RunBuggy, a technology platform connecting car shippers and transporters, said Wednesday it has teamed up with Dealer.com.
Under this partnership, RunBuggy’s vehicle transportation management technology will be integrated into the websites of Dealer.com’s franchised dealership customers.
This will allow those dealers to provide an easy for consumers to generate a quote and arrange transportation of a purchased vehicle to their homes.
“RunBuggy is a perfect fit given our proven technology and nationwide network of more than 17,000 verified drivers. It's now easier than ever for dealers to offer car shipping as part of their digital retailing experience,” RunBuggy senior vice president Jason Kong said in a news release.
Dealers who use vAuto now can take advantage of a new integration involving Stockwave and Ready Logistics.
According to a news release from Cox Automotive, this integration enables Stockwave clients to see shipping costs and delivery times for vehicles at Manheim more easily, so they can take these critical factors into account and make more confident decisions about which vehicles to buy.
“This is another great example of how Cox Automotive is working across brands to make it easier for dealers to find and buy the inventory they need,” said Derek Hansen, vice president of operations at vAuto.
“With the power of Ready Logistics’ data, Stockwave gives dealers even more information at their fingertips to simplify the acquisition process and help them make informed purchase decisions,” Hansen continued in a news release.
With this new integration, Cox Automotive indicated dealers can see a real-time estimate of transportation costs and delivery times for vehicles at Manheim right from their Stockwave Glance, as well as get a detailed snapshot of what their transport details would be. The company pointed out the delivery window is especially important for dealers who are purchasing from a Manheim location they’ve never bought from before, as they can now instantly get an estimate of how long it will take the car to arrive—without having to invest time on the phone.
Additionally, Cox Automotive said this new information can help dealers more precisely understand a vehicle’s acquisition cost, so they can align their business plans with their transportation needs.
Stockwave can give dealers access to vehicles from more than 300 marketplaces, alongside a set of wholesale and retail data, so dealers can find the vehicles their customers want and make more informed purchase decisions.
According to the 2022 Stockwave Purchase Motivation Study, users said they feel their overall capability to source used vehicles is better than other dealers within their market, and users also claim to have seen a notable increase in the number of used vehicles they have in stock after they started using the product. They also claim that their time to research inventory has decreased since they started using Stockwave.
As a provider of full-service transportation logistics solutions, Ready Logistics tries to simplify the supply chain for dealers and make it easy to move vehicles from point A to point B.
Clients who ship with Ready Logistics can benefit from a fully vetted carrier network, advanced technology that provides transparency and analytics on vehicles in transit.
RunBuggy, a tech platform that connects car shippers and transporters, said Tuesday it has brought on Drivably founder Tyler Hall as a strategic advisor.
In this role, Hall will support RunBuggy’s recent product launches and its plans to expand into Canada.
Hall founded Drivably, which helps dealers buy cars from consumers, in 2018.
ACV purchased the company in 2021, a deal that ultimately closed in February of this year.
Hall now advises and coaches executive teams at high-growth tech companies.
“Out of all the companies involved in vehicle logistics, RunBuggy is the only one that has the technology and team to deliver,” Hall said in a news release.
“I see a lot of automotive companies trying to back into and bolt-on technology as an afterthought, but RunBuggy is a tech company first with a deep bench of talent that truly understands automotive,” he said.
The company recently launched Hitch, a cloud-based transportation management solution, as well as RunBuggOne, which is consumer-focused.
RunBuggy CEO Kevin Malik said in the release, “Tyler is a great addition to our team and will help ensure we stay focused on exceeding the needs of our clients. As we navigate the ever evolving automotive, and broader macro-economic, landscape, we need people like Tyler who will help our team stay the course and make the right decisions.”
Electric vehicles. They’ve dominated discussions in the auto industry as of late, and they are likely posted for growth in coming years.
EV and all the moving parts they entail (charging infrastructure, battery health, range calculation, etc.) have been brought to the forefront, as the energy industry turns away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy resources.
Consumer demand and production are on the rise, but the logistical questions and challenges related to this shift toward EVs are plenty. And one of these is transportation, according to RPM, one of the largest EV transport providers in the market.
