ARI vs CDK Fleet — Which Fleet Management Platform for Auto Dealerships?

If you run a dealership group — especially one with a wholesale fleet operation, a pool-car rotation that serves ten rooftops, or a commercial fleet services arm — you already know that fleet management software is not a nice-to-have. It is the operational backbone that connects acquisition, maintenance scheduling, driver assignment, fuel management, telematics, and eventual remarketing into a single view. Without a purpose-built fleet platform, your service lanes have no idea which loaner needs an oil change, your accounting team reconciles fuel cards by hand, and your used-car manager guesses at which fleet units are ready for auction.

Two platforms dominate this space for auto dealerships specifically: ARI Automotive (a Holman Enterprises company) and CDK Fleet (formerly Fleet by CDK, part of CDK Global). Both have deep roots in the dealer ecosystem, both manage hundreds of thousands of vehicles, and both have passionate advocates. But they approach the problem from different angles, and the right choice depends on your DMS stack, your fleet size, your service department's throughput, and how much EV readiness matters to your 2027 planning.

This comparison is written for general managers, fleet operations directors, and fixed operations VPs at mid-size to large dealer groups — the people who wake up thinking about vehicle utilization rates, maintenance cost-per-mile, and whether their platform will still fit when the group adds its next acquisition.

---

At a Glance

---

Deep Dive: Vehicle Lifecycle Management

Fleet management platforms earn their keep in the details of the vehicle lifecycle — from the moment a unit hits the lot as a new acquisition to the day it crosses the auction block. Both ARI and CDK Fleet cover the full lifecycle, but their philosophies differ in ways that matter to dealer groups with different operational structures.

Acquisition and In-Service

ARI treats acquisition as the start of a data relationship rather than a paperwork event. When a dealer group adds vehicles to ARI's platform — whether purchased, leased through Holman, or transferred from another location — the system automatically captures VIN, MSRP, acquisition cost, in-service date, and the originating department. ARI connects to your DMS to pull this data, but the system is designed to work even before the DMS records are finalized. For dealer groups that acquire vehicles across multiple rooftops with different DMS instances, ARI's ability to ingest from CDK, Reynolds, Tekion, and others simultaneously is a major advantage. You get a single fleet registry even if your accounting department is still reconciling three different DMSs.

CDK Fleet takes the opposite approach — it assumes your DMS is the source of truth. Acquisition data flows from CDK Drive directly into Fleet with minimal re-entry. If a new vehicle is RDR'd and stocked in Drive, it appears in Fleet automatically. For CDK-native dealers, this is frictionless: no CSV uploads, no double-entry, no reconciliation surprises at month-end. The tradeoff is that if your group uses Reynolds or Tekion at some rooftops, CDK Fleet's acquisition pipeline becomes more complex — you need CDK Connect middleware or a manual import process, which adds steps and potential error points.

Vehicle Assignment and Utilization

Both platforms allow you to assign vehicles to drivers, departments, or locations. ARI provides what they call "dynamic pools" — vehicles that can float between drivers and departments with automated check-in/check-out that updates utilization metrics in real time. If your service department needs a loaner for three hours, the driver grabs it via the ARI mobile app, the system logs the assignment, and when the vehicle returns, utilization data refreshes instantly. ARI's utilization dashboard shows you which vehicles are sitting idle, which are over-deployed, and which should be cycled out.

CDK Fleet handles assignment through its vehicle profile system. Each vehicle has a home location and a primary driver, but you can reassign on the fly. Where CDK Fleet shines is in linking assignment data back to the DMS service schedule — if a vehicle has exceeded its service interval and still hasn't been brought in, the system flags it when a driver tries to check it out. This kind of cross-module enforcement is seamless when both fleet and DMS are CDK.

Maintenance and Repair Decisions

The in-service period is where data drives real dollar savings. Both platforms track maintenance costs, downtime, and repair frequency. ARI uses its scale — 600,000+ vehicles — to benchmark your maintenance costs against similar fleets. If your 2023 F-150s are averaging $0.08/mile in maintenance while the ARI benchmark for that vehicle is $0.05/mile, the system flags it. You can dig into the data to see whether the problem is a specific service center, a particular driver, or a vehicle-level issue.

