Automotive Fleet’s Fleet Truck of the Year award went yet again to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. This effectively means that the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has won the light duty pickup truck award for a total of three times so far.
The director of commercial products at GM Fleet said winning this award for a third time carries a lot of weight with the company’s customers in the commercial fleet sector. Getting validation and recognition from relevant third parties is something that carries immense value for GM Fleet. The fact that Bobit Business Media has also backed the award makes getting the award for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 even more gratifying. Customers take these awards very seriously when deciding on which vehicles to acquire for their fleet. Getting this award will make sure that the door is open to purchase the Silverado moving forward.
The full sized truck product manager at GM Fleet, Daniel Tigges, has said that the Fleet Truck of the Year award is important. It is an award primarily focused on the aspect of commercial fleet trucks and what the fleet truck industry values. There are other awards which go out to fleet trucks but the Fleet Truck of the Year award helps them understand that they are making the right decisions with their manufacturing of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
This award was given to the truck in a market where things have definitely started to become competitive. The demand for fleet trucks is increasing and the number of trucks that made an entry into the voting were 39 but the number has increased to 47 different models that the Silverado had to compete with to win this award for the third time.
Why The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Deserves the Award
Several factors contributed to the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 winning of the award for a third time. These include dependability, the total cost of ownership, the overall comfort and fleet-focused design to name a few.
Low Total Cost of Ownership
One of the biggest reasons why this model deserves the award is the fact is that it keeps the total cost of ownership very low. From the point of initially acquiring the truck to fuel efficiency and maintenance, this truck is incredibly effective at lowering the costs of ownership.
A good fleet truck needs to balance all these things in order to lead to a decent cost of ownership. The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado does that with great efficiency. The price of acquiring the Silverado 1500 is competitive with the market rates. There is a whole panel in GM Fleet which keeps the price competitive by making the necessary decisions about the vehicle.
For instance, you can consider the safety technologies used in Silverado a high priority. They can never be compromised on, but using alternative material instead of leather seats is something that makes sense. They focus on limiting the luxury items from the vehicles while retaining the safety and comfort that Silverado offers. This panel’s feedback provides GM Fleet the necessary perspective on various trimmings at different price points of the vehicle.
When it comes to the aspect of maintenance, the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has relied on an excellent mixed-material strategy. The use of high strength steel and aluminum in the body of the truck while using the best material for each part has made a big impact in the overall maintenance costs of the truck.
Consider a high impact area like the bed of the truck. That is made using steel because of the material’s resilience, which will be needed in that role. The hood, on the other hand, is made of aluminum. It’s lightweight and easier to move.
Reducing the overall cost of ownership is a crucial factor for fleet trucks because they see a lot of wear and tear. A model that costs less to repair and maintain means it will be more beneficial for companies in the fleet industry, making the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 an attractive model for them.
Reducing Downtime Through Increased Dependability
Of course, it is not just the cost of owning and operating the vehicle that counts. Other than the total cost of ownership, another make-or-break factor affecting the purchase decision for commercial fleet managers is the dependability of the vehicle.
It is important that the vehicle being considered for the fleet is dependable, reliable and durable if commercial fleet customers are going to acquire it. The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 fulfills those requirements and it has been doing so for the past few years. In fact, the dependability and reliability of the Silverado 1500 along with its competitive total cost of ownership has seen it excel in the pickup market, even outdoing the fleet truck market.
Moving Forward with the New Generation of the Silverado 1500
The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has indeed been making huge waves when it comes to the fleet truck industry but things are about to turn up a notch. With the 2018 model still turning heads and winning awards in the industry, Chevrolet has already started work on the production of the 2019-MY Silverado 1500.
The 2019-MY Silverado 1500 is a whole new generation in the line of pickup trucks. The differences between the 2017 and 2018 Chevrolet Silverado models were slightly incremental. The differences between the 2018 and the 2019 models are quite significant.
Increased focus on optimizing the model for the commercial fleet industry has made the new generation of Chevrolet Silverado perfect for the fleet industry. The packaging is centered around how it will operate in the industry as a vital tool for commercial fleet operators. It remains to be seen how much the new generation of Silverado impacts the fleet truck market.
Is there any question why Summit Fleet carries the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 year after year? Learn more about what we can offer to you and your entire fleet team.
