While exhibiting at NADA 2024, the Autosled crew was featured on the Dealer Talk podcast. We discussed Autosled’s expansion into the consumer market, and how this new program makes it easy for any dealer to handle logistics. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts here: Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki
For dealers who are interested in talking about how Autosled can handle your logistics at any level, set up a chat with one of our professionals. No strings attached: https://autosled.com/dealers/
Nominated By Multiple Automotive Dealers, Selection Is Autosled’s First
ROCKVILLE, MD – October 04, 2023– Autosled, a leading provider of automotive digital technology solutions for vehicle transport logistics, announced today that Sam Goldenberg, Director of Enterprise Sales, has been chosen as one of Auto Remarketing’s “40 under 40: Industry” honorees. Sponsored by IAA, the program focuses on up-and-coming leaders representing consignors, auctions, automotive finance companies, technology venders, associations and others within the used-car space. This is the first 40 under 40 nomination, and selection, for both Sam Goldenberg and Autosled.
“Sam’s approach to client relations goes far beyond customer service and day to day correspondence. He treats his dealers like family- plain and simple,” noted David Sperau, co-founder and chief revenue officer for Autosled. “I’m not surprised at all by his selection in the 40 under 40, because dealers consistently praise the way that he has helped them elevate their operations. It’s well-deserved.”
Auto Remarketing’s 40 under 40 program is unique in that all industry honorees are selected from a group of nominations put forth by the retail automotive dealer community.
“It is an honor to be selected for this year’s 40 under 40, especially because it came from our dealer partners,” said Sam Goldenberg, director of enterprise sales for Autosled. “I believe that customer service can be a company’s biggest differentiator. It’s great to know that the dealers recognize those efforts. I am truly privileged to have the opportunity to work with so many great leaders in our industry.”
Sam is recognized in the October issue of Auto Remarketing magazine, along with the rest of 2023’s industry honorees. Additionally, he will be celebrated alongside the rest of this year’s honorees during Used Car Week, held on November 6-9, 2023 at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.
About Autosled
Autosled provides seamless digital vehicle shipment options for dealers, transporters, auctioneers, brokers, and individuals. As a tech first company, Autosled’s web and phone platforms create a marketplace between shippers and transporters that are faster, cheaper and more reliable. Services include custom price quotes, secure online payments, electronic accounting and invoicing, online vehicle shipment scheduling, verified transporter insurance and a vetted network. Vehicles delivered through Autosled are trackable, with real-time GPS and communication with transporters throughout the process. For more information, visit:www.autosled.com.
New role better positions team to support growing number of automotive dealer groups
ROCKVILLE, MD – September 18, 2023– Autosled, a leading provider of digital technology solutions for vehicle transport logistics, announced today the promotion of Sam Goldenberg to Director of Enterprise Sales. In his new role, Sam leads an emerging department of Business Development Representatives serving retail automotive dealer groups nationwide. A member of Autosled’s team since the company’s launch, he most recently served as the company’s Inside Sales Manager.
“With a proven track record of being one of Autosled’s top sales producers, coupled with consistent, raving customer feedback, Sam has earned this next step in his career at Autosled,” noted Bart Schuster, Autosled’s vice president of sales. “He and his team will be the incubator for the division’s future growth, continued customer retention, and future service and expansion efforts that will be critical for Autosled.”
Sam’s promotion comes in conjunction with the development of Autosled’s new enterprise sales division. A key component of Autosled’s continuous improvements for its products and infrastructure, this team is focused on meeting the increased vehicle demands from mid-size and large retail automotive dealer groups. Working closely with other departments of the company including Product, IT, Marketing, and Operations, retail auto dealers managing multiple stores and brands, can now use Autosled’s enterprise sales team to help streamline their vehicle transport operations.
In this position, Sam will be responsible for hiring, training and mentoring Autosled’s new enterprise sales team while ensuring market coverage for retail auto dealerships at the group level. He’ll also identify promotional opportunities for future Business Development Managers at Autosled.
“Sam is uniquely qualified for this position. He spent his early days at Autosled developing and expanding the transporter network along with my brother, Dan Sperau, and myself. He was intricately involved with the company’s beginning and has grown alongside it,” noted David Sperau, co-founder and chief revenue officer for Autosled. “Couple that with his partnership expertise in high volume dealer groups, and it produces the perfect blend needed to continue growing Autosled’s national footprint.”
