For fleet managers, unplanned railcar downtime often means juggling frustration, unexpected costs, and operational delays. In today’s fast-paced logistics world, keeping your fleet available for service is critical. That’s where the TransmetriQ Shop Locator comes in, a new tool designed to revolutionize how railcar owners, lessors, and shippers tackle unplanned repairs. With its innovative features, the Shop Locator empowers fleet managers to minimize downtime and get cars back in service faster.
The Challenge with Traditional Repair Processes
Managing railcar repairs when a car is out of network has traditionally been a time-intensive task. Many fleet managers rely on a mix of internet searches, emails, and phone calls to find repair shops—a process that can stretch out-of-service time by days.
“Fleet managers must consider shop capabilities, transportation costs, and labor rates,” says Gregg Phillips, Product Manager at TransmetriQ. “These factors can make finding the right shop manually a lengthy process.”
TransmetriQ's Shop Locator, showing instant search results for railcar repair shops based on location and repair needs.
How the Shop Locator Simplifies Repairs
Shop Locator provides an all-in-one tool for locating and contacting shops, tracking estimates, and comparing quotes. By streamlining these activities, Shop Locator significantly reduces railcar downtime—cutting repair turnaround times by days in many cases.
Key Features of the Shop Locator Tool
- Shop Matching: Identifies repair shop options based on the car's current location, serving railroad, and repair needs.
- Quote Requests: Initiates shopping requests, incorporating railcar health alerts and service needs.
- Quote Comparison: Provides side-by-side quote comparisons to help fleet managers make informed decisions.
- Document Sharing: Allows users to upload documents or pictures directly within the request for quotes.
- Shop Portal: Enables repair shops to submit quotes and estimates through a user-friendly portal.
- Automated Audits: Audits repair estimates once a car has been inspected at the shop.
“With more than 1.6 million freight cars in service across North America, reducing out-of-service time has a measurable impact on supply chain efficiency,” Phillips adds.
Beyond Repairs: A Smarter Approach to Fleet Management
Shop Locator doesn’t just reduce downtime; it helps fleet managers take advantage of opportunistic repairs—identifying and addressing issues before they lead to unexpected service disruptions. By integrating repair scheduling with fleet health alerts, the tool optimizes shop trips, cutting costs and boosting utilization.
A Commitment to Innovation
The Shop Locator reflects TransmetriQ’s dedication to enhancing freight rail’s efficiency and sustainability. “This solution is part of our broader effort to partner with car owners, lessors, shippers, and railroads to expand the use of freight rail—the safest, greenest mode of transportation,” says Mika Majapuro, Vice President of TransmetriQ.
For more tools like this, explore TransmetriQ’s suite of rail management solutions, including railcar lease management and rail shipment tracking.