Murray: DOD should reevaluate vehicle shipment contract

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) expressed concerned about delays service members have experienced while waiting for their cars to be shipped after changing stations. 

“Moving a family from one continent to another is stressful enough, and it is completely unacceptable that our servicemembers and their families have to deal with the additional burden of not knowing where their vehicle is or when it will arrive,” Murray wrote in a letter to General Paul Selva, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command.

{mosads}Selva’s department has contracted with International Auto Logistics (IAL) to move military members’ personal vehicles during change-of-stations. Murray said she has received several complaints about IAL’s poor performance from constituents — Washington is home to Joint Base Fort Lewis-McCord, one of the largest military bases in the United States. 

Murray said IAL’s failures have forced service members to pay for rental cars, which later have to be reimbursed.

“I write to express my concern with the ongoing failure of International Auto Logistics (IAL), whose contract you supervise, to provide servicemembers with their vehicles in a timely and transparent manner,” the letter stated. “I expect IAL’s poor performance thus far will be fully considered when you determine whether or not to renew their contract, or to terminate the current contract.”

Under the contract, IAL was expected to deliver 98 percent of the vehicles on time and provide a website where service members could track the status of their car’s relocation. But Murray said only 20 percent of the cars have been delivered on time and the website isn’t fully operational.

She demanded an answer from Selva on what would be done ensure the “inexcusable performance” isn’t repeated if and when a new contractor takes over.