Harbinger Personas · Internal Reference
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Internal Reference · Not for Customer Use

The people buying these trucks.

Four decision-maker profiles drawn from medium-duty fleet buying patterns. Use them as a checklist when writing or reviewing the quote — every page should answer at least one of their concerns without invoking the ones it can't.

Most Harbinger quotes don't lose because the truck is wrong. They lose because the proposal is read by three people, not one — and only one of them cares about the spec sheet. The Operations lead wants uptime. Finance wants the spreadsheet. The Owner wants to know what happens if HVIP doesn't come through. Sustainability is along for the ride, but might be the reason this conversation started.

The personas below describe how each one reads the same quote. The last section is a checklist you can use to review the rendered PDF before sending.

01 · Operations DirectorCarla R.

Name
Carla R.
Role
Director of Operations · 80-truck last-mile fleet, Inland Empire CA
Years in role
14
EV experience
Pilot, 2 trucks, 6 months
Reads first
Operating cost, range, warranty

"I don't have time for trucks that don't show up to dispatch."

What she actually cares about

  • Will it complete the route every day, in summer heat, fully loaded, with HVAC running?
  • How does it charge overnight without overhauling the yard?
  • Who fixes it when it breaks — and how fast?
  • What does the driver experience tell her about turnover and complaint volume?

Range anxiety, translated

Carla doesn't actually think the truck will strand a driver. She thinks the truck will complete 85% of routes fine and the other 15% will be the ones she gets emails about. That's the fear: variability, not exhaustion.

Objections you'll hear

"What happens at 110°F with the AC on full and 5,000 lb of payload?"
The honest answer: range drops, like every truck. The quote's modular battery section is your friend — sizing 5- or 6-pack covers her worst day with margin. Make sure that's clear.
"What's the service network look like in the Inland Empire?"
The honest answer: Vanguard is the touchpoint. Get specific: name the closest service location, hours, and a phone number when you hand off.

How the quote should land for Carla

  • The Configuration card on page 2 should obviously match her route's range needs
  • The Operating Cost page (page 4) should use her actual annual miles and electric rate — not defaults
  • Warranty page should be visible and the chassis 5/60K should be highlighted (that's her uptime guarantee)

02 · CFO / ControllerGreg M.

Name
Greg M.
Role
CFO · family-owned regional carrier · 220 vehicles
Years in role
22
EV experience
None personally; the company has zero
Reads first
Bottom of page 6 (the total)

"Show me the per-mile cost and the depreciation curve. The rest is marketing."

What he actually cares about

  • Cash outlay — what does this cost, today, after the voucher hits?
  • Cost per mile vs his existing diesel benchmark (he knows that number cold)
  • Risk if HVIP is denied or clawed back
  • Residual value at year 7 — he'll resell or trade

Sticker shock, translated

Greg has been quoted a $170K truck where his current diesel is $85K. He sees a 2× premium. The math only works if (a) the voucher is real and (b) the fuel savings page is honest and tied to his numbers. If page 4 looks like a sales pitch, he closes the PDF.

Objections you'll hear

"What's our risk if HVIP gets denied or recaptured?"
The honest answer: the acceptance language on page 8 already covers this. Walk him through it explicitly — order is contingent on HVIP approval; either party can cancel if it doesn't fund.
"Your 5-year savings number assumes 25,000 miles. Half my fleet does 12,000."
The honest answer: rebuild the quote with 12,000 miles before sending. The Operating Cost inputs are right there on the editor — change them.

How the quote should land for Greg

  • Page 6 pricing summary must be unambiguous: gross → voucher → net
  • Page 4 should show his fuel price and MPG, not generic defaults
  • Page 7 HVIP narrative needs to read like de-risking, not a sales pitch

03 · Owner / PresidentDaniel K.

