The auto transport industry has changed drastically over the past 6 or 7 years.  It has become a brokers industry and the haulers have been left behind with outdated software and outdated ways to communicate with customers.  It is nearing the end of 2014 and people today are using their iPads (tablets) and iPhones (smartphones)  to do basically everything in their lives.  These gadgets have come a long way in recent years.  People surf the web, control smart home features, turn on lights, start their vehicle, read books, etc. all from their devices.  It is time haulers get with the program as well.  This is where Auto Transport Receipts comes in.

Auto Transport Receipt is an online, digital bill of lading for the auto transport and vehicle towing industry.  Any hauler or tow yard can access the website from any smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer can create their bill of ladings online with ease.  They can keep the data stored, download the data, email the data, print bill of ladings, etc. all from any of the devices they want to use.  It is saving haulers tons of time and money and customer are happy because the data is more accurate and time stamped so their are no lies being told as to when a vehicle was picked up and delivered.

With the haulers having this tool with them at all times they can be in with the times.  They basically control their business and their money right from their tablet or smartphone.  What is next though for haulers to get more for their buck and make their lives easier?  No only for the haulers, but brokers and customers need a new software to allow everyone to know exactly what is going on and when it is occurring.  Dealing with companies from the internet, the more transparent companies can be, the more at ease a customer will feel.  Stay tuned because the auto transport industry is in for something amazing coming sooner than later.

The auto transport industry is run by thousands of small auto hauling companies that have their own dedicated routes they like to run and way they do things.  In this industry the percentage of repeat customers are small, but there are people would do transport vehicles more than once in their life and they also have that word of mouth marketing as well.

As an auto hauler there are many things that are not done to the fullest extent that would help their business grow and help them make more money.  The first error the haulers make is non-communication.  A hauler should be contacting the pick up and the delivery people as soon as they have the load booked.  They can then set up the expectation with each customer such as when they should be arriving, location of the vehicle and if they’ll need to pick up in a different (larger) location, and any other notes they may need to know about the vehicle and its transport (such as not being operable, or it is has to be jump started, etc).  All of these issues can hold up the process of transport ing the vehicle if they are not done and this occurs more times then not because the hauler usually received the load from a broker company.

The second error is with the auto transport bill of lading.  This is a document that is mandated by the Department of Transportation that shows the vehicle inspection report and signed by the pick up and delivery person.  Currently, the largest format of the BOL is a paper version with carbon copies.  This old method is flawed because it doesn’t have the customization ability customers currently need.  People live in the digital world and they would like to have documents emailed to them, have the ability to download them or even print them out on their own time.  By digitalizing the auto transport bill of lading the customer and hauler can have a back up of any Receipt anytime, anywhere.  Check out Auto Transport Receipt to learn more about this new software.

To give customer premium customer service and use the right tools they can generate more money for themselves, cut the brokers out of their deals and live a happier life.  Stress and wasted time causes more delays and more frustrations for haulers and customers.  By simply making a few phones calls ahead of time, asking the right questions and having a digital auto transport bill of lading they will have a better business and a better life.

In today’s auto transport industry, a generic paper bill of lading just isn’t enough.  Typically an auto transport bill of lading has one diagram vehicle type (usually a sedan) to make an inspection report.  What happens if the vehicle that is being picked up is a truck, SUV, Van, etc.  The inspection report cannot be done properly.  Also, when a hauler marks the inspection report it is with an “X” or with a letter to indicate damage. What kind of damage is it?  There is no key on the Bill of Lading to let anyone know, so it is very abstract and not clear.

At Auto Transport Receipt we make sure that our auto transport bill of lading software corrects these flaws on the paper bill of ladings.  Our bill of lading has a section that the hauler can choose the type of vehicle they want to perform an inspection report on such as Hatchback, Sedan, Truck, Van, etc.  This means a proper vehicle inspection will be done no matter what vehicle is being transported.  Also, the bill of lading template is stated clear and easy to read, the vehicle inspection report clearly states the part of the vehicle that is damages and states what the damage is (i.e: Right Front Door: Dented).  For further proof of this damage the hauler is able to take a picture or video and upload it into the bill of lading.

