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Dell on Inventory Turn, Zombo on Vehicle Shipping, Murphy on Recon Upgrade | Daily Dealer Live

Dell on Inventory Turn, Zombo on Vehicle Shipping, Murphy on Recon Upgrade | Daily Dealer Live

Car Dealership Guy Podcast Mar 02, 2026 61 min
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About this episode

The discussion centers on the critical importance of inventory efficiency, transport cost control, and recon discipline for car dealerships in 2026. Rob Dell shares insights on using detailed data tracking to optimize used car acquisition and turnaround, emphasizing education and teamwork. The episode also covers industry headlines including Asbury's dealership sales, Ford's large software recall, and Kia's new hybrid Telluride. Listeners gain practical strategies to improve dealership execution, focusing on tight operations rather than volume to protect profits amid market challenges.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

SAR

"You noticed February sales bounced, SAR is pacing around the mid-15 million range, headlines say stability, some say recovery..."

SAR is a way to guess how many cars will sell in a year by adjusting for busy and slow times during the year.

Term

floor plan

"floor plan with its elevated interest, well, it's not free, and sloppy inventory decisions"

Floor plan is like a loan dealers take to buy cars for their lots, and they have to pay interest on it until they sell the cars.

Term

FNI process

"...tight on FNI process, because, well, right now the spread between average dealers and elite dealers, it's not units sold, it's execution... why FNI is still one of the most under leveraged margin engines in the building."

FNI is a way car dealers make extra money by selling cars smartly, adding extras, and negotiating well, not just by selling many cars.

Term

recon

"...tight on recon, tight on transport, tight on FNI process... will cover why recon discipline is a growth strategy..."

Recon means fixing up used cars at a dealership so they look good and work well before selling them to customers.

Term

over-the-air update

"Now, Ford says the fix will come by an over-the-air update beginning March 17th with dealership and mobile service options available."

It's like getting an automatic update on your phone, but for your car. The car gets new software sent to it without you needing to go anywhere.

Concept

hybrid lineup

"Next up today, Kia is expanding its hybrid lineup with the 2027 Telluride HEV."

A hybrid lineup means a group of cars that use both gas and electric power to save fuel. When a company adds more hybrid cars, they are expanding this group.

Car

Kia Telluride HEV

"Next up today, Kia is expanding its hybrid lineup with the 2027 Telluride HEV. Pricing starts at $46,490 and runs to just under $58,000 across 6 trims, placing it firmly in the mid-40k to 50k range where many 3-year row SUVs already transact."

The Kia Telluride HEV is a version of the Kia Telluride SUV that uses both gas and electric power to save fuel and pollute less. It is a newer model coming out in 2027.

Car

Telluride HEV

"a sizable pool of hiring come buyers shopping for 3-row SUVs in that 50k range. And the Telluride HEV is clearly aimed at those."

The Telluride HEV is a version of the Kia Telluride SUV that uses both gas and electric power to save fuel. It has three rows of seats, so it can carry more people, and is popular for families.

Concept

buy center

"You astounded our audience way back then because selling 50 new in a Ford store, you were selling 300 used a month on average and attributed a lot of that to a buy center."

A buy center is a part of a car dealership that buys used cars to sell them to other people.

Term

used cars

"small Ford market, 50-ish cars, but used cars are what we control. And we look at the data every day..."

Used cars are cars that other people have already driven. You can buy them for less money than brand new cars.

Concept

inventory

"Yeah, so we know in dealerships this way, trains are your best source of inventory."

Inventory means the cars that a dealership has ready to sell. They need to keep track of these cars to make sure they have what customers want.

Term

condition reports

"A big debate we've been having recently is the validity of CRs or our condition reports from auctions themselves and the differing dollar amounts,"

A condition report is like a checklist that tells you how good or bad a car is before you buy it, especially when you can't see it in person. It points out any problems or damage the car might have.

Concept

auction

"Is it a particular auction or is it auctions in general? I would say it changes is the right answer. I mean, I'll see it at one auction. So that was a big change that I made going into 25 as I wanted to track. You know, we used to just track auction. Well, that was blanketed, right? That could be anything, and we're in Pennsylvania. So I got the big house right up the road, and I was at a sale. I saw a car that was at a different sale because we have four pretty big auctions around us, and the CR was wildly different."

