Backlogs are the latest title-and-registration reality. While DMVs across the country are largely back up-and-running after recent COVID-19 closures, they’re working hard to both catch up with past requests and tackle incoming work orders.
So, where does this leave companies who hope to get their entire fleet of vehicles titled and registered quickly and efficiently?
We recently spoke with Corrie Mahaffie, ACERTUS’ State Relations Specialist, to learn more about how DMVs are faring, what challenges her team is helping companies work through, some new projects ACERTUS has on the horizon and her recommendations for title-and-registration needs in the near future.
ACERTUS: What are the day-to-day operations of a State Relations Specialist and what have you been most focused on lately?
Corrie Mahaffie: Essentially, I keep up with all the title-and-registration services that ACERTUS covers in various states and jurisdictions across the country. I keep track of all the various requirements and policies – some areas require tons of documentation, others less, some require annual renewals, others less frequent renewals. Therefore, I know what’s required, when required items are due and what policy changes are occurring in any given state or jurisdiction, at any given time. There are always new jurisdiction popping up, new rules or restrictions being implemented and so forth, so it’s important for ACERTUS to have a wide-eye view of everything that’s going on and be able to adapt to meet those changes quickly and efficiently.
Right now, my day-to-day is involved with a lot of COVID-related aftereffects and working closely with DMVs and outside auto partners to get their title-and-registration needs met. There have also been some additional closures in the Gulf area due to recent hurricanes, which have required some attention.
ACERTUS: Why do you think your role is unique within the auto industry?
CM: It puts me in a position where I’ve formed a good number of working relationships with DMVs cross-country. So, even as restrictions continue to tighten in certain areas or certain areas are swamped with work, they know me at these sites and can usually help us move faster on behalf of our customers and their fleets.
There are so many different little niche areas – whether at the state, county or city level – where they have truly specific requirements that must be kept up with. My role is not only ideal for helping us stay on top of these rules and requirements right now, but it’s also a good launch pad to increase efficiency, speed and problem-solving that will help our customers as we move forward.
ACERTUS: Can you provide an example of a project you’re working on that’s helping ACERTUS and its customers look ahead and navigate challenges more efficiently in the near future?
CM: California is a great example of some of the optimization work we’re doing. ACERTUS has been working on a more efficient way to streamline services and help customers with title-and-registration needs there for years now. I went out there in January, completed a four-day-long training session with the main DMV office in Sacramento and learned all about the state’s specific restrictions, including all the specialized requirements it has. That training helped me get much more familiar with all the ins-and-outs of California title-and-registration program. From that point, I’ve been able to have more direct access, get our documentation and licenses in order to fit California’s specific needs and move the overall process to being more online-based.
Now, we’re working on an online and interactive portal, created from scratch, that actually talks to our processing system. As a whole, this won’t only help ACERTUS’s title-and-registration team become far more savvy and tech-enabled in California, but it will also set us up to be able to replicate this same model in other states and jurisdictions in the months and years to come.
ACERTUS: You mentioned COVID’s impacts on DMVs earlier. Can you explain more specifically what you and your team are seeing at DMVs? What’s the current state of things now as compared to a few months ago?
CM: Things are definitely starting to get back to normal at DMVs. But the really big pain point, especially for those locations that were closed for an especially long time, is that there’s just an unprecedented backlog of work at so many of these. Also, every time a worker or two gets sick at a DMV location, especially at the county or city level, the office will close again for a number of days before they reopen and get back to work again.
This is really where we’re hearing the most concerns from our customers, as well. Many of our customers can see that DMV locations are back open and expect workflow to be back to usual, so we’ve had to communicate with them about the current backlogs, explain the process isn’t moving as fast as we’d like right now and commit to using our resources to help them move through these title-and-registration needs as quickly as possible.
ACERTUS: What should companies do to be more prepared when it comes to title-and-registration services, to help things move as quickly as possible during this time?
CM: More so than ever, it’s crucial that all title-and-registration documentation is not only turned over quickly, but that it’s accurate. Rejections due to mistakes or inaccuracies result in documents being sent back from the DMVs and cause even more delays to the process. Forms must be completed, and all information must be accurate, or else downtime will inevitably happen, and we can’t help them move as fast as we’d otherwise be able to do.
If we get all our title-and-registration ducks in a row from the beginning, we can use all the tools at our disposal – working partnerships, insider knowledge, customer support team, a comprehensive understanding of requirements by each state and jurisdiction – and move forward with speed and efficiency on behalf of our auto partners.
Learn more about ACERTUS’ title-and-registration services, as well as its full range fleet-management solutions and vehicle logistics options, at https://acertusdelivers.com. To connect with one of our team members or receive a quick pricing quote, contact us here or call us at this phone number: 855-ACERTUS (855-223-7887).
