Merchants Fleet announced an expanded strategic partnership with Cox Fleet that advances how fleet maintenance, roadside assistance, and service support are delivered to clients at scale.

According to Merchants Fleet, the agreement formalizes a long-standing relationship between the two companies. The continued partnership is the result of a 15-month collaboration and implementation combining the capabilities of each business, modernizing service delivery through integrated technology, national coverage through 65,000-plus service providers and 1,500-plus Cox Fleet technicians, 24/7/365 support, and a unified operating model for Merchants’ clients.

“As a mission-critical partner to our client’s success, delivering a consistent, seamless service experience requires strong partnerships with organizations that can operate at scale,” said Jeff Nieman, Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer at Merchants Fleet. “Our relationship with Cox Fleet gives us access to a unified service model that simplifies maintenance and roadside coordination, reduces complexity, and helps fleet managers spend less time managing service logistics and more time running their business, all while keeping vehicles on the road.”

How Does the Cox Fleet & Merchants Fleet Partnership Work? 

The relationship supports multiple Merchants Fleet portfolios, including long-term fleet operations, FleetShare, and short-term and on-demand use cases, giving clients the flexibility to scale service support up or down as fleet needs change, all within a single integrated view.

Cox Automotive’s national footprint also provides additional operational support through facilities and service locations across the United States, helping ensure reliable coverage wherever vehicles are deployed. Through this unified model, Merchants views itself as a community alongside its clients and partners, working as one team to help move America forward.

“At Cox Fleet, everything we do is focused on keeping fleets moving, and our partnership with Merchants Fleet directly supports that mission,” said Kyle Ballinger, VP of Sales for Cox Fleet. “We built Cox Fleet with our customers at the center, to serve them with a comprehensive set of solutions for their fleets. That’s what we’re doing with the team at Merchants. When we bring together our marketplace, our technicians, and our nationwide support team, our partners win, and so do their customers.”

The expanded relationship also plays a key role in Merchants Fleet’s strategic sourcing initiatives, which are designed to consolidate service delivery, improve program alignment, and create a more seamless experience for clients by reducing vendor complexity.

“Our clients expect us to be thoughtful and intentional about the partners we work with,” Nieman added. “This relationship reflects our commitment to building a strong service ecosystem that delivers flexibility, reliability, and measurable operational value to our clients across the full vehicle lifecycle.”