Inventory and ordering lead times

Rozz522 · January 25, 2021

My intention all along has been to be in a new HD before camping season which begins around mid-May here in Maine. I wasn't in a position to pull the trigger during employee pricing last month, so my plan was to watch inventory and pull the trigger once I found what I wanted closer to May. The problem is, nearly a month after the employee pricing has lapsed, I have seen nearly no new inventory locally and certainly nothing that matches what I am looking for. Are others seeing the same thing in other areas of the country? Is it a high demand, lack of production or both?

Due to the lack of inventory, I have contemplated ordering a truck for the first time in my life. Recent posts I have seen said that dealers are quoting 10-12 weeks, is this inline with what others who recently ordered are hearing? If I was to order a truck and plan to have it around mid-May, 12 weeks puts me having to place the order around mid-February, so it's getting to be time where if I want to order, I have to make a move. My dealer has been good to deal with, but has been sort of non-committal and doesn't seem overly excited to place an order, but that may very well be because of my level of commitment thus far as well. I would just like to get input for you all as to what everyone else is seeing/hearing out there.

To complicate things, I used the build and price tool on the Educator Discount site last week to configure what I wanted, a 2021 Silverado 2500 6.6 gas LT with leather package, all star package and Z71 package. This weekend I decided to go back in and add the aux. battery and steps to the same configuration but was unable select leather seats. I also was not able to manually add the Convenience 2 package which is automatically added with the Leather Package. Does anyone know if this is an availability issue with something in the Conv. 2 package that GM won't allow the configuration or maybe just a fluke with the build and price tool? I checked the Supplier Discount, Educator Discount (I qualify for either discount) and Chevrolet pages and none of the tools will allow leather seats or Conv. 2 package. Thanks for any input.

Another JR · January 25, 2021

I'm one of those recent posters, and I ordered only two weeks ago (still in "1100" status). Another person posted that they had ordered a week later and were told the same 10-12 weeks I was told. I think that's as up-to-date as you are going to get.

Production is limited right now, and sold orders are having to come out of dealers' allotments. You are not going to see a lot of standing inventory. Your best bet if you don't want to order and you can't find what you want on the lots in your search area, would be to watch the "in transit" postings on dealer web sites and buy from the dealer while the truck is still in transit.

If you are looking for a configuration that is not commonly being ordered by the dealers, you will have to special order. For example, the GMC dealers in the West either haven't figured out that a lot of people want the gas engine now, or they are ordering almost all diesels anyway with their limited allocations because they make a bit more profit on them and they can sell them quickly, so I couldn't find a gas powered SLT within 2000 miles with anything close to the features I wanted. (Chevrolet dealers had more gas trucks, but mostly in the low trims.) I had to order.

I don't know anything about whether there are any constraints on the packages for the LT.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Another JR

Z45 · January 25, 2021

The order site does not have the constraints in the system as they change weekly so if you can't add a certain option that means they won't allow it with the other options you choose. They don't have to have a reason. I was told last Friday by the sales manager at the local Chevy/GMC/Buick dealer that trucks are hard to get right now. More dealers wanting them then they can produce. Said they have over 50 trucks waiting to be picked up and they have the allocations, but they are not building them fast enough. Part of the problem is suppliers and GM are experiencing unprecedented volume increases for some modelsl (AT4 especially) and limited employee availability due to the impacts of COVID-19.

This dealer is a big dealer and they have 1 Silverado 1500, 1 Silverado 2500 and 1 GMC 1500. Typically the have nearly 100 but replacements are trickling in 1 a week.

If you are a 1100, you don't have an order in, you only have the dealer requesting a spot in the production schedule and he if has not earned it, it will not go forward. I ordered a Sierra Denali back on OCt 30, 2020 and to date its still at 1100, nearly 3 months later. Dealer insists they have the allocation but GM is just not building them. I know someone who been waiting 3 months for a Camaro, same deal, dealer has allocation but GM cannot get the parts to make it.

Back in late Ovt when I was looking for a Sierra Denali 1500 Laura GMC has about 50 2021 on the lot, yesterday I saw they only have 1 left. Now if they are the biggest GMC dealer and their inventory is down, they you assume its nation-wide. Maybe for some reason GM just wants to build less trucks?? I got lucky, in late Nov the got one in and I took it Dec 7th because of the incentives and I had a buyer for my 2017 who wanted it right now.

Edited January 25, 2021 by elcamino

jhplak325 · January 25, 2021

Before ordering a 3500HD Denali SRW 8’ bed with Duramax last week, my preferred dealer checked on a few trucks that where in transit and everyone was sold. The ones they did find available, the dealer with them didn’t want to do a dealer trade due to no inventory and limited production.

As far as timeframe, they would not make a comment until GM picks the order up and should find that out tomorrow.

The options I had selected is showing no constraints when it was submitted, but I am sure like everything else currently, that changes everyday.

Rozz522 · January 26, 2021

16 hours ago, jhplak325 said:

Before ordering a 3500HD Denali SRW 8’ bed with Duramax last week, my preferred dealer checked on a few trucks that where in transit and everyone was sold. The ones they did find available, the dealer with them didn’t want to do a dealer trade due to no inventory and limited production.