CDK Fleet takes a more prescriptive approach. Because it integrates directly with CDK Drive's service scheduler, CDK Fleet can trigger maintenance automatically based on mileage or time intervals tracked in the DMS. A vehicle that hits 5,000 miles generates a service RO in Drive, and the fleet manager sees the pending work in the Fleet dashboard. For dealer groups running their own service departments (most of them), this closed-loop integration means less chasing — the work order happens because the system detects the need rather than because someone noticed a missed interval.

Remarketing and End-of-Life

When a fleet vehicle reaches the end of its service life, both platforms support the transition to remarketing — but they do it differently.

ARI provides a structured remarketing workflow that includes valuation data, auction scheduling, and condition report generation. ARI's partnership with Holman Strategic Services means you can sell through Holman's remarketing channels or through third-party auctions. The system tracks sale proceeds, compares them against book value and internal cost basis, and feeds the data back into lifecycle cost analysis. For dealer groups with a wholesale arm, ARI's lifecycle-to-remarketing linkage is especially valuable — you can see the full P&L of every vehicle from acquisition through final sale.

CDK Fleet focuses on the transition back to inventory. When you flag a vehicle for disposal in CDK Fleet, it can push data to CDK's inventory management modules and to auction integration partners. The system captures sale price and disposal date, but the remarketing workflow is less structured than ARI's — it assumes you will handle the actual auction process through your existing wholesale channel. CDK's strength is in the handoff back to your own inventory system; if you are a CDK dealer, the disposed fleet vehicle lands in your used-car inventory seamlessly.

---

Deep Dive: DMS Integration

DMS integration is arguably the most important technical differentiator between these two platforms — and it is where most dealer groups make their decision.

CDK Fleet: Native Integration with CDK Drive

CDK Fleet is built to run on top of CDK Drive. The integration is not an API afterthought or a third-party middleware connection — it is part of the same product family. What this means in practice:

• No data latency. Vehicle acquisition, repair history, mileage, and status changes in Drive update Fleet in near real time. If a technician completes a service RO in Drive at 10:32 AM, the fleet manager sees the updated maintenance record at 10:33 AM.
• Single login and user management. CDK Fleet uses the same user directory as Drive. A service advisor who already has Drive access can use Fleet without a separate credential. User permissions, role changes, and offboarding in Drive propagate to Fleet automatically.
• Shared service history. Every repair event in Drive is visible in Fleet's maintenance dashboard — not just the RO number but full labor lines, parts, and costs. Fleet can alert on vehicles that need service based on Drive data without any additional telemetry.
• Accounting integration. Fleet charges (fuel, maintenance, rental) can be posted to Drive's general ledger without manual journal entries. For dealer groups that close books monthly, this eliminates a significant reconciliation headache.

The cost of this integration depth is dependency. If your group acquires a dealership on Tekion or Reynolds, CDK Fleet cannot offer native integration at that rooftop. You rely on CDK Connect (CDK's integration middleware) or manual processes, both of which add cost and complexity. For groups committed to CDK Drive across all rooftops, CDK Fleet is the easiest integration you will find anywhere in the fleet management space. For multi-DMS groups, it becomes a compromise.

ARI Automotive: Multi-DMS Architecture

ARI was built to be DMS-agnostic from the ground up. The platform connects to CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds (ERA-IGNITE and POWER), Dealertrack (now Dominion DMS), Tekion, PBS, Auto/Mate, and several regional DMS platforms. The integration approach:

• Bi-directional sync. ARI pulls vehicle, customer, and transaction data from your DMS and pushes back maintenance events, fuel transactions, and driver assignments. The sync is scheduled at configurable intervals (typically every 15–60 minutes, depending on the DMS and data volume).
• No single-DMS lock-in. As your group grows through acquisition, you can add rooftops running different DMS platforms to the same ARI fleet instance. A dealer group with five CDK rooftops, three Reynolds rooftops, and a Tekion rooftop all feed into one ARI dashboard.
• Data reconciliation layer. ARI's platform includes reconciliation tools that flag discrepancies between DMS records and ARI records. If a vehicle shows as in-service in the DMS but has no fuel transactions in ARI for 60 days, the system flags it for investigation.
• Legacy DMS support. ARI supports DMS platforms that CDK Fleet does not — notably PBS and Auto/Mate, which remain in use at smaller dealer groups and commercial fleet operators.

