These days it seems the number of subscription services we subscribe to is ever-increasing – but what if you could apply this subscription model to ‘owning’ a truck?
While the concept of vehicle subscription is not entirely new overseas, it’s still fairly new to the Australian market. This alternative model of vehicle ownership is designed for flexibility and adaptability.
In a nutshell, you select your vehicle and pay a monthly fee; and you’re free to pull the pin on the deal at any time, which for some can make perfect sense.
Queensland based Everything Fleet is an early adopter of the subscription approach, which it’s pitching as a hybrid between leasing and rental, and an alternative to new truck purchasing.
More recently Everything Fleet teamed-up with Isuzu Trucks to offer a subscription-based approach to commercial truck fleets and road transport businesses in and around the Sunshine Coast.
Managing director Keith Alexander has been in the industry for over 30 years.
“I moved to the Gold Coast in my early twenties and started in the business as a detailer in a Thrifty franchise. That evolved and eventually I had the opportunity to take an ownership stake in the business. I was a franchisee of Thrifty for 17 years here on the Gold Coast,” he recalled.
His career with Thrifty ended when its parent company, Hertz, went into administration last year. A rebrand is currently underway in Australia with Thrifty now to be known as Sixt Rental Australia.
“The break-up of that relationship triggered the decision to move out on our own,” Alexander said. “We parted ways with the national franchisor, which created some freedom for us to look more closely at the subscription model.
“I want to say that there’s been a lot of change with the rental industry over my time, but I really can’t.
“Vehicle rental is straightforward as a concept. It’s transactional in nature and that extends to the interaction or relationship with the customer.
“As our business has evolved over the years, we’ve moved further way from the tourist market to focus more heavily on commercial and corporate customers, which has given us a really strong base to work from in switching to subscription.”
From a truck perspective, he says the key selling point of subscription is its flexibility.
Headlining the Isuzu presence in the Everything Fleet truck line-up are a range of mostly N Series light trucks, including the NQR 87-190. The Southport-based fleet also includes a range of medium-duty Isuzu models, including the 14,000kg GVM FSR 140-260.
Predominantly aimed at general freight and last mile delivery tasks, the Isuzu products are all bodied by the team at Gold Coast Isuzu, with a wrapped van body and tail-lift applied to the NQR models.
There are no financial commitments, there’s also no long-term agreements in place if business situations shift or change, which Alexander says are all attractive traits, especially for retail and small business customers looking for an efficient way to deliver on their transport needs.
“It provides flexibility at the end of the day. They can opt out at any stage and re-engage if their circumstances change again. It’s highly adaptable to a number of scenarios.
“We’ve had great take-up already and we’re confident we’ll have a positive response in the light truck side of things as well. We’ve been really happy with the model so far.”
