OPENLANE announced that it has teamed with Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. (DTAG) to pre-sell its rental vehicles at OPENLANE’s online auction site, www.openlane.com. OPENLANE’s Order in Fleet program allows dealers to pre-order vehicles prior to being retired from the Dollar Thrifty rental fleet, providing them greater access to a wide selection of Dollar Thrifty’s domestic, imported and highline rental vehicles. Through OPENLANE’s online auction, Dollar Thrifty now has the most efficient channel for inventory disposal, which will result in a faster return on investment and reduced marketing costs.
As new car sales have fallen due to the economic crisis, more consumers are turning to used cars when considering purchases, thus driving increased demand for used vehicles. OPENLANE’s Order in Fleet purchase tool also offers dealers access to a greater selection of used vehicles earlier in the buying process. By pre-ordering vehicles while they are still in Dollar Thrifty’s rental fleet, dealers can obtain the vehicles they need faster, without the need for the vehicle to be retired from the rental fleet prior to sale. Dealers across North America will also benefit greatly from the new inventory source available on the site. Through OPENLANE’s “virtual” showroom of inventory, dealers will have access to Dollar Thrifty’s complete, nationwide inventory spanning a variety of manufacturer makes and models. In addition, the Order in Fleet search tool enables dealers to find the vehicles they want by searching by make, model, year, mileage and location, and also provides the option of purchasing vehicles either individually or by the truckload.