The tradeoff is that ARI does not have the instantaneous, DMS-native integration that CDK Fleet offers for CDK Drive customers. There is a sync window, and some data — particularly service RO lines — may require DMS-specific configuration to surface properly in ARI. For groups that prize real-time data and are already CDK-native, this sync delay (even at 15 minutes) may feel like a limitation.

Our Take on DMS Integration

---

Deep Dive: Maintenance and Service Management

Fleet maintenance management for a dealership group is different than fleet maintenance for a logistics company. Dealerships have in-house service capacity, they make margin on maintenance, and they need to balance fleet vehicle repairs with customer-pay work. The fleet management platform needs to be a coordinating tool, not just a tracking tool.

Preventive Maintenance and Scheduling

ARI offers what they call "Intelligent Maintenance" — a rules engine that sets maintenance intervals based on time, mileage, engine hours, or a combination of factors specific to each vehicle type. The system generates work orders that flow to your service department or to ARI's preferred vendor network. For in-house service, the work order includes parts recommendations and estimated labor time based on OEM specifications. ARI's predictive maintenance module analyzes telematics data to flag potential failures before they happen — alternator voltage drops, coolant temperature anomalies, brake wear patterns. For a dealer group running loaners and pool cars hard, predictive detection can prevent an on-road breakdown that takes a vehicle out of circulation for days.

CDK Fleet integrates maintenance directly with CDK Drive's service scheduling. When a vehicle in Fleet hits a maintenance threshold, the system creates a service appointment in Drive. The service advisor sees it on the schedule alongside customer-pay and warranty work. Fleet tracks the RO status and updates the vehicle's maintenance record automatically when the work is completed in Drive. The tight integration means less data entry — the technician does not need to update a separate fleet system after completing the work.

Repair Authorization and Approval Workflows

Both platforms support multi-level approval for repairs, but the workflows look different in practice.

ARI's approval system is configurable by dollar threshold. A $200 repair routes to the fleet manager automatically; a $2,000 repair requires the fixed ops director's approval. The request includes labor time, parts cost, and a comparison to ARI's benchmark cost for the same repair on the same vehicle type. Approvals happen through the ARI mobile app or web interface. For dealer groups with multiple approval levels (fleet manager → fixed ops VP → CFO), ARI's tiered system works well.

CDK Fleet ties approval workflows to the DMS. Because the repair request originates in CDK Drive (generated by the Fleet maintenance trigger), the approval can be handled through Drive's standard service authorization workflow. This is convenient for CDK-native groups because it's one system, but the approval options are less granular than ARI's — you cannot, for example, set different thresholds by vehicle class or driver tier without custom configuration.

Vendor Network vs In-House Service

ARI maintains a network of preferred service providers for situations where in-house service is not practical — road calls after hours, vehicles stranded in other cities, specialized repairs your shop does not handle. The ARI mobile app lets drivers find approved shops near their location and route the repair through the platform. The repair cost, parts, and labor are captured in ARI automatically through the vendor network integration. For dealer groups with vehicles that travel (pool cars used by sales reps, vehicles at off-site events), this vendor network is valuable insurance.

CDK Fleet assumes most repairs will be done in-house or through the dealership's existing vendor relationships. There is a vendor management module that tracks vendor performance and costs, but it is less structured than ARI's network. CDK Fleet recently added recall management — integrating with NHTSA recall data and matching recalls against your fleet VINs — which helps service departments stay ahead of open safety campaigns.

