SAN DIEGO — www.centraldispatch.com, the auto industry’s transportation marketplace, recently announced that 2007 was a year of unprecendented expansion for the company, adding 629 auto dealer subscribers nationwide and currently servicing more than 1,500 dealers.
The company also added a significant number of car carriers. Auto dealers can now gain access to virtually every licensed interstate car carrier in North America, a total of more than 5,000 carriers and tens of thousands of trucks. CentralDispatch saves auto dealers time and money by transforming a paper, fax, and phone based procedure into an automated process that connects dealers to car carriers on the Internet.
CentralDispatch simplifies transportation for dealers by providing a cost effective way to connect with car carriers across the United States and Canada, allowing them to ship vehicles faster and at a competitive market price. When a dealer has a car or truck to ship, they no longer have to seek out car carriers. Instead, all they have to do is log on to CentralDispatch.com, post the vehicle with location, price and vehicle information, and wait for a carrier to call.
Typically within the same day a car carrier will contact the dealer regarding the shipment. At that point the dealer can log onto CentralDispatch, check out the transporter’s information, ratings and comments from previous customers to determine whether to do business with that particular carrier.
Every carrier listed on the site goes through a rigorous application approval process. They must all have adequate insurance and a current Motor Carrier number with the Department of Transportation (DOT). The carrier’s profile contains links to the DOT’s website with specific information about the carrier’s authority to transport vehicles. Insurance coverage is listed, along with contact information for the insurance agent, the length of time the carrier has been in business and how long they have been a member of CentralDispatch.
Dealers can also analyze the current transportation market by reviewing vehicles posted by other dealers and brokers to determine the current rate for transporting vehicles in different geographical areas. The price of transportation fluctuates with the time of year and the price of diesel. Staying up-to-date on transportation costs allows dealers to price their loads competitively so they get moved in a timely fashion.
CentralDispatch.com will be demonstrated at the 2008 NADA Conference and Exposition in San Francisco, CA, February 9-12. Visit booth # 2614W for more information.