About Autosled
Autosled provides seamless digital vehicle shipment options for dealers, transporters, auctioneers, brokers, and individuals. As a tech first company, Autosled’s web and phone platforms create a marketplace between shippers and transporters that are faster, cheaper and more reliable. Services include custom price quotes, secure online payments, electronic accounting and invoicing, online vehicle shipment scheduling, verified transporter insurance and a vetted network. Vehicles delivered through Autosled are trackable, with real-time GPS and communication with transporters throughout the process. For more information, visit:www.autosled.com.
Improved shipment visibility and transporter payment system among updates affecting retail automotive dealers looking to ship cars and trucks
ROCKVILLE, MD – September 12, 2023– Autosled, a leading provider of digital technology for vehicle logistics, announced that it has released multiple product improvements for its nationwide vehicle transport and logistics platform. As a disruptor in the mobility and digital logistics space with a proven track record of excellence, Autosled is constantly improving upon its existing products and infrastructure.
The most recent product rollouts improve functionality for transporter teams within the Autosled network. Providing additional visibility into the available loads along each driver’s individual route saves time while also providing improved service to dealerships needing to move vehicles faster. In addition, Autosled’s new one-click reassignment function saves both dispatchers and drivers significant time, especially when a change needs to be made while a vehicle is en route. Large transport companies with multiple drivers will greatly benefit from these process improvements. Autosled’s mobile application, iOS version 3.1.1, now includes a popup alert informing the driver if the load requires an enclosed trailer, contains any inoperable vehicles, or necessitates special instructions required by the shipper. This has been especially helpful as Autosled increases its coverage at ports and railyards nationwide. These considerations provide that only drivers who can meet the specifications drive to pick up these vehicles- cutting down on pickup cancellations and wasted time.
“One thing that Autosled is happy to do is to take feedback from both our dealer and transporter networks, and invest resources to improve the quality of life for all of its users,” said David Sperau, co-founder and chief revenue officer for Autosled. “There isn’t a part of the transport ecosystem that functions independently. Making the system easier and more functional for transporters ultimately improves service for our dealerships, and vice versa.”
In addition to improved visibility for Autosled’s transporter network, the company has successfully migrated its payment services to allow for same day or next day driver payments. Autosled has always, and will continue to provide standard payments for all drivers using its online platform free of charge. The new payment system provides an expedited option for transporters looking to be paid per shipment, or needing payment options during long stretches of travel. Autosled’s latest payment system upgrades provide the least amount of inconvenience or interruption possible.
“Quick pay is something that we’ve been really excited to get up and running,” noted Dan Sperau, Autosled’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “Transporters are constantly on the road, making deliveries, and racking up fuel costs. They don’t have time to be chasing down checks. Being able to offer near real-time payments could have a significant positive effect on their cash flow. It also adds an extra incentive element to our shipments. When a transporter knows they can rely on a fast payment, they’re going to prioritize loads from our system which results in a stronger overall product.”
While both of these product improvements directly impact Autosled’s transporter network, they produce ripple effects in the retail automotive landscape. The ability for drivers to view all available loads at any point in time significantly cuts down the wait time between a dealership requesting shipment and the vehicle’s pickup. Autosled’s Quick Pay enables drivers to be paid by load, versus having to complete several weeks of drop offs for one dealership. This allows drivers to drop off a vehicle, receive payment for that vehicle- sometimes while still on the lot- and quickly move on to the next shipment. Drivers are happier and more likely to pick up or drop off a dealership’s vehicles anytime, anywhere with Autosled.
About Autosled
Autosled provides seamless digital vehicle shipment options for dealers, transporters, auctioneers, brokers, and individuals. As a tech first company, Autosled’s web and phone platforms create a marketplace between shippers and transporters that are faster, cheaper and more reliable. Services include custom price quotes, secure online payments, electronic accounting and invoicing, online vehicle shipment scheduling, verified transporter insurance and a vetted network. Vehicles delivered through Autosled are trackable, with real-time GPS and communication with transporters throughout the process. For more information, visit:www.autosled.com.
Fleet vehicles, such as vans, SUVs, trucks or cars used by organizations nationwide, are the machines that literally keep companies running. From local handymen to national telecommunication conglomerates, businesses rely on their fleet vehicles to transport both workers and materials wherever they need to go. If you’re a business owner, how exactly do you get your vehicles where they need to go? Shipping trucks to different locations is the cost of doing business, but that cost becomes bloated when mismanaged. Fortunately, finding a reliable and cost-saving transport system today is easier to attain than it used to be.