RPM has recently partnered with Rivian, an electric vehicle automaker and automotive tech company, to …
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Autosled announced this week that Ric Fleisher, co-founder of Urgently and Merlin Mobility, recently joined the board of advisors of the automotive digital logistics marketplace for retail automotive dealers and transport providers.
Earlier in the year, Autosled closed a $5 million Series A round led by Lyndon Rive and established its board of directors with automotive, mobility tech and logistics expertise. The company said the moves continue its mission to revolutionize the automotive transport marketplace by streamlining the vehicle move process for both shippers and transporters.
Last week, the company launched its in-app turn-by-turn navigation for its mobile transporter application. The commercial-grade GPS software allows drivers to toggle between regular and trucking routes for destinations for both Autosled and outside shipments, as well.
And now the company has the experience and expertise of Fleisher who as co-founder of Urgently, a global mobility and roadside assistance marketplace platform. In that role, Fleisher established partnerships with automotive manufacturers and insurance companies which were instrumental in the company’s success.
Today, Fleisher is co-founder and chief operating officer of Merlin Mobility, an autonomous vehicle company with a focus on advanced driving safety solutions for vehicles nationwide.
He has previously been involved in nine startups across real estate, mobile, location-based services, ID verification, networking hardware, speech, streaming video, collaboration, intelligent agents, and RFID.
In reflecting on his new advisory role, Fleisher said in a news release, “I am very excited to work with the Autosled team. My automotive and two-sided marketplace experience lends itself well to the area of automotive transport. We have a tremendous opportunity to disrupt the space with a superior experience just as Urgently has for roadside assistance.”
Autosled chief executive officer Leon Keshishian added, “We are excited to have Ric’s support and guidance as we build the leading auto transport marketplace. His perspectives on platform technology, customer acquisition, and investor relations are great additions to our team.”
Autosled wants to make sure that truckload of vehicles set to be in your inventory makes its way to your dealership via the most efficient route possible.
On Monday, the automotive digital retail logistics marketplace announced that it has released turn by turn GPS navigation for its mobile transporter application.
The company explained the latest version of Autosled’s Transporter App follows truck routes and includes alternate routes for each load. Transporters can retrieve all relevant details for each vehicle shipment within the mobile application.
With the addition of Autosled’s new turn by turn navigation tools, the company said drivers no longer need to switch between the app and external maps or navigation systems. Transporters can toggle between Autosled’s maps and load details seamlessly.
Autosled mentioned trivers are presented with multiple routes and can confirm their route of choice. The navigation will continue from pickup until vehicle drop off, unless otherwise paused by the driver.
“Ultimately, we want Autosled’s platform to be the easiest, most intuitive way for carriers to be able to find loads and keep their trucks full,” Autosled co-founder and chief financial officer Dan Sperau said in a news release. “Not only is this a benefit for our customers, but it ensures that Autosled’s transporter network wastes as little fuel as possible on each route.
“For carriers, efficiency directly translates to higher profits. Turn-by-turn navigation brings the entire platform together and is an important step towards building a transporter-friendly marketplace,” Sperau continued.
To launch the in-app navigation, users can download the latest version of the free Autosled app from the Google Play or iPhone App Store. Once logged in, users click on the navigation icon in either the Available Loads or My Loads sections of the app.
To launch navigation, users can select whether this is for a vehicle pickup or drop-off before the start and finish addresses auto-populate to calculate the route. Multiple stops can be added along the same route- allowing drivers to stay within the application for all of their pickups and dropoffs.
Voice navigation will direct drivers turn by turn within the Autosled application.
“Autosled’s existing infrastructure allows transporters to deliver vehicles faster,” Autosled chief executive officer Leon Kesheshian said in the news release. “Current processes will only be accelerated by our free, real-time turn by turn navigation. This commercial-grade GPS software allows drivers to toggle between regular and trucking routes, depending on the size of their hauler.
“With the added ability for drivers to input multiple points of pickup or drop-off, Autosled’s transporter network will be able to pivot quickly as new loads are accepted. Now, drivers can not only track Autosled’s shipments, but additional destinations for outside loads as well,” Kesheshian continued. “This is a starting point towards the company’s mission of improving driver capacity, while simultaneously reducing waste.”