An auction is like a big sale where cars are sold to the person who offers the most money. People bid against each other to buy cars, and it can be different at each auction.

Concept

acquisition

"I think acquisition is a big piece, depending on how you're acquiring cars, how fast you can get them there."

Acquisition means how a dealership gets its used cars, like buying them from auctions or customers trading them in. Getting cars quickly and cheaply helps the dealership sell better.

Concept

merchandising

"Step one when the car gets here is it gets merchandise. So that's photos and everything before it goes to detail or to the shop."

Merchandising means getting the car ready to show to buyers, like taking good pictures and writing about it. This helps people want to buy the car.

Car

Ford F450

"There's the vanilla Ford Edge and then there's an F450 Platinum with all the gear."

The Ford F-450 Platinum is a very big and strong truck that can carry heavy loads. The Platinum part means it has fancy features and is very comfortable to drive.

Car

Ford Edge

"There's the vanilla Ford Edge and then there's an F450 Platinum with all the gear."

The Ford Edge is a type of SUV, which is a bigger car that can carry more people and stuff. It comes in simple and fancy versions, so some are basic and some have lots of features.

Term

margin opportunity

"One of the inventory managers handles pricing for the first two weeks. And I call that the margin opportunity, is what I call that."

Margin opportunity means the time when the dealer can sell the car for more money before they have to lower the price to sell it faster.

Term

retail

"With that being said, retail is greater than wholesale. So we want to retail everything."

Retail means selling cars directly to people who want to buy and use them, usually for more money than selling to other businesses.

Concept

transportation fraud

"but she's going to come on and talk about transportation fraud and theft, and it's rampant."

Transportation fraud means people trick others when moving cars from one place to another, usually to steal or cheat with expensive vehicles.

Brand

Volkswagen

"First job was Valet at a Volkswagen store,"

Volkswagen is a big car company from Germany that makes many different cars you might see on the road.

Term

GM

"both the same GM, good guy, GM right now."

GM is a big American company that makes many different cars and trucks under different brand names.

Car

Hyundai Genesis

"... right across them, our large Hauler Hyundai and Genesis North Orlando dealership. Yeah."

The Hyundai Genesis is a fancy car made by Hyundai that feels more expensive than it really is. It has nice features and is comfortable, so people like it if they want a luxury car without paying too much.

Car

Mitsubishi Got Mitsubishi

"That's a busy market. You've got Mitsubishi. You've got Vinfast, which is interesting."

The Mitsubishi GT is a small, fast car that can drive well in different weather because it has special wheels that help it stay on the road. It's good if you want a fun car that's also useful for everyday driving.

Brand

Vinfast

"You've got Vinfast, which is interesting."

Vinfast is a new car company from Vietnam that makes electric cars and wants to sell them all over the world.

Brand

Mazda

"But a lot of different brands, including Honda, Mazda, Ford, Audi and whatnot."

Mazda is a car company from Japan that makes cars that are fun to drive and use fuel well.

Brand

Audi

"But a lot of different brands, including Honda, Mazda, Ford, Audi and whatnot."

Audi is a fancy car company from Germany that makes cars with lots of technology and good handling.

Brand

Honda

"But a lot of different brands, including Honda, Mazda, Ford, Audi and whatnot."

Honda is a big car company from Japan that makes cars and motorcycles that many people trust.

Car

Toyota Camry

"there is a difference between the fleet used, the rental Toyota Camry and grandma's Toyota Camry, right?"

The Toyota Camry is a common car that many people use for daily driving and also for rental cars. It's known for being dependable and easy to maintain.

Term

tire tread measurements

"...So tire tread measurements, brake measurements. How do you look at hail?..."

Tire tread measurements mean checking how much rubber is left on your tires. This helps make sure the tires are safe and can grip the road properly.

Term

brake measurements

"...So tire tread measurements, brake measurements. How do you look at hail?..."

Brake measurements mean checking how worn the brakes are to make sure they can stop the car safely.

Company

auto hauler exchange

"And we do leverage Frank's company as well, auto hauler exchange."

Auto Hauler Exchange helps car dealers and transport companies move cars from one place to another safely and quickly.

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