Our Assessment of Maintenance Management

For dealer groups running their own service lanes, CDK Fleet's DMS-integrated maintenance scheduling is more efficient day-to-day. The repair flows from Fleet to Drive and back without re-entry. For groups with complex fleet operations — commercial leases, vehicles running in multiple states, multi-brand shops — ARI's predictive maintenance, vendor network, and benchmark data provide more comprehensive oversight.

---

Deep Dive: Driver Management and Telematics

Fleet management is not just about vehicles — it is about the people driving them. Both platforms offer driver management features, but the depth varies significantly.

Driver Profiles and Qualifications

ARI maintains detailed driver profiles that include license class, endorsements, expiration dates, MVR records, training certifications, and violation history. The system sends automated alerts when a license is approaching expiration or when an MVR check reveals a new violation. For dealer groups with commercial fleet drivers (CDL holders delivering vehicles, operating heavy trucks), ARI's qualification tracking includes DOT compliance reporting, hours-of-service monitoring (through telematics integration), and random drug and alcohol testing program management. This is a meaningful differentiator if your fleet includes vehicles that cross DOT thresholds.

CDK Fleet covers the basics — driver name, license, contact info, assignments — but does not go as deep into compliance and qualification tracking. You can attach documents (license scans, training certificates) to a driver profile and set expiration reminders, but the system does not include DOT-specific compliance workflows. For dealer groups whose fleet operations are primarily light-duty (loaners, pool cars, sales vehicles), CDK Fleet's driver management is sufficient. For groups with a commercial fleet arm, ARI's compliance tools reduce regulatory risk significantly.

Vehicle Check-In/Check-Out

This is a small feature with large operational impact.

ARI's mobile check-in/check-out includes a pre-trip inspection workflow. When a driver checks out a vehicle, they confirm mileage, fuel level, and complete a walk-around inspection (photographing any existing damage) through the ARI mobile app. The same process happens on return. The inspection data is stored with the trip record and can be used to resolve damage disputes, track vehicle condition trends, and document pre-existing issues before a rental goes out. For loaner fleets especially, this feature pays for itself in reduced write-offs and customer disputes.

CDK Fleet offers check-in/check-out through its mobile portal with mileage capture and basic condition reporting, but the inspection workflow is less structured than ARI's. Damage photos are optional rather than required in the standard workflow, which means the feature is only as effective as your enforcement policies.

Telematics: Hardware and Data Integration

ARI owns its telematics provider — ARI Insights. This means the telematics data (GPS location, speed, fuel consumption, engine diagnostics, driver behavior) is fully integrated into the ARI platform without third-party middleware. You install ARI Insights hardware (or use existing OBD-II port telematics devices that ARI supports), and the data flows directly into vehicle profiles, maintenance triggers, and driver scorecards. ARI Insights tracks harsh braking, rapid acceleration, excessive idling, and speeding. Driver scorecards feed into coaching programs and can be used for insurance premium negotiation — several ARI customers report telematics-enabled insurance discounts of 5–15%.

CDK Fleet partners with Geotab as its primary telematics provider, though the platform supports other hardware through CDK Connect. Geotab's hardware is mature and widely deployed, so the telematics data quality is excellent. The integration with CDK Fleet passes data on location, fuel use, mileage, and diagnostics. However, because the telematics layer is a partner integration rather than a native capability, the data surfaces in CDK Fleet with slightly more latency than ARI's native pipeline. CDK Fleet does not offer driver behavior scorecards at the same depth as ARI Insights, though Geotab provides its own driver behavior reporting which can be viewed separately.

Accident Reporting and Recovery

ARI includes a structured accident reporting workflow in its mobile app. The driver selects the vehicle, fills out the accident details (location, time, circumstances, other parties), takes photos of damage and the accident scene, and submits the report. The system notifies the fleet manager and insurance contact automatically. Accident data feeds into the vehicle's maintenance and cost records. For dealer groups self-insuring their fleet, this structured data improves claims accuracy and reduces settlement time.