For more information, visit www.autosled.com.
RunBuggy gained more financial horsepower this week, as the technology platform that connects car shippers and transporters announced it secured a line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank, providing the company with access to funds that will fuel the growth and retention of its open transportation marketplace.
In January, RunBuggy secured a Series A investment by a syndicate including the Larry H. Miller Co., Porsche Ventures and Hearst Ventures to accelerate market adoption.
To date, RunBuggy said it has signed up more than 17,000 drivers to its platform, delivered to more than 100,000 unique addresses and has reduced the average time to deliver a vehicle by more than 50%.
“This line of credit will allow us to better manage our growing portfolio of receivables and provide additional financial flexibility for a variety of initiatives we have underway to strengthen and expand our marketplace,” RunBuggy vice president finance Jacob Patterson said in a news release.
RunBuggy launched in 2018 with a mission to simplify car shipping. Since then, the company has built one of the world’s largest digitally enabled carrier networks and transformed automotive transportation logistics management for thousands of shippers and haulers.
“RunBuggy has been a leader in transforming automotive transportation logistics management for thousands of shippers and haulers,” said Shane Ballew, director with Silicon Valley Bank’s technology team. “We are excited to expand our relationship with RunBuggy and support their continued growth.”
RunBuggy chief executive officer Kevin Malik added his perspectives, too.
“We are grateful for the expert strategic financial support Silicon Valley Bank is able to offer RunBuggy,” Malik said. “We wanted to work with a firm that has a proven history of working alongside innovators to help build smarter and scale faster. Silicon Valley Bank is a perfect fit.”
To learn more, visit runbuggy.com.
Montway Auto Transport reached 15 years in the third-party logistics and vehicle transportation business on Monday, and the company rolled out campaign that might make 15 clients feel like celebrating, too.
According to a news release, the company is giving 15 randomly selected individuals the chance to receive $150 off their vehicle shipment.
Participants can enter Montway’s 15-year anniversary contest by visiting www.montway.com and booking a vehicle shipment or completing an online entry form for a future booked shipment.
Winners will be selected and notified on or about Thursday.
Montway recapped that it began as a small operation with one full-time employee and has grown into a global leader in automotive transport with more than 400 employees.
Since the company’s founding, it has served over 800,000 customers, including more than 185,000 in 2021 alone; delivered nearly one million vehicles; and received approximately 70,000 online reviews, with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Montway added that it’s also reached 82% year-over-year growth to date.
“We credit our ongoing success to our employees, our carriers and business partners, and all of the customers who have worked with Montway over the years,” said Dimitre Kirilov, president of consumer services at Montway Auto Transport. “I’m in awe of the accomplishments we’ve made throughout our history. It’s important to recognize our evolution as we chart our path forward.
“Part of delivering the five-star experience Montway is known for is being able to anticipate and get ahead of ever-evolving customer expectations,” Kirilov continued in a news release. “We’re constantly updating our technology to improve efficiency, transparency and vehicle tracking, which are fundamental aspects of modernizing and creating a more user-friendly logistics experience for all customers.
“For example, we’ve refined our internal operations for greater clarity of communication and are working towards a single-point-of-contact experience to further streamline the process and improve customer service. It’s innovation like this that makes us a valued partner and helps propel the industry forward,” Kirilov went on to say.
Looking ahead, Montway expects to deliver its 1 millionth vehicle and exceed 75,000 online customer reviews by year’s end, while also reaching its goal of doubling its growth again by 2025.
“Keeping a five-star customer experience as the driving force behind everything we do has set us on the right path from the start and there’s no limit to what we’ll accomplish next,” Kirilov said.
Montway Auto Transport reinforced its leadership team on Tuesday with an executive to oversee the company’s business segment used to serve private individuals.
The third-party logistics brokerage announced the hiring of Erin Almand as vice president of moving and relocation. In this role, Montway said Almand’s focus will be to develop long-term relationships with its moving and relocation partners through innovation, leadership, teamwork and a high level of customer service and satisfaction.
