Doing Much More Than Just Moving Cars

In the business of transporting vehicles, you have to do more than just move cars.

That is what Bob Smith and Rich Dennis had in mind when they started the company AmeriFleet, a "driveway" and "truckaway" company headquartered in Atlanta.

Like other driveway companies, AmeriFleet will pick up vehicles for a business in one area of the country and move them to another area. Fleet management companies PHH Vehicle Management Services, ARI, GE Capital Fleet Services, Wheels, Donlen, and US Fleet Leasing are among AmeriFleet's clients. Fleet clients include Siemens Medical Systems, Progressive Insurance, AT&T, American Express, Chevron, and Lucent Technologies.

But AmeriFleet offers other services such as in-service maintenance and detailing before the vehicles are delivered, license and title work when vehicles are moved to different states, and AmeriFleet has its own primary insurance coverage, which pays if AmeriFleet is involved in an accident with the vehicles.

"Moving cars is one thing, but you have to offer ancillary services in order to really be of great help to your clients," said Smith, who was previously franchise manager of another driveway company.

Eastman Kodak is an example. The company recently experienced various personnel changes, and vehicles needed to be moved. Eastman Kodak gave its fleet management company, Wheels, the assignment of rounding up more than 75 vehicles, bringing them to certain locations, and storing them there until they were re-assigned. Wheels gave AmeriFleet instructions to pick up each vehicle, and AmeriFleet stored some in Atlanta, Philapdelphia, Chicago, and other areas. Wheels began to reassign the vehicles, and if the vehicles needed services, AmeriFleet did the maintenance, detailed the vehicles and delivered them to the new drivers.

Technology Used to Improve Driveway Service

AmeriFleet clients can get quotes for services back instantly by e-mailing [email protected]. Clients can also phone or fax requests for quotes. Clients can also place orders for services at [email protected] or by visiting the website at www.amerifleet.com. Clients visiting the Website can get instant status on vehicles and can exchange information electronically, such as billing information.

AmeriFleet also uses software to coordinate the movement of its drivers. Coordinating the coming and going of drivers can be challenging when 100 of them may be on the road at one time. So the company uses software to provide access to where each vehicle is at a given time. "It allows us to guarantee that we can pick up any vehicle in the lower 48 states within 48 hours," Smith said.