Name
Daniel K.
Role
President · 35-truck specialty hauler, 2nd-generation
Years in role
9
EV experience
Drove a Mach-E once; reads the trade press
Reads first
Cover, intro, signs at the end

"I'm not going to bet the company on a Powerpoint. Tell me who else is running these."

What he actually cares about

  • Is this a real company that will still exist in five years?
  • Who else has bought these — and would they buy again?
  • How does this story play to his customers and to his bank?
  • Does his Ops Director trust the truck?

Confidence, translated

Daniel reads the cover, page 1, and the signature page. He delegates the technical evaluation. He's looking for tonal signals — does this proposal feel like it came from a real dealership with a process, or from a startup that might be gone next year? Treat the editorial polish of the document as a confidence signal.

Objections you'll hear

"What happens to my truck if Harbinger goes under?"
The honest answer: the chassis still drives; service falls to the dealer network. The warranty page on page 7 is the legal answer.
"Who else is running these in my region?"
The honest answer: name 1-2 named accounts when you hand off. The proposal can't list customer references publicly, but the conversation can.

How the quote should land for Daniel

  • The Cover must look like a serious proposal, not a brochure
  • Page 1 intro should set context, not pitch
  • The "Note from your rep" on page 8 should feel personal, not boilerplate

04 · Sustainability / Compliance LeadPriya S.

Name
Priya S.
Role
Sustainability & Compliance · 150-truck shipper
Years in role
4
EV experience
Specifies, doesn't drive
Reads first
HVIP eligibility, then warranty

"I need a truck that pencils out AND satisfies our CARB obligation."

What she actually cares about

  • Advanced Clean Fleets compliance trajectory
  • Reportable scope-1 emissions reduction per truck
  • HVIP eligibility, redemption process, post-delivery reporting requirements
  • Whether the chassis will still be supported in 5 years (her reporting window)

Compliance, translated

Priya is the only persona who is actively excited the truck is electric. Her risk isn't the truck — it's choosing a truck that doesn't qualify, or qualifies but creates reporting headaches. Her favorite page is page 7 (HVIP buyer checklist) because it tells her what she needs to gather.

Objections you'll hear

"What's my obligation if I sell or move the truck in years 1-3?"
The honest answer: HVIP requires the vehicle stays registered in CA and operates in CA for three years post-redemption. Page 8 acceptance language flags the recapture risk — walk her through it.
"Where do you stand on Advanced Clean Fleets — is this CARB-eligible for our reporting?"
The honest answer: Harbinger is a zero-emission medium-duty chassis. For ACF tracking purposes, treat as ZEV.

How the quote should land for Priya

  • The HVIP buyer checklist on page 7 should match her actual gathering list
  • Page 5 charging section should reference depot-charging — she's planning the yard
  • Page 8 acceptance language is the page she'll forward to legal

Review the quote against the personas before sending

Carla · Operations
Does the configuration obviously match her route? Are her annual miles plugged in?
Greg · Finance
Is the gross→voucher→net flow on page 6 unambiguous? Are her fuel inputs realistic?
Daniel · Owner
Does the cover look like a real proposal? Does the rep note on page 8 feel personal?
Priya · Compliance
Is the HVIP checklist on page 7 complete? Is the recapture risk clear on page 8?
All four
Read each page aloud at 8th-grade level. Define every acronym the first time it appears.
All four
If a number in the quote is generic ($0.17/kWh, 25,000 miles, $4.85/gal) — make it specific before sending.

Pre-send checklist

  1. Customer name, business, address, phone, email are correct (cover + page 2)
  2. Model code matches the route's range and GVWR needs
  3. Body / upfit price reflects the actual quote from the body builder
  4. Options reflect what you sold (toggle YES/NO before printing)
  5. Electricity rate, fuel price, MPG, and annual miles are their numbers, not defaults
  6. HVIP voucher amount matches the model and is current
  7. Sales tax, title/reg, and freight are correct for the destination
  8. Print the PDF, flip through it, and check each page is exactly one printed page