RCI Rental Car IntelFor people who work the lot
Updated …

Daily briefing for counter, lot, fleet, damage and recon

What people who work rental locations need to know today.

Industry news, recalls, airport demand, weather, and how the big brands sell their used cars — written so you can scan it between customers. Last updated … Eastern.

At the counter first Not a corporate IR site. Operational takeaways sit under the sourced facts.

Hertz hunch, checked

Hertz already sells cars online — and is dropping dedicated sales lots

Hertz Car Sales launched full online buying on Sept. 30, 2025, after joining Amazon Autos on Aug. 20, 2025 (Amazon’s first fleet dealer). It added an eBay showroom on May 5, 2026, and expanded TestDrive+ to 300+ neighborhood rental locations on Oct. 15, 2026.1–4

On Nov. 9, 2026, a Hertz spokesperson told DealershipGuy the company will close all physical Hertz Car Sales locations and lean on HertzCarSales.com, retail partners, and TestDrive+ at rental locations instead. Closures were reported as finalized Friday, Nov. 20 — Hertz did not confirm that date.5

What this means at the counterIf you work a Hertz-family neighborhood location in TestDrive+, customers may show up to try or pick up a car that used to live on a standalone sales lot. Recon and retail-ready appearance matter more when the pickup point is your branch. See the full timeline on the Hertz online sales page.
Law you can quote

You generally cannot rent a car with an open safety recall

The Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act became federal law as part of the FAST Act of 2015. It lives in 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i): after notice, a covered rental company may rent a recalled vehicle only if the defect is remedied first (or a manufacturer-specified temporary fix is in place while the final remedy is unavailable).6

Covered fleets average 35 or more covered rental vehicles. The clock is 24 hours after notice, or 48 hours if the notice covers more than 5,000 vehicles in the fleet.6 NHTSA’s first rental enforcement case was a 2023 consent order with Zipcar and a $300,000 civil penalty.7

What this means at the counterIf a unit is flagged, do not send it because the lot is tight. Ground it, get a substitute, and let the recall desk handle VIN status. Details and a live fleet-model watch are on the recalls page.

Live ops panels

Demand, weather, and recalls pulled this refresh

TSA checkpoint volumes

Nationwide traveler counts from tsa.gov — not your airport’s wait time.

What this means at the counterRising national throughput usually means busier airport lots and tighter availability. Hertz said U.S. RPD still rose about 8% in Q3 2026 even though TSA volumes were down 2.8% that quarter.8

Travel and demand desk

Weather and disruptions

National Hurricane Center feeds plus filtered NWS alerts in major airport states.

    What this means at the counterStorms drive one-ways, late returns, flood and hail damage, and questions about whether the airport is open. Check the weather desk before promising a car in a coastal or winter market.

    Fleet-relevant recalls

    Recent NHTSA campaigns that mention common rental nameplates.

      Full recall watch

      Industry wire

      Latest headlines

        Know the family

        Every major brand, grouped by parent

        Enterprise Mobility

        Enterprise

        Flagship brand — neighborhood and airport, replacement, and local mobility.

         Enterprise Mobility

        National

        Premium airport brand — Emerald Aisle and Emerald Club.

         Enterprise Mobility

        Alamo

        Value leisure brand, especially for visitors to North America.

         Hertz

        Hertz

        Top-tier Hertz brand, Gold+, and one of the youngest U.S. core fleets in years.

         Hertz

        Dollar

        Hertz’s smart-value airport brand for families and small business.

         Hertz

        Thrifty

        Hertz’s deep-value leisure brand — shared fleet, separate counter.

         Avis Budget Group

        Avis

        Legacy airport brand; parent reported Q3 2026 results in early November.

         Avis Budget Group

        Budget

        Value brand launched in 1958, about 3,500 locations.

         Avis Budget Group

        Payless

        Price-conscious brand, around 120 locations, many on-airport.

         Avis Budget Group

        Zipcar

        Car-sharing network. UK operations ceased in early 2026.

         Sixt SE

        Sixt

        Premium European brand with a growing North America fleet.

         Europcar group

        Europcar

        Europe-focused group; Volkswagen notified regulators it wants sole control.

         Europcar group

        Fox

        U.S. value brand acquired by Europcar in 2019; now at LAX’s new center.

         Peer-to-peer

        Turo

        Host-owned cars, not a traditional counter brand. IPO withdrawn in 2025.

        Open the full brand directory