Atlas Amplifier (Winter 2006): Atlas Revs Up - Atlas Van Lines

Cover Story – Atlas AccelAtlas revs up a premium delivery optionfor shipments of household goods.New andFasterPremium Expedited ServiceAn executive based in LosAngeles takes an assignmentin New York City. She needsto relocate immediately to fill atemporary, critical role. Even thoughthe possessions she plans to shipweigh only 3,000 pounds, she finds itwill take three weeks or longer forthem to be delivered.There are many variations on thisscenario. All of them involve acustomer who needs to transportbelongings quickly. Until recently,these customers have had little choicebut to rely on the traditional deliverychannel. But that is rapidly changing.Atlas Introduces Accel During the summer of 2006, Atlasbegan testing Accel, a premiumservice option for expedited delivery.As the name implies, the essence ofAccel is speed.“Our customers told us theywanted a faster delivery option,” saysAtlas Sr. Vice President and ChiefMarketing Officer Greg Hoover. “Sowe developed a solution thatresponds to their request...a swift andpractical alternative to the traditionaltransportation pipeline.”A standardized shipping containerprovides the critical piece in the Accelsolution. The specially designed unitfeatures a 270 cu. ft. capacity. Itsstrong polymer construction gives ita maximum rating of 3600 pounds.The weight when loaded is typicallyaround 1400 pounds. “However,”says Greg, “it’s important to notethat this is not a weight-basedmodel in terms of pricing – it’s aflat ‘per container’ fee.”“The container is also lockableand comes with GPS tracking,” saysGreg, “providing added measuresof confidence for the customer.”The Accel container measures 7.5’long x 6.0’ wide x 8.0’ high–a size thataccommodates most householdfurnishings. For items over 88 incheslong, such as large sofas, customers“OUR CUSTOMERS TOLD USTHEY WANTED A FASTERDELIVERY OPTION.SO WEDEVELOPEDASOLUTION THAT RESPONDSTO THEIR REQUEST.”GREG HOOVERSENIOR VP AND CMOATLAS WORLD GROUPOf course, the containers in the Accel program don’t look as depicted above.But they should.That’s because this newpremium expedited service from Atlasdelivers the most reliably fast service inthe business.The actual containers thatAccel relies upon are standardizedshipping units with a 270 cu. ft. capacityrated for 3600 pounds.The containers arelockable and come with GPS hardwareinstalled to ensure security of contentsduring transit and storage.If you hadsomething thisfast, you’d paintit like this too.2 Atlas Amplifier • Winter 2006Atlas Amplifier • Winter 2006 3