Were all excited about our first conference as MetroGistics, come check us out in San Diego at the 2010 National Remarketing Conference (NRC) booth 21. We have some industry first technology releases that will change how customers manage their business. Nov 15-19th!
National Remarketing Conference
October 11th, 2010
The Importance of the MetroGistics Nightly Status Reports
October 8th, 2010Nightly status reports is a feature that we have come up with here at MetroGistics in order to maintain great customer relationships by keeping our customers informed as to where their vehicle/vehicles are in the in transportation process. We have developed a process that ensures every order we have getting transported is called on for status from the carrier, detailed notes are entered in the system so all MetroGistics employees can be on the same page, and finally at the end of the day a nightly report is generated and sent out to the customers that have requested this feature.
Nightly status reports are very important not only to the customer but also to MetroGistics. On every nightly report, all vehicles for a customer are listed, the status of those vehicles (Dispatched, In Route, Delivered). Along with the status, shows the estimated pickup and delivery dates that the carrier has given us and the days consigned. Anything over three days old will highlight in red. This is done so that MetroGistics can see there may be a problem with this vehicle if it is over three days old, someone needs to look into it to make sure that everything is still running smoothly.
By sending out nightly reports, the customer is given some comfort knowing that they are on the same page as us here at MetroGistics and they can be better prepared when their vehicles do arrive. Setting up a customer to receive nightly reports is very easy and we are happy to do it for any customer! Here at MetroGistics we are always willing to do anything we can to help out our customers so if you have any ideas, we would love to hear them.
Shipping Oversize Vehicles
October 6th, 2010Shipping Oversize Vehicles with MetroGistics
Oversize vehicles can sometimes be difficult to get transported because most vehicle transportation companies don’t have the resources to handle such large vehicles. MetroGistics isn’t like the other companies; we can get your oversized vehicle moved without a problem. There are just a few key pieces of information that we will need provided in order for us to arrange the appropriate carrier that can handle your vehicles dimensions. The list below states some of the basic necessities we will need from you:
• Year, Make, Model of the vehicle you need shipped. This is so we can do some research into the specs of the vehicle such as height, weight, length. The carrier will ask for this information when they call in for this vehicle.
• If there are any special aftermarket parts on the vehicle that increase any of its dimensions. This is very important because carriers have restrictions as to how tall their cargo can get and how heavy the cargo can be so all this information needs to be given when transportation is arranged.
• Choose a pickup and delivery location that makes loading your oversize vehicle easy. Large parking lots usually work best for picking up and delivering because they give the carrier plenty of room to maneuver their tractor-trailer and it also allows room for your vehicle to be loaded and unloaded easily.
• Provide contact information for someone at the origin and destination. This allows for the carrier to contact the person when they are on their way to either pick up or deliver the vehicle. Having someone at these locations to sign for the vehicles is very important.
• Getting your oversized vehicle may take a day or two longer to get transported. Not all carriers can move oversized vehicles so it makes take a few tries before a carrier is found that can haul your car. MetroGistics will get it moved; it may just take a day or two longer than transport of a regular size vehicle.
These things listed above also apply for non-vehicle transports. Things such as golf carts, boats, motor homes, ect call us and we will try to get it moved for you! We will always work our hardest to satisfy the customer’s needs, just provide us with the basics and we will take it from there! MetroGistics will get your regular vehicle, oversize vehicle, or even golf cart moved for you in a timely matter and with 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Importance of Signatures on Bill of Ladings and Condition Reports, Protect Your Asset
September 23rd, 2010Documentation of the transportation of a vehicle is required by most companies and for good reason. When a car hauler picks up a vehicle there is a condition report/bill of lading that must be filled out. On this document all scratches, dents, any previous damage at all must be notated and signed by someone who witnessed this inspection at the place of origin. The same is done when the vehicle is delivered. Someone at the destination who has the authority to sign for the vehicle should walk the inspection with the driver to ensure that the vehicle is truly in the stated condition.
This is a key process in protecting your assets. This way no damage claims can be made after the fact because with signatures, there is evidence that all damages were noted and nothing new occurred during transportation. Also, signatures are a great way to ensure proof of delivery. Carriers may send a company an invoice for a vehicle that they claimed they moved, but without a signed bill of lading there is no real proof of delivery so payment shouldn’t be made. Sometimes if a vehicle is released from an auction, they will refuse to sign for it, in this situation you just have to go with it and go off of any damages that were written on the back of the gate pass. In most circumstances though signatures should be required, this way everything has been documented and issues can be sorted out much easier in the end.
Make sure you go the extra step and ensure that there are signatures on all documents. This way you can feel much more at ease and the risk of any sort of dispute is lowered tremendously.
Corporate Relocation: How to ensure your vehicle will be shipped safely to your new home
September 22nd, 2010During hard economic times, the ability to be flexible with your job is now a must. One thing that companies are looking for is an employee who would be willing to move if necessary. This is a huge decision and many factors play into this especially ensuring that all your property will make it to your new destination safely. One thing you shouldn’t have to worry about is your vehicle, there are a few key things you can do to ensure your vehicle arrives at your new home safe and sound.
When searching for a company to move your vehicle, do not only consider the price; there are many factors that go into making a company legit such as insurance, licensing, customer reviews, and registration.
Insurance is one of the most important things to keep in mind when hiring a motor carrier. A new law is going into effective in March 2011, this no longer requires auto movers to maintain a minimum amount of cargo insurance. A good standard to go by is to make sure they have $1,000,000 under liability and at least $100,000 in damage limits. Every situation is different though, so if a company doesn’t meet one of these amounts just do your homework, it may end up being fine that they have less. Ensuring that the company you may potentially hire has insurance just will keep you safe in case there was an accident to arise.