In todays world having the proper documentation can be the deciding factor between having a damaged vehicle covered by the haulers insurance or not.  Not having the bill of lading be clear and easy to read will cause problems and insurance companies love to reject claims.  Make sure your hauler has Auto Transport Receipt and if they do not, recommend they get it before they transport your vehicle.  It is better to be safe than sorry.  Especially when it comes to your vehicle.

The auto transport industry has been using the same old paper bill of ladings with two carbon copies forever now.  Why change it up now?  Auto Transport Receipt has the answer for you in one word; Easy.

Easy to use

Easy to create multiple auto transport bill of ladings

Easy to have multiple vehicles on one bill of lading

Easy to email the customers copy of their bill of lading PDF Receipt

Easy to download Receipts

Easy to print out Receipts

Easy to import photos of vehicle damage to a Receipt

Easy to do an inspection report on numerous vehicle types

Easy to download Receipts

Easy to subscribe

I don’t know about you, but that was ALOT of easy!!!  Auto Transport Receipt makes the life of a hauler and a customer transporting their vehicle easy.  There really is a method for everyone in this software.  A customer doesn’t have an email address?  Simply just print it out for them.  The hauler needs to do their taxes?  Download all their Receipts and store them on their computer or in the cloud for use anywhere, anytime.  Auto Transport Receipt has an answer for every hauler and tow truck.  The hauler can use it on their smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer or use the dedicated Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad App.

If a hauler were to Google companies that sell paper bill of ladings for the auto transport industry they would find companies selling 250 BOL’s for $45-$70.  Auto Transport Receipt is as low as $2.99 for 10, $5.99 for 20 or $7 for unlimited Receipts.  That can save a hauler money and in business saving money with a better product is always a no-brainer.

So, what are you waiting for?  Sign up for Auto Transport Receipt today and start making your life as a auto hauler easier and more effective.

The Lexus RX series has been around for quite a few years now and is the leading sales vehicle for their SUV/crossover category.  The RX series is priced great for a luxury SUV ($40,000), three model types to fit anyones taste (RX 350 RX 350 F Sport & RX 450 Hybrid), and top of the line features to go along with the styling of the vehicle.  The next SUV on the list starts at $49,000 and that is exactly where it should start price wise.  Usually when a company has multiple vehicles that are in the same category they are priced far enough apart to keep them separate, but what happens when vehicles are priced too close together?  We will find out quickly when the new Lexus NX series comes available in the near future.  The expected price tag of $35,000 – $37,000 will only be a few thousand dollars from the RX.

What could happen is that the NX, which will be priced lower, will eat up some of the sales the RX would have received.  They are priced similar, they will look slightly similar, have similar options and features, etc.  Why wouldn’t you pick the cheaper version if you would lose any options or features and save yourself some money every month on your car payment?

Lexus is going to be in a weird situation because their best selling SUV will start getting cannibalized by a smaller and similar model.  How does Lexus escape this fate?  If they price the vehicle too low they lose profit and will still have cannibalization of the RX.  If they price it too high it will be the same price point as the RX and will make no sense at all.

So, who is going to be the winner?  Technically no one will be.  Sales people will continue having sales problems selling two similarly priced vehicles, customer will start getting confused of the differences and choose the cheaper version, and the legacy of the RX will soon fade and die.

Being a truck driver has its benefits and drawbacks.  A big drawback is all about the health of the trucker.  Generally when you see truck drivers they are not in the best shape and health.  There are a few different reasons for this.  The first reason would be that they are sitting their entire day driving.  When they are done driving they have to wait a Federal mandated 10 hours before they can drive again.  With 8 hours of sleep that leaves them 2 hours to shower (which you have to wait in line at truck stops to shower and that can be a good 1-2 hour wait), eat dinner, and eat breakfast in the morning before you start driving.  Where is the time for the exercise?  When do these truckers have time to go for a jog (and where would they go jogging at) and when can they do some sit ups and push-ups?  The longer they stay in the business, the worse their health will get.

