Transcom to Examine Vehicle Staging Facilities

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2014 – The commander of U.S. Transportation Command has directed that site survey teams be sent to privately owned vehicle staging facilities next week as part of a series of steps to restore the confidence of service members and their families in the POV shipping process.

The site survey teams will focus on verifying the location of service members’ vehicles in the POV supply chain and observe and evaluate location capacity concerns, according to a Transcom release.

These actions will be taken as a result of information gathered during multiple site visits by Transcom representatives, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Guemmer, Transcom’s POV fusion cell team leader.

After visits to several vehicle staging facilities by senior members of Transcom, and a review of figures provided by International Auto Logistics, the fusion cell determined it would be necessary to significantly increase oversight of the contract transition, Guemmer said.

The site survey teams will be at the vehicle staging facilities for about a week to gather additional data regarding contract performance.

The information gathered by the teams will help Transcom validate IAL’s data and develop a better understanding of the company’s supply chain. “The teams will not be doing IAL’s job, but [will] provide additional contractual oversight, which is a function of contract administration,” Guemmer explained.

Transcom’s increased focus on IAL’s supply chain and its contract compliance will lead to more accurate information for service members. Better data will lead to better accountability.

This latest action reinforces Transcom’s long-standing commitment to service members and their families, the release said.

Military moves are stressful enough, Guemmer said, and service members must have the most accurate information possible about their vehicles and a concrete plan to move those vehicles to their final destinations.

“We have service members waiting on delivery of their vehicles past the required delivery dates, and it is unacceptable. Their issue is our issue. We are treating each service member’s vehicle as it were our own,” Guemmer said.