Many dealerships may also sanitize vehicles when they are received, and again before delivery to the customer. Many car dealers are offering other touchless interactions, like live video calls and electronic signatures to seal the deal. Once a car is deemed ready to sell, in addition to hitting the sales floor or lot, it most likely will be featured on the dealer’s website where prospective buyers can view photos, check out and compare car features and schedule a test drive (in many cases the car is brought directly to the customer’s home). Insider’s Note: The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly impacting how auto dealerships currently do business. Once the vehicle is deemed damage free and is thoroughly washed and detailed, it is ready to sell. At this point, the car most likely has only 25 miles or less on the odometer, thanks to a possible quick spin or two at the factory and from moving the car up and down loading ramps and in and out of bays at storage lots.Īfter the car has safely arrived and is unloaded at your local dealership, it is inspected one last time to ensure there are no scratches, dings or dents. Typically, another car hauler will then pick up the vehicle with others heading to the same car dealership. Upon arrival at an auto ramp near its final destination, the new car is then unloaded from the rail car and parked in an assigned bay at a storage lot. Once a vehicle is loaded onto a rail car, auto ramp professionals secure each wheel to the rail car with special straps or chocks to keep it securely in place during transit. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, these professionals also wear masks as a safety precaution. And keeping safety in mind, cars are loaded at a very slow speed to ensure they remain damage free. Vehicles are loaded onto and off of auto racks by portable ramps, which allow vehicles to be driven onto or off the rail car. Vehicle loaded in an auto rack secured with AAR-required chocks Many of these ships are considered “ro-ro” ships, with ramps that allow cars to easily roll on and roll off the vessel for easy loading and unloading, and consist of several decks to fit as many cars as possible. These vessels are typically built to carry up to 8,500 vehicles at once and are chartered by automakers to deliver their vehicles to ports, usually on the East and West Coasts. If the car happened to be manufactured at a plant outside of North America, it most likely would travel by ocean liner to a port in the U.S. Just like in the U.S., production is slowly making a comeback overseas. Automakers are doing everything they can to keep their workers safe, including doing temperature checks, spreading out individual work areas, requiring face shields and gloves, installing transparent curtains, introducing sanitization stations throughout the workplace and adjusting schedules to ensure employees are social distancing. Insider’s Note: Many auto manufacturing plants may look a little bit different these days due to new safety precautions put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. After the final touches are in place, the car is ready to begin its journey to the dealership. In an effort to avoid potential damage, some vehicles are even wrapped in protective material called “wrap guard” to protect them and prevent scratches along the way. Vehicle processing typically takes place at the beginning of the car’s journey, but sometimes it is completed later on in the transportation process on its way to the dealership. Once a car rolls off the assembly line at the manufacturing plant, there is a good chance it goes through one final inspection and on to “vehicle processing” - otherwise known as installation of upgraded options, like technology, safety features and special additions, like splash guards and “underglow” lighting.
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