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Company: Most cars for relocated troops delivered on time this month

 
Published Aug. 22, 2014

The company under fire for severe problems in a program that ships the personal vehicles of U.S. troops and civilian defense personnel says it is on track to deliver 90 percent of the cars it is handling on time.

The catch: That figure includes only vehicles shipped since Aug. 1.

And this percentage, released by International Auto Logistics of Brunswick, Ga., is still far short of the contractually required 98 percent on-time delivery rate mandated by U.S. Transportation Command.

Amanda Nunez, an IAL spokeswoman, provided the figure late Thursday after a request for comment by the Tampa Bay Times on figures released by the military showing that the company had delivered just 7,987 vehicles to customers out of the 27,358 dropped off for delivery since May 1.

Another 2,250 await pick-up by customers, many of whom complain IAL does not notify them when the cars are ready.

And of those vehicles still in transit, the military says, 70 percent will be delivered late.

IAL was a company that did not exist two months before it filed a bid on a government contract potentially worth $919 million. It wrested the contract away from a New Jersey firm, American Auto Logistics, with a bid that was $38 million lower than AAL's.

IAL took over the contract on May 1. Ever since, hundreds of customers have complained about cars that are delivered weeks, and even months, late.

The service is offered to troops and defense workers who are relocating, usually to and from overseas.

Contact William R. Levesque at levesque@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3432.