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Smart MoveAtlasSmartvault®Grabs Attention of U.S. MilitaryDoes the SmartVault® have the stuffto meet tough military duty?Uncle Sam wanted to know. So, last September,the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command(SDDC) put the Atlas container through a barrage oftests. The answer was a resounding yes.“We had originally submitted the SmartVault forconsideration in 2009,” says Vice President of AgencyDevelopment Steve Hermann, who administered theapplication process as interim director with Smart Move.“Initially, it performed well in every test except thewater spray.” In this test, water is sprayed on the doorcontinuously for 20 minutes.So, Atlas engineered improvements to the door sealand resubmitted the SmartVault in October 2010.“With our reengineered seal, there was no leakage.This has to be reassuring to anyone who moves…especially if you’re shipping a leather sofa or brandnew plasma TV.”In January, the SDDC notified Atlas by letter of thenew results. The SmartVault was officially the firstplastic container approved for the military’s Code 2(containerized) shipments. The approval also coversstorage applications.“We have essentially provided the military with aweather-resistant container for moving and storage,”says Steve.Competitive Implications“The military testing shows the SmartVault is a superiorcontainer for safety and security,” says Smart MoveNational Sales Manager Todd Russell. “We expect it toperform extremely well for service personnel, with highlevels of satisfaction.”“Customer satisfaction levels are key,” says Todd,“because they account for 50 percent of the “best value”rating the military assigns to carriers.” These ratingsinform and influence carrier selection via the DP3procurement system, a new process for allocating andmanaging traffic. In other words, customer satisfactioncorrelates directly with volume.The SmartVault’s performance also bodes well forinroads with the military’s PPM (personally procuredmove) segment. “Move management counselors atJPPSO (Joint Personal Property Shipping Office) are moreapt to recommend a company they have confidencein,” says Todd. “We are actively soliciting them for theirreferrals and recommendations.”Bring on the Busy SeasonThe military’s green light for Smart Move couldn’t comeat a better time. All indications point to a huge yearahead for military household goods shipments.“The approval of SmartVaults by the military willundoubtedly help us to meet their demand,” says CEOGregg Imlach, Imlach & Collins Brothers, LLC (1132).“Containerized shipping will only grow in importance forthe military, and for many other customers as well.”“We’re seeing a surge in requests for Smart Movepricing among national accounts,” says Todd. “Moreand more, corporate customers are finding Smart Movegives them a valuable option to expedite employeerelocations…no more than ten days coast-to-coastversus weeks for a traditional move. The savings in perThe Atlas SmartVault® Reports for Duty. Shake It. Drop It. Spray It. Military testing subjected theAtlas SmartVault to rough handling in extremes of heat and cold. With a test load of 2,066 pounds, typical weightfor real-world moves, the Atlas SmartVault passed a series of 10 gritty performance tests. The same SmartVaultwas used throughout, leaving no doubt of the container’s fitness to serve. Atlas is poised to answer Smart Movecustomers with SmartVaults in major markets across the U.S.diem alone can more than justify the cost differential.”Todd says the Smart Move team is in the processof developing new sales support tools. The AtlasWeb Traffic team continues to enhance content onGoSmartMove.com for greater search relevance. Bannerlinks let agents create a presence on their website togenerate leads using an Atlas online estimating tool. It’sall designed to make it easier for agents to bring SmartMove profitably into their service mix.“Smart Move allows the Atlas agent to add valuewith a unique service,” says Todd. “It provides a point ofdifferentiation and a competitive advantage. Now, withthe military’s own tests to back it up, the SmartVaultcan legitimately claim to be the toughest moving andstorage container on the market.”22Atlas Amplifier • Summer 2011Atlas Amplifier • Summer 2011 23