“You may need a dump truck. You may need a vehicle called a service truck that has drawers and [also] need a crane. All of that information was missing from anywhere in [a commercial dealer’s] database and anywhere online.”
Schifferle noticed that selling commercial trucks and vans for construction, plumbing and other specialized commercial uses didn’t keep close track of those vehicles on the lot. Other than photos of the vehicles on a website, potential customers often couldn’t find make, model or other details.
Work Truck attempted to address this issue with an initial plug-in for dealer websites that lets a commercial vehicle customer see a tab for “commercial” or “work truck” during their vehicle searches, which show all the vehicles they need by use case type. Additional tools help dealers manage tasks including inventory and pricing, with services such as digitization of both photos and modifications of customized commercial vehicles for sale on dealer databases.
The company also provides digital marketing tools designed to save time during the sales process, as well as market and product data, according to its website.
In addition, Work Truck displays dealers’ commercial inventory on Comvoy.com, its national marketplace, OEM sites and upfitters’ sites.
Work Truck is essentially a unicorn in the auto industry, according to Jim Press, a Work Truck adviser and industry legend whose previous positions include COO of Toyota Motor North America and deputy CEO of Chrysler after it merged with Fiat.
“Virtually all of the technology available in the retail business to the customer side is not applicable to the commercial. It’s not suitable for business to business,” Press told Automotive News. “[Schifferle’s] interest is to help the dealers, the upfitters and the OEMs all succeed in becoming more efficient, customer focused and increase both their business and their profit.”
Work Truck is unique, he said, because its software and services fill that void by linking its commercial vehicle dealer customers with upfitters who customize those vehicles and the OEMs/manufacturers, and “[Schifferle] knits them together” to promote greater communication and sales.
Schifferle said the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath has been a boon for Work Truck, with dealers recognizing growth opportunities with commercial vehicle sales because they became so essential.
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