# Why I built DealerVLO
> I run a used-car lot in Massachusetts. The software was making the job harder. So I built my own DMS.
- Source: https://www.dealervlo.com/blog/why-i-built-dealervlo
- Published: 2026-05-25
- Updated: 2026-08-28
- Author: Chris Abouraad
- Tags: founder-notes
---

I run Simon's Service and Sales — a small used-car lot in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. I close maybe a deal a week on a good week. And for most of the last few years, the thing that slowed me down the most wasn't the inventory, the customers, or the deals.

It was the software.

## What I was using

![Common pain points independent used-car dealers face with traditional dealer management systems before switching to modern solutions.](/images/post/why-i-built-dealervlo/1)

A Windows desktop DMS that's been running on dealer lots since before I was born. A laptop with a USB dongle to authenticate. A printer that only worked half the time. Three folders per deal. A spreadsheet on the side because the software couldn't show me what I actually needed.

When I sold a car, I'd spend forty-five minutes printing forms, hand-writing the parts the software couldn't fill, and re-typing the customer's name onto the FTC Buyers Guide because the integration didn't work.

Every minute of that is a minute I'm not selling the next car.

## What I wanted

![Essential features an independent used-car dealer needs in a dealer management system to streamline daily operations.](/images/post/why-i-built-dealervlo/2)

A DMS that:

- Works on any device. Phone in the lot, laptop at the desk, iPad in the showroom.
- Fills out every form from the deal data. Bill of Sale, FTC Buyers Guide, Federal Odometer Disclosure, [MA RMV-1](/blog/ma-rmv1-explained), [Damage Disclosure](/guide/how-to-fill-out-ma-damage-disclosure).
- Comes with a dealer website. My inventory is online the moment I add a car.
- Doesn't cost $200/month + per-seat fees + a setup charge + a training session.
- Doesn't require a Windows install or a dongle.

I couldn't find one. So I built it.

## What's in DealerVLO today

![Complete list of features built into DealerVLO, a modern dealer management system for independent used-car dealers.](/images/post/why-i-built-dealervlo/3)

- Inventory with VIN auto-decode (paste VIN, the form fills itself from NHTSA).
- Customer CRM. DL numbers encrypted at rest.
- Deal jacket with live totals — cash or finance, trade-in support, tax math.
- Federal forms — Bill of Sale, Buyers Guide, Odometer Disclosure.
- State title & registration forms, filled from the deal — all 50 states now (it started with just my RMV-1).
- A public dealer website per dealership. Bring your own domain.
- [Lead inbox from the website contact form](/blog/converting-online-leads-to-appointments).

<ProductShot name="deal-jacket" caption="The deal jacket — the screen I spend my day in (shown with sample data)." />

It runs my lot. Now I'm letting other dealers try it.

<CTA href="/signup">Start your 14-day free trial</CTA>

## What's next

The roadmap is driven by what I need for my own deals. The state-forms gap I griped about above is closed — every state's title paperwork now fills from the jacket. What's on the bench now: better mobile photo capture and a CSV import for dealers leaving the old DMS.

If you're a dealer and there's something blocking you from switching, [tell me](mailto:support@dealervlo.com). I read every email.

— Chris