TLDR: Pre-delivery departments move a lot of cars to third-party suppliers and sublets, and most track them with spreadsheets, email chains and paper trade-plate records. When a car can’t be found, you get delayed sales, missed accessory fitment slots and unhappy customers. DriveExpert gives you one live view of every vehicle — test drives, service loans, staff drives and PD trade/sublet movements — with trade loans logged against a PO or RO number in about 30 seconds.
Why the PD department loses cars
If you’ve ever shouted in exasperation, “Where’s my car?” then you know exactly how frustrating it can be to lose track of a vehicle in a busy dealership, especially in the Pre-Delivery (PD) department.
Often overlooked but absolutely crucial, this part of the dealership juggles a significant volume of cars daily, sending them to third-party suppliers or sublets for various tasks. However, without a centralised, digital tracking system, chaos can reign.
How most dealerships track PD vehicles today
In many dealerships, tracking systems for cars in the PD department might consist of an Excel spreadsheet managed by the PD manager, a chain of emails noting vehicle movements, or even paper records for the trade plate movements. Despite best efforts, this lack of a centralised and efficient system can lead to information bottlenecks, delays, and even (temporarily) lost vehicles. In most scenarios, staff have to physically check the PD teams’ paperwork or hunt down vehicles on premises.
“I truly believe this system will enhance our business overnight, with increased trades and better management of our drive cars” — Ian Mason, Dealer Principal | Ateco Retail Operations - Ateco Automotive
This situation isn’t just inconvenient — it carries significant risks. A car that can’t be located immediately can lead to delayed sales, missed accessory fitment slots, and unhappy staff / customers.
What DriveExpert changes
The DriveExpert platform brings simplicity, transparency, and efficiency to your dealership’s vehicle tracking. With DriveExpert, tracking trade loans is a breeze. You can add the company name and a PO (Purchase Order) or Repair Order (RO) number to the record in just 30 seconds. Cars can be easily returned on the web dashboard as well.
With DriveExpert, you have a centralised, live view of all your vehicles — not just the sales test drives or service loan cars, but also staff drives and pre-delivery trade/sublet movements.
The result? No more frantic searches, no more “Dude, where’s my car?” moments. Instead, you get a smoother operation, happier staff, and a PD department that works like a well-oiled machine communicating with all departments without picking up the phone.
Give DriveExpert a spin, and take control of your PD department vehicle tracking. Because at the end of the day, you’ve got better things to do than playing hide and seek with your cars.