The second reason that truckers are in bad health is because the food they consume and are surrounded by is garbage.  Go to any major truck stop gas station and see the food choices.  Everything is processed food, fatty, deep fried, etc.  The couple of health food choices like salads and soups are usually going bad and not looking too desirable.  What does a guy (or girl) have to do to get some carrots and hummus or some grilled chicken and veggies?

Being healthy has benefits to their job like having extra energy, move faster, motivation, stamina, etc.  Eating healthy is the biggest concern for health problems.  Experts say that it is 80% eating healthy and 20% physically activity to stay in shape.  These major truck stops need to start adding more healthy choices to their menu.  A few simple changes can alter the health of our fellow workers.  We need our drivers alert and focused on their job and not about where they can stop to take their next dump.

When people are going to ship an item such as a picture frame, candles, clothing, etc most people think to use Fed-Ex or UPS.  In the auto transport industry there is no company as large as Fed-Ex or UPS.  Over 95% of the industry are small businesses with less than 5 employees.  Majority of the companies are one or two employees.  Usually the owner is the actual auto hauler and they are their own dispatcher or they hire their spouse, family member, or another person to handle their dispatching.  That auto hauler will do one route (an example is New York to Florida) and back on a weekly basis.  They are not a nationwide company and you won’t find them on nationwide search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.  The company who is arguably the largest auto transport company in the industry is Dependable Auto Shippers.  They own numerous trucks, but just not enough.  They have to broker out over 50% of their deals.  They total cars they transport only accounts for less then 15% of the industry.  Because of this issue the industry has, companies have their own ways of doing things and there is no consistency within the industry, especially when it comes to the auto transport bill of lading.

Companies go out and purchase their carbon-copy paper bill of lading forms from a template they find online or from a fellow transporter.  The way they are filled out, damage marked and how detailed the form gets varies from company to company.  This causes issues for many people involved such as car dealerships, repeat customers, insurance companies and auto transport brokers.  Trying to decipher what the hauler meant when he marked this or that can be challenging.  This is where Auto Transport Receipt comes to save the day.  Any auto hauling company and tow truck company can use this website and app.  It streamlines the bill of lading process and keeps everything looking similar for easy use across many companies.  Lets make the auto transport industry easier and more efficient for everyone involved.

What happens when your brand new BMW 3-Series arrives at your doorstep and there is a big dent in the drivers side door?  Typically, the auto hauler would mark it on their Auto Transport Bill of Lading report, customer would sign it, and the haulers insurance would get involved.  What happens, though, when the haulers handwriting is not legible and the insurance claim gets rejected? This is happening more and more as truck drivers are trying to get in and out in a flash.  Important things start slipping such as the proper documentation and care for detail on these reports.  Most of the time they are not going to be an issue, but what happens when there is damage to a vehicle or the vehicle isn’t in the same condition it was when it left the pick up location?

This scenario is where Auto Transport Receipt has everyone covered.  By making the Bill of Lading digital in a PDF form there is no mistaking handwriting or losing a document.  The auto transport bill of lading is typed out perfecting, listing the exact damage to the exact part of the vehicle.  No guessing required.  The form that has the damaged marked is saved by the haulers email, saved to the haulers device, saved in the customers email, etc.  No insurance company can say that they cannot make out the bill of lading document any longer or say they never received the document.  Everything is saved and the hauler and customer can go back and see they physically sent it and what email address it was sent to and what time and day it was sent.

It is very uncommon for damage to occur to a vehicle being transported, but when it does happen it would be nice for the situation to be taken care of accordingly.  Time to get Auto Transport Receipt and time to start making life as a hauler easier.