat Bed Hauler and maybe Heavy Haul, perhaps more.
The. Basic. Truck, same color, same engine, transmission, drivetrain, everything.
Drivers can add “stuff” after they take delivery. Right now it’s the BASIC TRUCK.
Then (details….such as nonrefundable deposit….post bonds….yadda…etc…yadda yadda..not trivial…but I don’t know what all’s involved) after a while the minimium number is reached and an order is placed after a little while longer the trucks roll in. The respective drivers go get them for LOTS cheaper than buying one at a time.
THAT would be one way to cut back on costs….
……..beats a strike.
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I totally agree with DRM. Screw that. Unfortunately, other people are not so educated on the subject nor do they see the consequences.
Isn’t fleet management another way to cut costs? An infrastructure already in place.
I wish I could guarantee the answer to be yes to that question - but I know at least some smaller companies “band together” to get a good deal. Two companies that I knew of (one running about 20 trucks and the other running about 40) wanted to get a better deal on purchasing new trucks. So, the owners went and talked to dealerships together. As long as they purchased (I believe if memory serves me correctly) 20 trucks total between the two of them - they would get a rather large discount. I also seem to remember that one of the dealerships offered to have the mechanics at both places trained to work on the engines in one of the trucks in particular they were looking at.
Do you think they would do that for the little guy? Yeah right!! But by golly I think you are on to something! Maybe a blanket order would be good for this you think?
Upon reconsideration this seems like something a dealership might do. Perhaps have a “generic Pete” available at a substantial discount. When there are enough orders (and deposits) to meet the discount criteria then the order would be placed….then many, many, identical trucks would arrive.
It seems that it would be easier for a dealership.
HOWEVER….trucking is just a several Billion Dollar industry….but it took a hundred years to get there. Look at Google..Google is a billion dollar company. It was started not too long ago by some guys who are STILL youngsters.
What I’m saying is that this is the age of the INTERNET…..much can happen now that could not in earlier times.
I think you ARE on to something. I agree that this is something a dealership would do; but what’s stopping some enterprising soul from opening an Internet-based dealership? If orders could be taken and confirmed via the Internet (no small task considering the fraud possibilities) then the dealership could eliminate one of their biggest costs: inventory and its related taxes and interest. Not to mention the elimination of facility overhead.
Adding the multiple unit buying power to the equation would really drop the overall cost. An additional cost savings could be realized by taking delivery at the factory. This is an idea that really needs to be explored further.
The biggest issue, for many, might be with a lack of a service department but I think that’s something that could be worked out.
About ten years ago I spec’d out the truck I am presently driving. Ordered it from the factory. Silly person that I was I offered to go to the factory and pick it up myself. Maybe rent a car or take my bike.
I was rebuffed. “No, no,nooooo. Can’t DO that. We have a CONTRACT see. With a Union. They get to deliver ALL the new trucks. (and add several thousand dollars to the pricetag?) Shame on you for even THINKING of such a thing.”
I wonder if times have changed?
Regarding service. Now and then I see Billboards stating “We Service All Makes”.
Might be a starting point?
Good comments and explanation
In life most things come down a person’s options and choices
A book is a book is a book
You can hold it. You can read it without power. You can close the book. A physical book is easy to read.
Proponents of books will summarize ” a book is a book is a book”
Still when a book costs $ 50 and a Kindle of the Sony product a substantial amount less - it can be a different situation
The time of the electronic book reader as an option and with some inherent advantages as well is dawning on us
No shipping costs or physical paper as well
It will be interesting to see - just as blogs allowed ordinary people to have websites and express themselves the same may become true of the publishing empires
Perhaps now anyone can easily publish and distribute their own book
Interesting - it may be the book empires , along with movies , music and newspapers who will feel the next hit
Good comments on Vista - an upgrade to Vista is a downgrade
No logical reason whatever to upgrade to Vista from XP
At least no now