Montway explained through a news release that the pandemic created a new landscape, where working remotely has proven to be a successful, long-term opportunity for millions of Americans who have moved homes since its onset in early 2020. With an increased focus on corporate relocation policies tied to employee satisfaction, Montway highlighted companies are seeking the expertise of an auto relocation expert.
Montway said it has the stability and customer service experience needed to serve relocation management companies and their end customers successfully.
And Almand now will be leading that charge.
“Moving can be a stressful time and I want to do everything possible to make the process easy for both the employer and their transferee,” Almand said in the news release. “Montway is an amazing organization with a customer-centric culture.
“I look forward to building on Montway’s stellar service reputation to continue improving the customer journey while adapting to changing needs as employers continue to evolve to support the demands of a flexible workforce,” she continued.
With 20 years experience in privately-owned vehicle relocation, Almand has an extensive background in sales, service, operations, IT and claims. Prior to joining Montway, she was vice president of business development for CarsArrive Auto Relocation, where she built processes focused on delivering a great customer experience.
Almand also holds seats on several volunteer and industry associations, including:
— Move for Hunger – Corporate Action Network (member)
— American Trucking Associations Moving & Storage Conference Supplier Committee (vice-chair)
— Arizona Moving Association (member at large)
— Corporate Relocation Council Planning Committee (member)
“Erin prioritizes building long-lasting relationships with customers and embodies our mission of delivering a five-star experience to every customer,” said Kaye Ceille, who is president of the business solutions group at Montway Auto Transport.
“As we build our account services team to further personalize our service, her proven and specialized leadership will drive growth in Montway’s moving and relocation sector,” Ceille went on to say.
To learn more about Montway Auto Transport, visit www.montway.com.
Whether you have a fleet of trucks and other vehicles or your daily driver to the auction, dealership or office gets pretty thirsty for fuel after only a couple hundred miles, the rising cost of gasoline and diesel is impacting just about everyone.
Relay Payments acknowledged that some industry experts say that only a recession will reverse the rise in the cost of diesel.
So to help, the digital payment solutions provider for the transportation, logistics and supply chain industries offered some suggestions for transportation and trucking companies as well as advice that might help individuals, too.
“It has to start with the basic blocking and tackling of trucking,” Relay executive vice president Meghann Erhart said. “Understand your market. Run as efficiently as possible. Minimize your empty miles. And pay strict attention to your cash-flow.”
Cash flow management — understanding and staying on top of the in-flow of revenue received and the out-flow of expenses needing to be paid — is essential to the success of any trucking business, according to Erhart.
“Being aware of the ins and outs of your cash flow includes paying attention to the payment terms of each load — knowing when you are going to get your money,” she said. “And it’s about knowing your expenses. Being aware of when your insurance payment is due; when your taxes are due.
“Knowing and planning for these big upcoming bills. You budget for those known expenses, and include some reserve for unplanned expenses, like a repair to get your truck back running. Not every dollar that comes in can be spent without setting aside what you’re going to need to keep the business going,” Erhart continued.
Rising costs are particularly hard on owner operators. Half of single-truck and small fleet owners are considering job changes in the next six-to-twelve months, according to a new survey by Truckstop.com.
Some of those considering a change will close their business and go to work driving for a larger fleet. But many of those who choose to stick it out will succeed through hard work, determination and a strict adherence to good business practices, Erhart said.
“Some very large fleets started out as an owner with one truck,” she said. “And just about every one of them has had to overcome some degree of adversity to succeed. This is an industry full of very determined individuals.”
Relay can help owner operators manage their cash flow and reduce expenses, with solutions to:
—Budget for and keep track of expenses
—Reduce idle time with fast transactions at the shipping dock
—Use a wrapped receipt for a zero-cost lumper payment
—Receive a rebate on every fuel transaction so you don’t have to go out of route looking for a particular brand of fuel
—Get reimbursed for lumper expenses with real-time receipts
—Send invoices out quickly and accurately
“We know the cost of doing business is increasing,” Erhart said. “In addition to providing solutions to save our customers money, Relay is holding our prices stable to support the industry through a difficult time.”
Relay Payments is one of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies for 2022, ranked sixth in finance.
For more information, go to www.relaypayments.com.
