TransportFool

I first reported on this technology in Feb and now that AuctionTrac has expanded into other Manheim auctions we are looking at the different possibilities to have an interface with EZDispatch so that finding lost cars can be as simple as the touch of a button. We are excited about the time savings that this technology will give to transporters and hope that drivers and dispatchers will make sure that the dealers realize that prompt deliveries of their vehicles will be more consistent at the auctions that use car-locater systems. If auctions see the added customer satisfaction benefit of these systems we will see more systems put in place. As we are currently assessing our alternatives we are encouraging input from all auto transporters. We would like to invite you to do some test searches from both auctions and email your opinions and ideas to dave@EZDispatch.com . To search at Dallas Auto Auction Click here and to search at Florida Auto Auction Orlando click here.

There is a link to an instructional video if you need help using the search functions.

Would you guys like to see the locations flagged for all of the cars on your load or would a button to just find the problem cars be more useful?

Having just completed a successful test of a real time vehicle locater system at their facility in Mesquite, TX they have now signed a deal to build a new facility in Hutchins, TX. According to the Dallas Business Journal they will build 200,000 square feet of buildings at the new 170 acre site.

I drove down to their facility today to see first-hand how the MyDealerLot™ system worked in an auto auction evironment. This is one of the auctions where the auto transporters pull inside of the secure area to load. They have worked out procedures to make sure the RFID tags are removed before loading so they don’t lose tags. At the auctions where the cars are checked out of an exit gate before being loaded in the transport lot it will be a lot easier to control. When they lay out the new facility with the locator system in mind it will be a lot easier to put in all of the transmitters and exciters. In this installation they made extensive use of solar powered units to keep from needing to dig up the lot for power. Where they were mounting on buildings with power they used conventional units like this one

I had an opportunity over lunch to hear George Cresto explain not only about this current system but also some of their research into gps based systems. They have a transmitter that can last up to a year on one battery charge and are studying the feasability of being able to track vehicles anywhere. I think this could work well for vehicle transport brokers. The cost will be higher than the RFID tracking tags so it will probably not be a viable alternative for auctions that need to track several thousand vehicles at one time but for a broker that has maybe a 100 vehicles moving at any given time it would allow them to locate the vehicle anytime during the move. Since he is looking at this working on the same web-based design it will be very easy to let the consumer track his own vehicle as well.

We have all spent hours looking for that lost car that we needed to complete our load and thought with all of the technology available today certainly someone can come up with a way to solve this. I heard a rumor when I was at the Southern California Auto Auction that there was a system at the Houston Hobby auction that tracked the cars with a chip in the car so you could always find the car. I made it a point to investigate on this trip to Houston. From my quick look at the system it looks like it relies on the last location that the car was scanned with one of their hand scanners but they are scanning pretty often including each car as it comes through the lanes and when it exits the gate. I stood there and watched three people come in and get the most current location of their misplaced cars and for most of them the scan was from the day before. You can search by last part of the vin or by the run #. It shows a grid of the auction and gives you an arrow where the last scan was. I think this is a huge step in the right direction for auto transporters to cut down on costly delays at the auto auctions. Hopefully this will lead to putting chips in the cars so we can get real-time current locations.

This locator system is web-based so if one of you influential auto transporters out there can get Manheim Brass to give us the logins then drivers with laptops can locate their cars anytime they need to and when a driver calls a dispatcher on the weekend the dispatcher could go to his or her computer 3 states away and give the driver the car location.