Licensing and registration are also very important. You can request to see a company’s packet where they should have all proof of licensing and registrations. The main thing to look for here is the Motor Carrier Number/Operating Authority. This is a number that is assigned to the company after they have shown proof of all requirements to receive their operating authority through The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. There is a certificate that the company should be able to present to you to ensure that everything is in the clear.
Of course, lastly, customer reviews are a great way to ensure the company you are interested in does good work. You should remember to take a review with a grain of salt because there is always the one outrageous customer that just has awful things to say about a company. Make sure you read a few reviews before making your final decision.
Getting a vehicle transported shouldn’t be a major fiasco as long as all precautions are made to ensure that the company you chose, is a good one! Take the time to look into it a bit and everything should work out great!
Transporting Your Vehicle from a Dispatchers Perspective
September 20th, 2010The keys to ensure your vehicles will be transported safely and timely.
The job description of a dispatcher for a vehicle transportation company may be described as very black and white, these are the duties. However, the truth is that being a dispatcher is not so simple. Vehicle transporting companies go to great lengths to ensure that vehicles will be transported safely and in a timely manner. The job of the dispatcher is to ensure that the vehicles are getting from the origin to destination with no hiccups along the way.
To do the job effectively and efficiently many things have to be done to keep customers happy. Dispatchers have to stay on top of the game by making daily status updates on the vehicles. They will usually call the driver and find out where they are in their route. This is done so that they can track the vehicle and give a good arrival estimate to the customer. Status updates are also a good way to discover problems that may occur during the transportation process. By catching them early, the problems can usually be resolved and get the vehicle back on track to get it delivered for the customer on time.
Another way dispatchers try to ensure a smooth vehicle delivery is by sending out nightly reports to the customers. This way the customer can actually see where their vehicle is at to give them peace of mind. Another problem catcher, nightly reports highlight vehicles that have aged more than three days so that the dispatchers can look into those specific situations and find out what the holdup is.
Communication, attention to detail, and persistence are all key things that go into a dispatcher’s job so that the customers stay more than satisfied with the company’s services. The dispatcher is the customer’s lifeline to stay informed on the whereabouts of their vehicle. They do all that they can to ensure that every vehicle is picked up, transported, and delivered safely with no damages along the way and within a time frame that works best with the customers schedule.
Relocating the car for your college student – Follow these steps for a smooth transport experience
September 17th, 2010Making the big transition to college with your child? Having a vehicle relocated for your college student can be made very simple if you just follow a few steps when preparing for this huge transition. There are so many things that a person needs to worry about when sending their child off to school, getting their vehicle to them shouldn’t be one of those worry items.
Once you have chosen a company to haul a vehicle for you there are a few things that need to be looked at when it comes to your vehicles condition.
• Air up all the tires to manufacturers suggestions
• Ensure vehicle is operable so that the transporter will have no problems with it
• Put a little gas in the tank, the vehicle may have to be driven on and off the truck a few times and running out of gas could put a major burden on the driver
• Take pictures of the vehicle prior to being transported so the condition can be noted
Next, even though you may have the desire to fill up the car with as much stuff as possible for the big move, DON’T! This is just going to cause problems when the vehicle is ready to be picked up because most likely the transporter will refuse to move the vehicle having personal items in it. Even though the risk of your vehicle getting things stolen out of it during the transport process is slim to none, having any items of value in the vehicle during transportation will definitely put it at more of a risk.
When choosing a destination address for the vehicle to be delivered, consider the surrounding location. Most college campuses are not designed to have large trucks maneuvering on their streets, so your best bet would be to choose a large parking lot or anywhere that has plenty of space for the truck to turn around and get your vehicle off safely. Also, make sure that you communicate with your child to ensure that they will be at the given destination location at the time of arrival for the vehicle. This is key so the transporter can have them sign off on the condition report and hand the keys over. You must keep in mind as a common courtesy that the driver most likely has other vehicles that need to be delivered as well, so he won’t want to be waiting around all day for the vehicles owner to arrive.
Lastly, trust the driver and company that are moving your vehicle. This is what you hired them to do, allow them to do their job. Most likely they have lots of experience in moving vehicles so if they say they will get it to a given location at a certain time, believe it! The company is going to do all that they can to ensure that you are satisfied so relax, and focus on getting your child all moved in to their new school!
Customer Testimonials
September 15th, 2010We just updated our website with a few customer testimonials, check them out at http://www.metrogistics.com/testimonials/. Always good to get some positive feeback from customers.
Shipping Large Trucks
September 8th, 2010When shipping large units be sure to tell your transporter of any special details like large tires, special racks or shells, ladders, lights or anything that would increase the dimensions of the unit. These extra add-ons can make a big difference when shipping your vehicle. If you have any questions on what will fit on what type of equipment please let us know at 877.571.6235. We can give you the knowledge to help you make the best decisions on what type of truck will be best fitted for your vehicle.
Importance of Gate Passes and Release Forms
September 3rd, 2010Every day the Metrogistics staff works hard at making sure all gate passes are ready at auction for our transporters and all release documents are in place. Arranging these two documents can mean the difference between a miserable transport experience for our vendors and delays for our customers or a smooth experience for all involved. Having hours of operation outlined on all paperwork with proper contact numbers and names also helps in making the moves as easy and simple for everyone! If you’re hauling vehicles for us be sure to check your paperwork for these critical items and if you’re a customer please pass along all gate pass info and release documents to ensure the smooth transport for all involved!
