When planning transport of your vehicle or vehicles, a little planning can go a long way in saving you time and money. Our transportation specialists at ACERTUS are a great resource for the tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of your automotive-transport experience.
Below are just a few of their suggestions that can help you in saving transportation costs and transit time.
Dealer-to-Dealer Trades
When planning a trade with another dealership, keep in mind their hours of operation. Some dealerships are not open on Sundays, and some don’t accept weekend deliveries even though they are open for business. You could lose up to two days when dealerships don’t have weekend pickup or drop-off times. Knowing that in advance can help you plan for optimal timing.
Auction Pick Ups
When requesting vehicles be picked up at an auction, make sure your transport provider has the vehicle Gate Pass/Gate Release. Auction companies will not release vehicles to a carrier without that documentation. Valuable time is lost when a driver has to wait for hours to get the Gate Pass. As many of them have other vehicles to pick up or deliver, they may not wait. Some transport providers will not dispatch a driver until they have a Gate Pass to issue.
Auction Sales
Sale prices of pre-owned cars can change rather quickly. A little planning can help ensure that vehicles arrive at the auction in time for the sale. Capacity constraints also exist in the pre-owned car market, and rushing cars to an auction at the last minute can increase transport costs and the risk of not making the sale, causing vehicles to sit at the auction until the next sale. MetroGistics’ dispatchers generally have a good overall view of road construction, traffic flow, weather conditions and other factors that can impact delivery times, and will provide you with their recommendations on the best ways to ensure timely delivery.
Combined Purchasing Efforts
When possible, combine purchasing efforts for a group of dealerships in an area to save time and money. A driver would rather have a few stops in one day in a metropolitan area than have to drive empty miles between auctions and dealerships over a number of days. Truckload rates are better than single-unit rates. Look for opportunities to partner with other nearby dealerships to share the load.
For more information on ACERTUS, contact us!