CDK Fleet includes accident reporting in its mobile tools — basic logging, photo attachments, notifications — but the workflow is less guided. It captures the essential data but does not walk the driver through the reporting process step by step like ARI does.

---

Deep Dive: Reporting and Analytics

A fleet management platform is only as good as the reports it generates. Both platforms offer robust analytics, but the scope and audience differ.

Cost-Per-Mile and Total Cost of Ownership

ARI provides the most granular cost-per-mile analytics in the dealer fleet space. The system breaks down costs by category (fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, depreciation, administrative) and by vehicle, driver, department, and location. Because ARI has the industry's largest benchmark dataset (600,000+ vehicles), every cost-per-mile figure is accompanied by comparison data — how your fleet's costs compare to the ARI peer group average. This benchmarking is particularly valuable for dealer groups evaluating whether to keep a vehicle in service or cycle it to remarketing.

CDK Fleet offers cost-per-mile reporting through its analytics module, but the benchmark data is limited to your own fleet history. You can see month-over-month and year-over-year trends, but you cannot compare your 2024 F-150 maintenance costs against an industry cohort. For groups that have been on CDK Fleet for several years, the internal trend analysis is useful — but the lack of external benchmarks means you need to know your own cost targets rather than relying on industry standards.

Fleet Utilization and Optimization

Both platforms identify underutilized vehicles. ARI surfaces vehicles that have been driven fewer than 500 miles in the last 30 days, vehicles that spend more than 80% of their time parked, and vehicles whose cost-per-mile exceeds their contribution to revenue. The utilization dashboard can be filtered by location, vehicle class, and driver. For dealer groups managing 200+ vehicles across multiple rooftops, the utilization report often reveals 10–15% of the fleet that could be eliminated or reassigned.

CDK Fleet provides similar utilization analytics through its fleet dashboard, with the added advantage of integration with CDK Drive's service scheduling. You can see which vehicles are in service bays (and why), which are assigned but not used, and which are due for rotation. The reporting is strong but less prescriptive than ARI's — CDK Fleet tells you what the utilization is but does not offer optimization recommendations based on industry benchmarks.

Sustainability and Carbon Reporting

Fleet operators are increasingly asked for carbon footprint data — by corporate sustainability officers, by commercial clients requiring green logistics, and by regulators.

ARI has invested significantly in sustainability reporting. The platform calculates greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) based on fuel consumption data from telematics and fuel card integrations. The carbon report breaks down emissions by vehicle, driver, and location, and tracks year-over-year trends. ARI also offers EV transition modeling — "what if" scenarios that show the emissions and cost impact of replacing specific ICE vehicles with EVs. This is a genuinely useful planning tool for dealer groups beginning their EV fleet transition.

CDK Fleet added sustainability reporting in its 2024 update. The system calculates emissions based on fuel consumption and provides basic carbon metrics. The reporting is adequate for compliance purposes but does not include EV transition modeling or the benchmarking capabilities that ARI offers. For dealer groups that need sophisticated sustainability data for ESG reporting or commercial fleet bids, ARI has a clear advantage.

---

Deep Dive: EV Fleet Tools

Electric vehicle fleet management is the fastest-evolving segment of the fleet software market, and the gap between ARI and CDK Fleet here is significant.

ARI's EV Fleet Readiness

ARI was an early mover on EV fleet management, driven in part by Holman Enterprises' own EV fleet transition and EV charging infrastructure investments. ARI's EV capabilities include:

