Running a service loaner fleet is a valuable customer service offering, but without the right controls in place, costs can quickly spiral out of control. Fuel expenses, maintenance, excessive mileage, and inefficient vehicle utilization can eat into dealership profits.

Dealership service departments face constant pressure to provide excellent customer experiences while managing costs effectively. One of the most significant challenges is ensuring customers have reliable transportation when their vehicles are being serviced. Implementing a paid rental program directly addresses this need, benefiting customers by offering a predictable, transparent, and convenient transportation solution.

For service managers, keeping track of vehicles in and out of service is a constant balancing act. Without a clear lot management process, vehicles get misplaced, workflows slow down, and customers grow frustrated — all of which impact profitability and reputation. Data shows just how much poor lot management can cost your dealership.

Dealership service managers continuously seek efficient ways to provide alternate transportation to customers during vehicle maintenance or repairs. Traditional courtesy shuttles or loaner vehicles often present significant costs and logistical challenges. Increasingly, dealerships are turning to ridehail solutions—using rideshare services to simplify transportation, enhance customer experience, and significantly cut costs.

The way we identify ourselves is changing. With smartphones becoming central to daily life, mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) are emerging as the next evolution of personal identification – offering convenience, security, and compatibility with a digital-first world.

For service managers, managing toll charges on loaner and rental vehicles has historically been a frustrating and costly process. With growing customer expectations and increasing toll road use, staying on top of these charges is critical. Fortunately, advancements in toll management technology now offer dealerships smarter, more efficient ways to track, allocate, and recover toll expenses—delivering measurable benefits to both operations and customer experience.

Managing courtesy transportation costs can be a time-consuming and error-prone process for dealerships. Whether using loaner vehicles, shuttles, or ridehail services, tracking expenses, allocating costs, and ensuring warranty reimbursement eligibility requires manual data entry, administrative oversight, and frequent reconciliation.

A dealership shuttle service is a valuable customer offering, but if not properly managed, it can become a costly operation. Many dealerships fail to track expenses effectively, missing opportunities to recover costs from warranty reimbursements, transportation fees, and alternative ride solutions.

A service loaner fleet is a valuable customer service offering, but without proper compliance and liability management, dealerships face significant risks. From unverified drivers and unauthorized vehicle use to untracked damages and missing documentation, poor oversight can lead to legal trouble, financial loss, and reputational damage.

Implementing a paid rental program within your dealership’s service department offers numerous advantages, from reducing overhead costs to improving customer experience and operational efficiency. While complimentary loaner vehicles have long been standard practice, service managers are increasingly recognizing the financial and logistical benefits of charging a nominal fee for alternate transportation.