Fleet transport needs
If you have a handful of trucks that need to be moved each year, manually arranging and overseeing their shipments is probably something your staff can handle. When the number of trucks approaches hundreds or thousands, however, coordinating and overseeing their transport becomes a monumental task. The most obvious factors to consider when transporting any number of fleet vehicles is to make sure those vehicles get from A to B not only reliably but at an affordable cost. While these items carry assumed importance, both can be difficult to measure.
Reliability is subjective. You (along with your leadership staff) are the only ones who can truly decide the range of reliability that is not only appropriate, but acceptable, for your operations. Are you being provided with ETA’s that are reasonably met? Can you track your shipment status? How long are your vehicles sitting, waiting for pickup? Are you looking at days or weeks? Will any significant vehicle downtime delay operations and, if so, at what cost? If you felt uncomfortable answering these questions, there’s most likely room for improvement.
Cost is less subjective, but still difficult to get an accurate feel for. Auto transport prices are dependent on a number of factors – locations, demand, seasonal variation, labor market and diesel fuel prices to name a few. This results in a continuously fluctuating market. Keeping a finger on the pulse of these changes can quickly become a full-time job. Obtaining a pricing model that is affordable and importantly, consistent, goes a long way towards the long-term sustainability of your logistics approach.
Management techniques
Approaches to logistics management vary depending on the needs and scale of each individual business. Small operations with predictable vehicle shipping patterns ideally will find “a guy” or a trucking company to deal with directly when the need arises. Unfortunately, 90% of trucking companies in the United States operate six trucks or less- all of which need to be constantly operating to turn a profit. A single transportation company simply cannot handle the transport demands for mass quantities of vehicles in a timely manner.
Companies with large fleet transport needs only have two options- use a third party or build in-house. Partnering with a third party fleet transporter generally means using a “broker”. Brokers facilitate the deals between the customers and actual car-haulers. They’re quicker and more convenient to deal with than carriers because they don’t actually operate their own trucks. Instead, choose to contract various independent trucking companies- allowing them to tap into the dispatchable capacity of hundreds or thousands of trucks. While brokers are required to be licensed and insured, their capabilities, reliability and effectiveness vary wildly and often go only as far as the carriers they use. And it goes without saying that using a middleman adds additional cost to each move.
Building an internal process to handle these shipments cuts out the middleman while increasing the likelihood of more direct control. If the organizational demand for transportation is not overwhelming, fleet managers can deal with car carriers that they know. They can also work through load boards to fill in any gaps. While this avoids mark-ups, there are still underlying costs. Scheduling and tracking an average move takes 10-15 phone calls. Cutting checks, getting approval, correcting errors, and mailing paperwork takes time and material resources. Even with all of this, it still results in a murky cash-flow picture. Collecting W-9’s, validating insurance, and making insurance claims when an incident occurs can go overlooked. When the scope of work becomes too great for a single person to handle, hiring and staffing becomes a built-in logistics cost.
Modern transport platforms
In general, auto transport has largely been doing business the same way for decades. Now, the digital revolution has caught up and created a new logistics management pathway. Digital transport platforms combine the flexibility of using a broker with the hands-on control that an in-house department provides. Autosled (autosled.com) is an example of one such modern transport platform. These platforms leverage mobile technology, networks of independent logistic companies, and proprietary software to provide transport management solutions at scale.
Digital platforms can empower a single individual to easily manage logistics for an enterprise business. The value add is not something that traditional third parties or internal departments are capable of providing. Must haves such as single source bill pay, GPS tracking, automated insurance validation, digital condition reports and bill of ladings, and data analysis are all built directly into the platform. Instead of relying on spreadsheets, the entire transport record is kept all in one place.
The promise of instant transformation from chaos to order in the complex world of logistics admittedly sounds too good to be true. Fleet managers and decision makers that are bombarded with sales pitches will, understandably, be apprehensive. Here is what to keep in mind when considering a switch- the auto transport business has largely avoided digitization until now. Many trucking companies still use pen and paper documentation even today. The industry is watching 25+ years of technological advances suddenly focus on improving the car hauling processes. It may be time to see for yourself how much these new transport must haves matter for your business.
Autosled is a leading digital auto transport platform. There are no subscriptions or setup fees. Using the web-based dashboard, you can easily ship and track a few, or a few hundred vehicles. Schedule a free demo to have the business development team show you how to go digital or to speak about the specific needs of your business. Schedule here.