• EV-specific vehicle profiles. Battery capacity, range, charge port type, charging speed, warranty status for high-voltage components.
• Charge management integration. ARI integrates with ChargePoint, EV Connect, and several other charging network providers. The system tracks charging events, cost per charge, energy consumption (kWh), and charging duration — all logged against the specific vehicle.
• Range analytics. ARI's telematics data provides real-time range monitoring. The system alerts fleet managers if a vehicle's state of charge drops below a configurable threshold before it returns to base. For loaner fleets, this prevents the situation where a customer gets a vehicle with insufficient range.
• EV cost-per-mile. ARI calculates cost-per-mile for EVs differently — accounting for electricity cost, charging infrastructure amortization, and reduced maintenance costs — giving a fair comparison against ICE vehicles.
• Holman EV consulting. ARI customers get access to Holman's EV fleet transition consulting, which covers charging infrastructure planning, utility rate analysis, vehicle selection, and telematics optimization for EVs. This consulting is included in the ARI subscription for larger fleets and available at additional cost for smaller ones.
• Total cost of ownership modeling. ARI's TCO model includes EV-specific variables: federal and state incentives, charging infrastructure costs, electricity rates by region, battery degradation curves, and residual value projections for EVs. This modeling is critical for dealer groups evaluating whether to move a portion of their loaner fleet to EVs.

CDK Fleet's EV Tools

CDK Fleet has made progress on EV support but is behind ARI in depth:

• EV vehicle tracking. CDK Fleet's vehicle profiles include EV-specific fields (battery capacity, range, charging type). The basics are covered.
• Charging station tracking. CDK Fleet added a charging station management module in 2024 that tracks charger locations, usage, and availability. The module does not integrate with charging networks as deeply as ARI's — it tracks usage but does not log cost-per-charge or energy consumption at the vehicle level.
• EV maintenance scheduling. CDK Fleet's maintenance scheduler includes EV-specific service intervals (coolant flushes, battery inspections, software updates). Because the platform integrates with CDK Drive, EV service appointments flow into the DMS service schedule.
• No EV transition modeling. CDK Fleet does not currently offer the "what if" scenario modeling that ARI provides. You cannot model the financial impact of replacing specific ICE vehicles with EVs within the CDK Fleet interface.

EV Verdict

For dealer groups with existing EVs in their fleet or plans to add them within the next 12 months, ARI's EV tools are meaningfully more capable. The charge management integration, range analytics, and transition modeling are features that CDK Fleet does not match. For groups with no near-term EV plans, the gap is less relevant — but for a platform comparison in 2026, EV readiness matters.

---

Deep Dive: Growth and Ownership Context

The companies behind these platforms matter. Ownership determines investment priorities, product roadmap velocity, and the long-term viability of the platform.

ARI Automotive and Holman Enterprises

ARI is a division of Holman Enterprises, one of the largest privately held automotive services organizations in North America. Holman owns:

• ARI (fleet management)
• Holman Automotive (24 dealership franchises across 8 states)
• Holman Parts Distribution (OEM-certified parts logistics)
• Holman Strategic Services (fleet leasing, remarketing, upfitting)
• The LeBlanc Group (insurance and risk management for fleets)
• Multiple manufacturing and logistics subsidiaries

Holman's private ownership means ARI can invest in multi-year product development without quarterly earnings pressure. The company has invested heavily in ARI Insights (telematics), sustainability reporting, and EV capabilities — long-term bets that would be harder to justify for a publicly traded competitor.

The practical implication for dealer groups: ARI is unlikely to be acquired, spun off, or deprioritized. It is a core division of a family-owned company that has been in the automotive business since 1948. Holman's own dealership operations also serve as a test bed — ARI's features are road-tested on Holman's own fleet before they reach customers.

CDK Fleet and CDK Global's Post-Ransomware Position

CDK Fleet's trajectory has been shaped by CDK Global's well-publicized cybersecurity incident in June 2024. The ransomware attack took CDK's DMS and related systems offline for approximately two weeks, affecting thousands of dealerships. For CDK Fleet customers, the impact varied — some fleet operations continued on backup processes, while others experienced significant disruption.

Since the attack, CDK Global — acquired by Brookfield Business Partners in 2022 for $8.3 billion — has invested heavily in infrastructure security, system redundancy, and customer communication. The company reports that its systems are now operating with enhanced security protocols and that platform reliability has returned to pre-incident levels.

However, the ransomware event has had lasting effects on dealer confidence. Some dealer groups that were considering CDK Fleet chose to delay their decision or evaluate alternatives (including ARI) as a risk diversification measure. The incident highlighted the concentration risk of running DMS, fleet management, and other critical systems on a single vendor's platform.

