Become A Dealer
The application process is structured but moves quickly when there's strategic fit. Most operational relationships go from initial inquiry to active dealer work within 2–4 weeks. This page covers what we look for and what to expect at each step.
Six Steps
Submit dealer inquiry
Tell us about your shop — customer base, current service offerings, geographic territory, volume potential, technical staff capability. Same-day response during business hours.
Initial conversation
30–60 minute call covering your strategic interest in the program, the customer base you'd serve, the territory considerations, and the program structure that fits your situation. Both sides decide whether to proceed to formal application.
Formal application
Business documentation review — shop history, customer references, technical capability, financial standing. We confirm territory availability and review against existing dealer relationships in your region.
Dealer agreement
Contractual framework documenting pricing, payment terms, territory considerations, certification requirements, and the operational practices that define the relationship. Plain language; we walk through it together.
Initial certification
Technical and business training to bring your staff up to operational speed on the diagnostic ecosystem, customer service practices, and our standard workflows. Typically 1–2 weeks elapsed time depending on staff availability.
Operational launch
First customer-facing work goes through standard dealer workflows. Initial work has additional support from our team to refine the dealer's customer-facing practice. Full operational independence after the first few projects.
What We Look For
The dealer program builds long-term operational relationships. We're honest about the fit criteria because false starts cost both sides time and money. Most shops that submit inquiries fit at least some of these; the conversation explores whether the rest can be developed.
- Established diesel service shop with a meaningful operational history (typically 3+ years in business)
- Existing customer base running modern diesel platforms across the brands we service
- Technical staff comfortable with ECM removal, reinstallation, and basic diagnostic conversations
- Customer-facing capability to handle service conversations, set expectations, and manage outcomes
- Geographic territory that doesn't materially conflict with existing dealer relationships
- Volume potential — the program works at scale; occasional one-off work is better routed through the standard ship-in service
- Commitment to ongoing customer service quality that reflects on both the dealer and on ECM Performance
- Financial standing supporting predictable payment terms and net-terms arrangements
When The Program Isn't Right
The dealer program isn't the right path for every shop interested in offering ECM programming. A few situations where ship-in service or remote programming work better than a dealer relationship:
Occasional one-off work. If you anticipate handling occasional ECM programming requests rather than building a meaningful service category, the standard ship-in workflow is more practical. No dealer relationship overhead, no minimum volume considerations, no territory framework.
Strong existing competitive relationships. If there's already an established dealer relationship in your immediate territory and your customer base substantially overlaps, the dealer program structure may not serve either side well. We'll be honest about this during the territory review.
Customer base that needs hardware capability you don't have. Calibration work is one part of a customer's diesel service experience. If your shop's customer base needs DPF removal, EGR replacement, or other hardware service capability you don't currently offer, the dealer program won't fix the hardware gap. Build the hardware capability first; add the calibration capability second.
When the dealer program isn't the right path, we'll say so during the initial conversation. We don't pressure shops into program relationships that don't fit; the relationship has to serve both sides.
Onboarding Timeline
Timing varies based on application complexity, territory availability review, and staff readiness for certification. Typical timeline:
- Initial inquiry to first conversation: 1–3 business days
- First conversation to formal application: 1 week typically (depends on documentation availability)
- Application review and territory confirmation: 1–2 weeks
- Dealer agreement execution: typically same week as territory confirmation
- Initial certification: 1–2 weeks elapsed time, depending on staff availability
- First operational work: typically starts within 4 weeks total from inquiry submission
For shops with active operational situations driving urgency, we can compress the timeline meaningfully. The longest constraints are typically certification staff availability and equipment procurement; if those aren't blocking, the rest of the process can move fast.
Related Pages
Ready To Start The Conversation?
Submit the dealer inquiry form or call us directly. We respond same-day during business hours with program details and territory review.