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You need the vehicle you ordered, but it’s nowhere to be found. Maybe it’s sitting in a rail yard or parked back at an upfitter. Call it the black hole of order to delivery— the place where no fleet manager wants their new work trucks to end up. And once a vehicle is lost along the order-to-delivery (OTD) path, there’s little recourse beyond waiting… and waiting… for it to resurface somewhere along the way.

The OTD road has never been a smooth one, given all the variables in play as a work truck moves from a fleet’s spec sheet to manufacturer to arrival at an upfitter to the transport of the completed model, which likely takes place over long distances.

The COVID-19 pandemic drove this reality home, as many links in the supply chain were hit hard throughout most of 2020, causing fleet operations to experience longer order-to-delivery delays and outright cancellations.

The pandemic’s impact underscored the value to fleets of working with a vehicle transportation provider adept at keeping the OTD process rolling smoothly.  Whether the need is driven by a global event or simply the traditional logistics hiccups, relying on a seasoned partner can help simplify operational factors outside of a fleet manager’s control.  A holistic approach to the OTD lifecycle, from upfit completion to ensuring the vehicle is delivered road-ready can streamline the often-lengthy and unpredictable wait for a new asset.  Working with an experienced transportation management team ensures the completed vehicle matches up to qualified drivers, and title and registration information is available at the right time in the process for a road-ready delivery.

Pre-pandemic, OTD timelines suffered due to railcar shortage issues.  Today, the slowdowns are no longer just railcar related.  With lower or shifting production levels, vehicles will sit longer awaiting a full truckload and drivers to haul.

However, when a fleet opts to leverage the turnkey OTD solutions that top-notch vehicle transportation firms provides, they can expect that delivery issues will be kept to a minimum. That’s because the best driveaway firms boast the resources to streamline the OTD process, ensuring that fleets will get their work trucks when they need them, including upfitted vehicles.

The Auto Driveaway Difference

In selecting a vehicle transport provider, consider how one leader in this arena stands out: With nearly 70 years of experience, Auto Driveaway brings to bear a nationwide network of professional drivers, who are available to deliver vehicles of any type or size to any point in the country.

Even more critical, Auto Driveaway can provide the OTD solution that best fits your fleet’s specific needs. Their customized plan of action and project management can handle all aspects of the ship-thru process. That includes helping keep the ordered vehicle moving by being able to pick up an upfitted truck or van directly from the upfitter.

Auto Driveaway is about efficiency, safety, and transparency. The industry partnerships with FMCs and upfitters it has forged allow a three-prong approach to planning, scheduling, and executing batches of new vehicle deliveries.

In addition, Auto Driveaway offers an array of turnkey solutions specifically designed to streamline the OTD process, including:

  • Vehicle detailing
  • Telematics installation
  • Decal/wrap application
  • Licensing and titling services, so vehicles can be legally driven the moment they are delivered to a driver or a central fleet location.
  • Short- or long-term storage, securely storing and maintaining vehicles until the fleet needs them

For fleets of trucks and vans that acquire and upfit dozens of vehicles at a time for distribution throughout the country, Auto Driveaway will set up multi-point deliveries. The company is also expert at handling large-scale asset redeployments and rebranding initiatives.

In addition, Auto Driveaway stands behind its services. A key indicator of this: All its drivers are fully insured, with insurance covering damage incurred as a result of Acts of God while the vehicle is in their possession.

Communication Equals Visibility

Throughout the OTD process, Auto Driveaway’s drivers and dispatchers communicate with one another as well as with fleet stakeholders.

Aiding that communication is access to Auto Driveaway’s comprehensive user-friendly dashboard that presents fleets with information on a work truck’s journey along the order-to-delivery path.  Dashboard reporting includes electronic vehicle condition reports, digital images, and document libraries.

Auto Driveaway’s leadership stands out in detailed positive feedback from its customers:

  • “Communication is the number one factor for me. Whether it is pick up/delivery ETAs, damages, delays, issues with license and titling, my biggest concern is a vendor keeping me up to date from when it receives the transport to after it is delivered. Of all our transporters, Auto Driveaway is the best— hands down. They’re the best with communication and getting vehicles picked up and delivered quickly.”
  • “We have noticed that some providers do not necessarily care as much about the shipments. From what I have seen with [Auto Driveaway], when I give them a shipment, they take ownership of it... If something happens in the process of the shipment, [Auto Driveaway] helps out and loops us in.”
  • “When people ask me who can get something done, I usually always reach out to Auto Driveaway because they are consistent.  If we ask to expedite something, we can always get an answer back – we always get a quick response.”

Avoiding the order-to-delivery black hole while ensuring vehicles arrive safely when and where a customer wants them is all in a day’s work for Auto Driveway, the experienced partner in vehicle transportation and relocation services.

To learn how Auto Driveaway can help you address the OTD challenge, please visit www.autodriveaway.com or reach out to info@autodriveaway.com to start a conversation about a customized solution for your fleet.