Ryan Knight
At Knight Auto Group, if something’s slowing down the customer—or the deal—the team looks toward one solution: bring it in-house.
The insight: On yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live, Ryan Knight (director of operations) told hosts Sam D'Arc and Yossi Levi that whether it’s upfitting a truck, installing lights, or servicing a fleet vehicle, the fastest way to solve pain points is to control the process.
That’s why his auto group has stopped depending on outside vendors to install gear on commercial units.
Think service bodies, flatbeds, ladder racks, or strobes.
The reason? Timelines were dragging. And deliveries were delayed.
Knight’s opinion: His team could do it better.
And they did—netting about 10% of sales in ‘24, cutting install delays, and giving fleet buyers front-of-the-line treatment in the process.
Not an easy leap to make, sure.
But when that control leads to better margins, too, it’s a winning play.
Which is why his group is bringing the same energy to fleet services—this time with a purpose-built Ford Pro Elite facility set to open by December.
“It's kind of an untapped market and we think we're positioned to do well with it,” Knight said.
The new shop will service everything up to an F-750, a 4,000–6,000 lb slab of truck most dealers aren’t equipped to handle.
For context: “We went through a big renovation of our service department in Tulsa… dedicating 15 lifts to commercial fleet, and then we ran out of room. Then, the next move was to build this Ford Pro facility,” Knight said during yesterday’s episode.
But this isn’t just about capacity.
Splitting retail and fleet (and offering separate advisors, techs, etc.) also clears the clutter—retail runs smoother, and fleet buyers get the dedicated space and speed they need.
That said, even the best plans have roadblocks.
And in this case, it’s staffing, which is why Knight said his team has turned to building its people through a “thought-out apprentice program.”
It’s not fast. But he says it pays off in the long run.
Bottom line: Dealers take note. If your store can do it better in-house, consider the shift. Knight’s playbook is built on that principle—spot the friction, listen to the customer, and take control of the solution.
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