Find the vehicles

Cars, trucks, hybrids -- you have a lot of vehicle choices available.

I recommend: Auto manufacturers (Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, and more) all have fleet programs, but typically you need to buy or lease 5-10 vehicles to receive a fleet registration number, which gives you access to dealer incentive programs. The car rental company Enterprise also has a fleet program, which allows you to choose vehicles from multiple manufacturers.

Choose between buying and leasing

Your biggest fleet decision will be whether to purchase or lease vehicles. Weigh your vehicle needs (how many, what size, how far they'll travel, how they'll be used) and work with your accountant to determine which decision makes the most sense for your business. When you purchase, you have to choose between fixed or floating financing. Under a fixed-rate plan, your payments remain constant; with a floating-rate, your payments can fluctuate based on the health of the economy, but you can typically switch to a fixed rate. With leasing, you have a TRAC lease (which lets you buy the vehicle at lease end for a fixed price, paying the dealer the difference if you don't buy) or a walkaway lease (which lets you return the vehicle, extend the lease, or purchase the vehicle).

I recommend: Auto manufacturers have their own financing or lease programs, but you can also choose an independent firm, such as Commerical Fleet Financing, CFF, Midway Fleet, Primus Financial Services, or PHH Arval.

Outsource the maintenance

You could hire a mechanic and build a vehicle service center behind your factory, but that approach makes sense only if you have a huge fleet. For businesses with more modest fleets, consider hiring an outside company to service your vehicles.

I recommend: Fleet rental and sales companies typically offer a maintenance service that can be added to your contract. Enterprise, for example, has a network of 65,000 service centers

Hire a watchdog

You can do more than outsource the maintenance. By hiring a fleet management company, you can let them worry about maintenance schedules, vehicle misuse, and optimal driving routes.

I recommend: Fleet management companies -- such as GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services or Fleet Management Solutions -- can listen to your needs and determine what will work best for you. If you put someone on staff to manage your fleet, consider having that individual join the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) for discounts and advice. Fleet management software from FleetBoss, FleetCommander or Fleetmate is another possibility.

Fund the fuel

To pay for fuel, you can hand employees cash, reimburse employees, or use business credit or debit cards -- but those options can lead to trouble and messy accounting. Another possibility is a fleet fuel card.

I recommend: Wright Express, which works with fleet rental companies and independently, has a selection of fleet fuel cards that can be used at more than 180,000 locations. The cards can also be used for light fleet maintenance such as oil changes. You can review sales transaction data -- driver and vehicle ID, odometer reading, and more -- to analyze the effectiveness of your fleet. Fleet One, Global-Fleet, and U.S. Bank/Voyager also offer fleet fuel programs.

Bring the fuel to you

You can avoid using fleet fuel cards entirely if you have a refueling service that visits your business. Diesel refueling services are easier to find than gasoline ones.

I recommend: B&C Fuel Corp. handles greater Boston, Fleet Fuel covers northern New Jersey, and SC Fuels works in Southern California. If you happen to reside in the other 99% of the U.S., search the Yellow Pages for "diesel" or "gasoline" providers in your area.