What Is Time-to-Line in a Car Dealership?
Time-to-line is the total time it takes to move a used vehicle from arrival to frontline-ready. Understanding it starts with seeing where the hours actually go.
Time-to-line is one of the most useful numbers in a used-car department, and it is one of the hardest to see without tracking it. It is the total time it takes to move a used vehicle from arrival to frontline-ready.
Defining Time-to-Line
Where the measurement starts and ends matters. It typically starts when a vehicle enters reconditioning and ends when it is frontline-ready — through inspection, parts, repairs, detail, photos and final QC.
Where the measurement starts
Time-to-line typically starts when a vehicle enters reconditioning — when it arrives and is added to recon — rather than when the trade is first acquired.
Where it ends
It ends when the vehicle is frontline-ready: inspection, repairs, parts, detail, photos and final QC are all complete and the car is ready to sell.
Common recon stages
Inspection, parts ordering, mechanical, paint and body, detail, photos and final QC each take a slice of the total time.
Work time vs. waiting time
A vehicle spends time being worked on and time waiting — for parts, for a vendor, or for the next technician. Waiting time is usually the larger, quieter cost.
Typical bottlenecks
Parts availability and vendor or sublet turns are common bottlenecks. A vehicle waiting on parts isn't moving, but the clock keeps running.
How to measure each stage
Track how long each stage actually takes with stage timers, so you can see the real breakdown instead of guessing.
Visibility and ownership
When a stage has an owner and a timer, waiting time becomes visible and someone can act on it.
Set your own benchmark
Every dealership should establish its own time-to-line benchmark based on its own workflow, inventory and vendor relationships.
Why Every Dealership Should Set Its Own Benchmark
There is no single correct time-to-line number. The right benchmark depends on your inventory mix, your vendor relationships and your own recon workflow. The first step is measuring where the hours actually go. See how ReconDeck tracks each stage.
See ReconDeck in your dealership
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