SmartPhone, GPS and Huntin' Cars

Just a little FYI to you folks that deal with retrieving vehicles at auto auctions.

As you may know, many of these auctions have subscribed to "AuctionTrac" for locating vehicles on the auction lot. ADESA and Manheim both have such capabilities and have had for some time now but Manheim may be using another system...not sure on that because they are not mentioned in the below news. I spoke with an AuctionTrac guy last year and told them about the transporters troubles when it comes to locating vehicles and he assured me they were aware of it. However, he couldn't provide anything further without the auction's agreements. I never could understand why the auction would not allow transporters to access this section of their site when it would be so easy and helpful to retrieving the car and getting the trucks out of the lot and on the way to their dealers. Helpful...did I say that? That may be the reason the auction folks didn't want to give it up. In light of most previous actions and determinations as to where to put the loading areas for trucks, it seems the really smart people in the office believe that they should place the SOLD vehicles exactly the farthest distance away from where they place the truck loading areas...sometimes in another zip code. And then they post a stupid letter on the guard shack stating that YOU, the driver/transporter, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCATING YOUR DEALERS CARS !!! And that they WILL ONLY LOOK UP 5 VIN'S. It's AuctionTrac (or similar) software that they use to look up those locations. This idea was a match made in carhauler heaven but somebody with half a brain decided not to let the transporters have access to it, presumably because it should be that way and it may make a carhauler's life a little easier. You're still hoofin' the cars out a mile or more away...you would just know exactly where you are hoofin' 'em from now rather than rambling all over the places they were supposed to be parked.

Dec 21, 2011...Version 1.0 of the AuctionTrac Transporter app for the iPhone smartphone is released. Claims that vehicle locations will be provided within 15 feet of the last scanned location at 24 ADESA locations and now you, Mr Transporter, will have access to it. By mid-summer 2012, all ADESA locations will have this capability. For now the app is free and Android is coming but today, only iPhone and the Apple eaters can get at it.

http://appshopper.com/business/auctiontrac-transporter

and

http://support.auctiontrac.com/transporter/

Now...Thank me and offer to pull my next 10 cars out of the auction and up to my skids when you see me at the auction. And FYI...I always back that first one on...