What is a factory order, and how is it different from buying off the lot?

Buying off the lot means choosing from vehicles a dealer already bought. A factory order means the plant builds a vehicle to your specification and ships it to you. You control every option on the build sheet. The trade is time: a lot vehicle is available now, and an ordered vehicle arrives after it is built.

Order is not always the right answer. If you need a truck in your driveway this month, buy from stock. If a current in-stock unit already matches most of what you want and the program on it is strong, take it. Ordering earns its keep when the configuration matters more than the calendar.

What do you actually get to choose?

Everything on the build sheet. On a Ram 1500 that includes trim level, engine, cab style, bed length, axle ratio, four-wheel-drive system, towing and payload packages, suspension, interior material and color, exterior paint, wheels, and standalone options like a bed utility group or a trailer brake controller.

The decisions on a typical Ram 1500 order

Decision	What it changes
Trim	Standard equipment, interior material, available packages, and which options unlock.
Powertrain	Output, fuel economy, and maximum tow and payload ratings.
Cab and bed	Rear seat room, bed length, turning circle, and garage fit.
Axle ratio	Tow rating and highway rpm. The single most overlooked choice on a truck order.
Tow package	Hitch class, wiring, trailer brake controller, mirrors, and cooling capacity.
Suspension	Ride quality, load leveling, ground clearance, and load-height behavior.
Interior	Seat material, seating count, storage layout, and screen size.
Paint and wheels	Color availability by trim, wheel diameter, and tire type.

Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler orders follow the same structure with their own option catalogs. Whatever the brand, your Order Specialist walks the build sheet with you line by line and tells you which combinations the plant will actually accept, because not every option pairs with every trim.

How does the order process work, start to finish?

You tell an Order Specialist what you want, they build the configuration and quote your price in writing, you place the order with a deposit, the plant schedules and builds the vehicle, and you take delivery at the store or at your address. You review the full contract before you sign anything.

1. Talk through the build Bring a rough idea or a full spec. Phone, email, or text works. No visit required.
2. Get your configuration and price in writing Your Order Specialist sends the build sheet and the Mark Dodge price for it, quoted against MSRP. Review it as long as you need.
3. Commit remotely E-signed paperwork, a confirmed build specification, and a deposit submit the order. Your price locks once Stellantis accepts it.
4. The plant builds and ships it You get your VIN when the build starts and a call from a Sales Manager when the vehicle is close.
5. Delivery Pick it up in Lake Charles, or we bring it to you. Delivery inside 300 miles is included at no charge.

Read the full factory order process step by step, including timing, deposit terms, and who handles each stage.

How long does a factory order take?

Most Mark Dodge factory orders take four to six months from the day the order is placed to the day the vehicle arrives. Model, assembly plant, and production schedule all affect it. Your Order Specialist gives you a projected window once Stellantis schedules the build and updates it when that schedule moves.

Nobody at Mark Dodge will quote you a delivery date the plant has not committed to. If a projected window moves, you hear it from your Order Specialist rather than finding out on delivery day.

See the full stage by stage timeline and what you receive at each step.

When does my price lock in, and what happens if MSRP goes up?

Your price locks when you place the order. If Stellantis raises MSRP before your vehicle is built, your Mark Dodge sale price does not move. You will see the higher MSRP printed on the window sticker when the vehicle arrives, and you still pay the number on your order agreement.

Every new vehicle sold in the United States carries a factory window sticker, the Monroney label, required by the Automobile Information Disclosure Act (15 U.S.C. § 1232). It lists MSRP, the factory-installed options on your specific build, and the destination charge. On a factory order, that sticker is the document that proves the vehicle was built to the spec you chose. Compare it line by line against your order agreement before you sign.

Mark Dodge quotes factory orders with no additional dealer fees layered on at delivery. Whatever the market is doing to low-volume trims elsewhere, the price you agreed to is the price on your contract.

Can I factory order if I do not live in Louisiana?

Yes. Out-of-state buyers order the same way in-state buyers do. You spec the vehicle by phone, email, or video, review your paperwork electronically, sign remotely, and we arrange delivery to your address. Mark Dodge handles the title work and coordinates transport from Lake Charles to you.

How a remote order actually runs

• Spec and quote. Phone, email, text, or video call. Your Order Specialist sends the build sheet and price in writing.
• Documents. You receive every finance document to read before any signature is requested.
• Signing. Electronic signature, from wherever you are.
• Title and registration. We process the paperwork for your state. Your own state's tax, title, and registration requirements apply, and your Order Specialist will tell you which documents your state needs.
• Delivery. Included at no charge inside 300 miles of Lake Charles. Beyond that, we quote transport through our carrier network, or you can fly in and drive home.

Before you take delivery, run your VIN through the free NHTSA recall lookup. It takes thirty seconds and it works on any vehicle from any seller.

What should you spec for towing and Gulf Coast heat?

If you tow a boat or a gooseneck along the Gulf Coast, spend your options budget on the axle ratio, the maximum tow package, and cooling capacity before you spend it on trim. Heat and humidity are the load case that decides whether a truck is comfortable to own here, and they are the easiest thing to get wrong on a build sheet.

What a southwest Louisiana build sheet should account for

• Axle ratio. The cheapest tow capability on the sheet. Getting it wrong caps your rating no matter what else you order, and it cannot be changed later.
• Cooling and the tow package. Southwest Louisiana runs average July highs near 92 °F with high humidity, per the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles. Pulling a load in that air is a cooling problem before it is a power problem.
• Trailer brake controller. Factory-integrated beats aftermarket for boat and gooseneck work, and it has to be ordered.
• Bed and cab combination. Long-bed gooseneck work and daily driving in Lake Charles parking are different problems. Pick the one you actually do most.
• Interior material. Vented seats and lighter interiors matter in a climate where the cabin bakes every afternoon from May through September.
• Corrosion exposure. Salt air near the coast reaches anything parked outside. Factor spray-in bed liner and underbody protection into the order rather than adding them later.

Compare powertrains on the EPA's fueleconomy.gov before you commit. If you tow more than a few times a year, the highway rating matters less than the tow rating, and the axle ratio is where that gets decided.

Can you factory order a high-performance Ram or Dodge?

Yes. Low-volume performance builds are orderable the same way any other vehicle is, and they are the configurations most likely to be unavailable in local stock. Mark Dodge orders them at the same discounter pricing structure applied to the rest of the lineup rather than adding a market markup.

Performance orders are where configuration control matters most, because the build combinations are limited, allocation is tight, and the specific truck you want is unlikely to be sitting anywhere near you. Ordering removes the hunt.

Ask your Order Specialist which performance models are currently open for order, since Stellantis opens and closes order banks by model year and by plant.

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Factory order questions, answered