Monroe Truck Equipment, Inc.

UPS Automotive Industry Solutions makes the supply chain visible

Monroe Truck Equipment, Inc. (MTE), was founded in 1958 and has grown to eight locations throughout the Midwest.  They process in excess of 18,000 vehicles annually by converting chassis/cabs into:

• dump trucks
• platform vehicles
• snowplow trucks
• utility and service trucks
• firefighting equipment
• armored vehicles
• and custom Commercial applications    

Traditionally, shipped vehicles could take several weeks to reach customers.  In most cases, those customers need the specialized vehicles as soon as possible, so any and all time-saving options are vigorously explored.

"It's critical for our customers to get their vehicles on time because time is money," says Terri Titas, MTE National Account Manager.  "Prior to my work experience at MTE, I turned to UPS Automotive Industry Solutions, a UPS division dedicated to finished vehicle distribution. A team from UPS worked with me to improve vehicle distribution through all modes of transportation, including drive-aways, carhauls and rail.  This reduced vehicle transit time to five-to-ten days, instead of several weeks. Each unit can be tracked online directly to the end-customer, through each segment of the distribution network."

"We scanned the vehicle and put it on the transport. Then, it was scanned at every stop," Titas says. "Before, when anyone ordered a truck and requested a status report, we were sometimes without the necessary information. Then we started using UPS Automotive Industry Solutions, and knew the exact status of every vehicle moving through the network instantly. Accountability in our industry is critical and UPS is leaps and bounds above the competition."   

"UPS Automotive Industry Solutions' good relationship with the railroads also provided access to potential freight savings by moving more vehicles on rail. Through UPS, a 22 percent overall transportation cost reduction was realized.  In addition, the customers experienced a savings between 10 and 25 percent in transportation costs. Personnel can use UPS's online services to get instant vehicle shipping quotes and information for inquiring customers.  All in all, UPS provides a valuable service to both the upfitter and the end-user or dealer."