As far as timeframe, they would not make a comment until GM picks the order up and should find that out tomorrow.

The options I had selected is showing no constraints when it was submitted, but I am sure like everything else currently, that changes everyday.

First, thank you all for your responses. That is the same information my dealer gave me at the beginning of the month. They said they are selling in transit so its best to watch the inventory pages since they can't keep them on the lot. They also said to be prepared to pull the trigger if I found what I wanted, even if that means buying somewhere else, as dealers aren't trading the trucks so I would need to buy direct. I thought it was pretty good of them to be this honest with the possibility of losing my business.

With that said, I had really hoped that a month later the inventory would start to trickle in more so.

As for the Leather Package question, I found an answer on the online ordering guide on the Distribution Updates on the GM Fleet page.

As of 1/18,

Interior section-(PCM) Convenience Package II, added "No longer available to order." to footnote.
Mechanical section-(ZL6) Advanced Trailering Package, added "No longer available to order." to footnote.

The code for ATP doesn't match 100%, but the Conv. II package includes (U1D) Advanced Trailering System, so it may be an issue that ultimately affects both packages.

jhplak325 · January 27, 2021

GM did not pick the order up yesterday, but we had that feeling when we placed the order that they wouldn’t pick it up this week. Now wait until next week.

They are reaching out to another dealer on a possible trade since they have a truck with the options I am looking for. So time will tell if this will happen or not.

Z45 · January 28, 2021

1100 and Dealer Allocation

When you place an order with a dealer, the status is 1100. UNTIL Chevrolet ACCEPTS the order, it just sits there at 1100. You don't have an order with GM at this point. You only have a dealer requesting an allocation for a slot in the production schedule. Dealer Allocation is simple to understand - GM changed its model for producing vehicles a few years' back. Dealers are now awarded allocation based on past performance, as well as other factors. If you are sitting at 1100 you are not in line yet for production. Your dealer MUST get GM to accept the order. When GM accepts the order, all the parts are available and will be allocated to your car build.

First, many dealers do not understand the allocation process.

Second, dealers are told at the beginning of every model year the number of units they are expected to order. This is their Guide Number, so called because it is intended to help a dealer "floor plan."

Third, many dealers confuse Guide Number with Allocation.

Fourth, dealers are told every other Thursday how many Allocations (a portion of the Guide Number) they can use over the following two weeks AND this number of orders will be divided over two weeks.

To summarize, say the dealer is given 50 units as a Guide, which means about 1 unit every weekly ordering process from 2 units awarded in the every other week ordering process. If the dealer sells a dozen trucks every year, change the 50 to 12 and reduce the bi-weekly consensus to conform. By the way, this awkward system meets laws and demands of court decisions.

-MOOSE- · January 29, 2021

I purchased a 2021 Sierra Denali 3500 Duramax in Nov. Availability was no better then than it is now, but my strategy was not to place an order with any one dealer. Rather, I searched every dealer within a distance I'd be willing to drive and kept on top of their inventory. As soon as what I wanted showed up "in transit" I contacted that dealer, drove out there, and bought the truck. Obv, negotiating power as the buyer is at a minimum when supply is tight, but I was able to get what I wanted within a month or so of starting my search, at a price that was considered "Good" by CarGurus data - which I take with a grain of salt. Good luck!

Oh... and noting your location, I can recommend you add Banks Chevrolet in Concord NH to your dealerships of interest. Huge place, efficient and easy to deal with.

Edited January 29, 2021 by -MOOSE-

Dale1962 · January 29, 2021

I

Edited February 1, 2021 by Dale1962

redwngr · January 30, 2021

On 1/29/2021 at 5:42 PM, Dale1962 said:

I am an electrician at the flint truck plant where the HD’s are made. We are on 6 days 3 shifts and still can not keep up with demand. They want to work sundays, but due to a computer chip shortage, we don’t have enough parts to run. As i understand it, some options are not going to be available until the fall at the earliest because of parts issues from COVID and computer chip supply.

Are they still making crewcabs only?

Wxman · February 6, 2021

Just a little info for those interested. I ordered with dealer on 22 Dec. Dealer said they wouldn't be able to put order in until mid Jan (allocation). The order was at code 3000, accepted by production control, week of 22 Jan. I just got a TPW date this week of 22 Feb. Dealer is saying they are averaging 40 days for delivery after that (central IN). Long way off but that would be about 12 wks if the wait for dealer allocation to submit to GM they warned me of is discounted.

I have a new RV trailer on order as well. That estimate was 4-6 months.

Ramrob1983 · February 6, 2021

Is TPW the date of build?

Wxman · February 6, 2021

TPW = Targeted Production Week

So I guess the scheduled build week until something changes.

redwngr · February 6, 2021

TPW is also always shown as the Monday of the week.

If the behind the scenes schedule is for it to be build early in the week, it probably happens. If the behind the scenes is for OT build on Saturday, it might slip to the next week.

VIN isn't issued until there is a vehicle to stick it to. (iirc, there are federal regs regarding creation/issuing of the 'production sequence number' )