Salesman's Truck

Demo&Rebuild

Hello ladies and gents I'm thinking of hiring a salesman and I was wondering what you folks do for a policy as far as your saleeman's auto arrangement. Do they take it home at night, I mean gas is 3.15 a gallon? Also, what do you guys prefer foe a vehicle a small truck? their own car and you pay mileage, but then how do you keep track if their really working? Any help would be appreciated.

dromike15

i know for a fact that you can put a gps system in your employees cars to track where they are going, how fast, if they stopped anywhere, etc. You can also set speed limits, etc with them.

Grumpy

Sales is somewhat like acting. Your salesman needs to fit the role. I personally feel that construction salesmen need to look like they aren't salesmen, like they are going to the job site to supervise when they are done with this meeting. I basicallyc all this looking like a "clean contractor". For example most of my salesmen wear construction work boots. They are not the most comfortable shoe but they fit the part.

Customers automatically have a defensive wall up against "Sales" people. So the key is for them to not look or act like a sterotypical sales person. So it'd be very helpful if your sales reps pull up to the house in a truck lettered up with the company logo and information. Nothing flashy (no escalade) but also nothing trashy (no 15 year old rust buckets).

However if they are using their own vehicle for business purposes you really are in no position to dictate. I put in my adds: "Must have - A personal vehicle in, good condition (No rust, no oil leaks), which can be used for business purposes." However something I am goign to start this year is a company truck after the sales rep reaches a 1 mil in sales for the year.

One thing is for sure, if you are going to be giving someone a truck you either have to have a high level of trust or some sort of tracking. If a sales rep has been workignf or me for long enough to sell 1 mil, then I probably trust them or would have gotten rid of them before the truck even comes into play.

What kind of truck would I be buying? Probably a basic f150. All employees who use a company vehicle are required to sign a vehicle useage agreement which states what my expectations are and what their responsibilities are. I'd also suggest you have your insjrance agent run a driver's history before even considering letting someone drive one of your vehicles.

Currently I pay out gas at about $60 a week. This is treated as an expense reimbursement, no taxes with-held, they provide reciepts. I'm also willing to bet they declare mileage on their taxes as any good accountant would suggest them to do.

Stone Mountain

Grump. I like your ideas: get a million in sales and get a company vehicle.
Since I've been in business, the only salesperson in the comapny who's hit $1,000,000 in sales ha been me. If I could find someone like that, I'd quit selling and semi-retire!
I'm going to look at the idea.

As far as vehicles go, I agree, a clean truck, well lettered, is a good idea. Last spring I drove my red F-150 until the end of April (when I took my Cobra out of winter storage) and I got lots of people stopping me to ask for a quote. Although I love driviing the Cobra(it's a convertible with 500 horsepower), I have to admit the truck got a great repsonse.

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A-Bulb

This is my vehicle of choice There great on gas.

Tscarborough

If they drive a company truck they should do call reports and mileage logs. This can conflict if they are 100% commision, so the best is an auto allowance if they are not. As a salesman, I prefered a company truck, as an employer, I prefer the allowance. Also note that I would never put signage on a salesmans truck, nor as a salesman drive one with signage. If it has signage, it should be parked at the office at night.

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Electric_Light

Company vehicle:
Would it also serve as a hauling vehicle, or salesperson transportation only?
If not, get something like a Chevy Aveo. A truck is unnecessary.

His own vehicle:
If you hire him as an employee, there is still liability, however if you hire him as in indepedent contractor and pay compensation for mileage, I believe liability is between him, whoever he mauls, and his insurance company.

Grumpy

Can you explain? You have your guys doing weekly mileage reports? What's a call report? Mind if I ask why? What's the problem with just giving a guy a truck? Many many corporations buy their employees company vehicles. Sure they are not always lettered but they do allow employees to take them home and use for personal use.

My cousin is some kind of engineer and was given a Chevy malibu by his company. It's my understanding they pay for everything and allow him to use it as a personal vehicle as well. I admit though, I do not know all the details of his arrangement.

Grumpy

I have progressive commercial car insurance, bought it through this very website! Anyways for an extra $50- or $100 a year I added "Un-owned vehicles" to my policy. Meaning if a salesman, or anyone, is driving their own vehicle for business purposes they are covered under my policy too. But Shhhhh don't tell my guys that! I tell them their insurance is their responsibility and part of the allowance I give them. However if push ever comes to shove, I am covered.

Tscarborough

A call report is who you called upon and what happened. I have done mileage logs and call reports with/for various companies and they are a powerful tool or a huge waste of time, depending upon the pay method.

If the signed truck is not parked at the office at night, there is a good chance it will be parked in front of a jiggly-joint, plus the liability factors.

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It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

Double-A

Naw, I make them take the signs off before I let them come in the door. Especially the local authorities. I run a high class jiggy-joint. I don't want no one thinking we cater to riff raff like counselmen, salesmen or others what is like that.

Our Jiggys are the best in town. You don't think we call it Double-A for nuttin' do youse?

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Demo&Rebuild

Thanks for all your help on this guys I do appreciate it.