Rental has grown from being the "stepchild" of the dealership to one of its most strategic engines for profitability and growth. What was once viewed as a backup option-something to fill the gaps when sales were slow or service was overloaded-is now a core part of the dealership model. Customers increasingly demand flexibility, reliability, and solutions, not just machines, and rental delivers on all three.
Rental Management in an Equipment Dealership
That gap is both a wake-up call and an opportunity: when rental is managed with intention, it elevates margins, strengthens customer loyalty, and stabilizes cash flow.
The chapters walk through a practical roadmap: understanding your market, defining fleet strategy, implementing operational discipline, tracking key metrics, and integrating rental seamlessly with sales, service, and parts. Throughout, the emphasis is on clarity and action-tools you can put to use immediately, whether you're running a small local dealership or a multi-branch enterprise.
Market trends only reinforce the need for a strong rental arm. Rising equipment costs, tighter financing, and uncertain economic conditions prompt customers to seek short-term solutions. From contractors needing immediate access to machines, to farmers hedging against unpredictable commodity prices, to municipalities and event managers seeking flexible fleets, rental has become the logical choice. Dealerships that align with this demand-by offering reliable equipment, responsive service, and transparent pricing-win more than just transactions; they build durable partnerships.
Another recurring theme is utilization. A full yard does not equal profit-machines must be working, not waiting. Data-driven fleet management, careful acquisition and disposal planning, and clear utilization benchmarks are all essential to maintaining healthy returns. Case studies and benchmarks show how disciplined management can transform rental from guesswork into a dependable revenue stream.
The book also explores long-term rental strategies, technology integration, and the importance of financial rigor. Concepts such as washout analysis, KPI dashboards, and predictive analytics enable rental management to transition from a reactive to a proactive approach. At the same time, the discussion remains grounded in practical dealership realities-customer conversations, staffing challenges, OEM relationships, and competitive positioning against national players.
Ultimately, rental is about more than equipment. It is about resilience and adaptability. A well-run rental department not only absorbs shocks in down markets but also accelerates growth in strong ones. The dealerships that succeed will be those that stop treating rental as a sideline and instead weave it into the very fabric of their business.
This is not a theoretical guide. It is a hands-on conversation with actionable steps, built from decades of dealership experience. If you're ready to turn rental into both a stabilizer and a growth engine, the path forward is laid out here. Done right, rental isn't just part of the business-it is the business.
Praise for Rental Management in an Equipment Dealership
Over the past five years, working with George has completely changed the way I manage our rental and used fleet. Before, I felt like I was constantly chasing information across multiple systems. We had three different inventory reports—none of them completely accurate, and none of them in one place. It was frustrating, time-consuming, and didn’t provide me with the whole picture I needed to make informed decisions.George showed me how to organize everything into a single spreadsheet tool, and it has become my primary management resource. Having all the information in one place has been eye-opening. I can now view rental costs, utilization, and age groupings without having to dig through multiple systems. This has allowed me to:
- Increase rental rates by at least 6% and set a process to review them every November.
- Cut back on unnecessary discounts and limit the amount of revenue lost on loaners by making managers more aware of their impact.
- Identify older or underperforming units, retire them, and create a used sales inventory list that our account managers use to generate sales—one unit sold within 24 hours of creating that list.
- Spot maintenance cost issues in specific product lines, which led to productive discussions about how to reduce expenses.
- Support better planning with management by showing them equipment age profiles and explaining why maintenance costs were rising.
The impact has been more than just financial. The spreadsheet and reporting process have raised awareness across the entire dealership. Other departments now understand how rental decisions impact their areas, and we’re working more collaboratively to reduce costs and increase profitability.George also helped me think differently about strategy.
By blending new and older units in the fleet, I can strike a balance between utilization and resale value. His guidance on rental pricing—maintaining a 5% monthly revenue target and properly accounting for maintenance and depreciation—has given me a solid financial model to work from. We’ve also begun planning for long-term rental programs, which will help maximize revenue and strengthen customer relationships.
Looking back, I can see just how much has changed. What used to feel like guesswork is now a structured and deliberate process. I can quickly drill down into the details, identify problems, and take action. My department is more profitable, more organized, and better connected to the rest of the dealership.George’s patience and persistence in helping me learn these tools and approaches have made all the difference. I truly appreciate the way he has helped me take control of rental management and set us up for long-term success.
Dalene Cook - Director of Rental & Used Fleet - Voss Equipment