CDK Fleet's product roadmap has continued post-incident, with the addition of EV charging management, enhanced mobile tools, and expanded CDK Connect integrations. But the pace of innovation has been slower than ARI's in several areas, particularly around telematics-native features and EV transition tools.

Ownership Impact on Product Development

---

Winner By Category

---

Verdict: Which Platform Should You Choose?

There is no universal winner between ARI and CDK Fleet. The right choice depends on your dealer group's DMS strategy, fleet composition, and growth plans.

Choose ARI Automotive If:

• You run a multi-DMS operation. ARI's ability to pull data from CDK, Reynolds, Tekion, and others into a single fleet dashboard is its killer feature. If your group has grown through acquisition and has a mixed DMS environment, ARI saves you from managing separate fleet systems per rooftop.
• You have a commercial fleet arm. ARI's DOT compliance tools, predictive maintenance, telematics-native driver scorecards, and structured accident reporting are built for fleets that operate beyond the dealership lot.
• EV transition is on your 2027 roadmap. ARI's charge management integration, range analytics, and transition modeling are best-in-class. If you plan to add EVs to your fleet in the next 18 months, ARI is the safer choice.
• You value benchmark data. ARI's 600,000+ vehicle dataset provides cost-per-mile comparisons that no other fleet platform offers. If you are data-driven about fleet optimization, this is a real advantage.
• You want to avoid vendor concentration risk. If the CDK ransomware incident gave you pause, ARI provides fleet management without tying you deeper into a single vendor ecosystem.

Choose CDK Fleet If:

• Every rooftop runs CDK Drive. CDK Fleet's native integration with Drive is fast, accurate, and low-friction. If your group is fully CDK-native, CDK Fleet will be the easiest platform to implement and the most intuitive for your existing team.
• Your service department is your fleet's primary maintenance provider. The Fleet-to-Drive maintenance flow — automated RO generation, DMS-based scheduling, no data re-entry — saves real time and reduces errors.
• You want one vendor for DMS and fleet. Managing one vendor relationship, one support phone number, one set of credentials, and one renewal cycle has operational value. For groups that prefer consolidated vendor relationships, CDK Fleet + CDK Drive is hard to beat.
• Your fleet is mostly light-duty vehicles. If your fleet is 95% loaners, pool cars, and sales vehicles — no CDL drivers, no DOT compliance concerns, no complex commercial operations — CDK Fleet covers your needs without the overhead of ARI's more comprehensive feature set.
• You are risk-tolerant on the CDK platform. If the 2024 ransomware incident does not concern you (or if you have already invested in CDK redundancy measures), CDK Fleet's integration advantages still apply.

The Bottom Line for Dealer Group GMs

If you are a GM or fleet ops director evaluating these two platforms, start with your DMS environment. If you are all-CDK, run a proof of concept on CDK Fleet first — the integration advantages are real, and the implementation cost will likely be lower. If you are multi-DMS or considering a DMS change, ARI is the more flexible platform and the safer long-term bet.

If your fleet includes any commercial operations — vehicles used for delivery, vehicles driven by CDL holders, vehicles that cross state lines for business purposes — ARI's compliance and telematics tools justify the platform on their own, regardless of your DMS.

And if you are starting an EV fleet transition, ARI is the clear choice today. CDK Fleet will likely close the gap over the next 2–3 years, but for 2026 planning, ARI's EV tools are more mature.

The honest answer for most mid-to-large dealer groups: ARI is the more capable platform, and CDK Fleet is the more integrated platform. The right choice depends on whether you want to optimize for fleet capability (ARI) or DMS efficiency (CDK Fleet). There is no wrong answer — but there is a wrong answer for your specific dealership group. Match the platform to your DMS reality, your fleet complexity, and your three-year growth plan, and you will end up in the right place.

---

Last updated: May 22, 2026. Pricing, features, and product availability subject to change. Verify current capabilities and pricing directly with ARI Automotive and CDK Global.