The vehicle supply chain in North America has been whipped into a perfect storm in recent years. Long-standing issues such as driver and labour shortages, underinvestment and a lack of visibility combined with logistics capacity shortages, reduced services levels and increased fragmentation, all of which further contributed to volatile, variable production. These operational challenges are more pronounced as the industry moves towards a greener, digital and electric future.

However, the pace of change in the industry is fast, but by no means certain and monolithic. The pace of electrification is fast, but varied and in some markets uncertain. Logistics capacity shortages have been pronounced, especially for certain rail and port services, but continues to evolve across the network.

From business models to equipment, processes to technology, footprint to network design, the vehicle supply chain needs to be redesigned and updated to avoid becoming outdated, with carmakers and logistics providers falling behind customer expectations – and new competition.

In the opening session of FVLNA 2024, hear from leading carmakers how vehicle logistics needs to be re-imagined and why manufacturers and logistics providers must disrupt the status quo, and be innovative with strategies and solutions, create dynamic operations, ensure quality is maintained and drive untapped value from long-term partnerships to raise the network’s performance.

In 2023, the Volkswagen Group’s vehicle logistics team in North America recognised a need for change. The models and methods that had served the industry for decades were no longer fit for purpose and were under-delivering on network availability, fulfilment rates, service levels and lengthening lead-times.

In this unique session, hear how Volkswagen Group of America is re-imagining its North American vehicle supply chain and how the outbound logistics team have implemented new strategies and tactics to secure capacity, improve regional network planning, increase flexibility and enable market and customer prioritisation to better serve the business. Learn about new approaches to securing and managing rail capacity, being flexible with car haul volumes, managing volumes across the US and Mexico, as well as further enhancing port and terminal networks.

Carmakers across the region are uniting in their call for partners and providers to invest in new equipment, more capacity and high-performance services, making the need to understand and plan for the current and future market trends, disruptions and opportunities all the more important. In this session, leading market analysts will detail North America’s short, medium and long term production and sales volumes, and offer insight on new and used vehicle sales prices, inventory levels, ICE and EV volumes, online sales and economic trends that will shape the automotive sector in the years to come.

In this session hear how manufacturers, such as Nissan, are taking extraordinary measures to keep finished vehicles flowing in and out of Mexico, including through major network redesigns, chartering ocean carriers and seeking alternative routes by truck and containers. Understand how OEMs are working with carriers, ports and railroads to secure capacity, reduce dwell times and increase throughput velocity in the immediacy and plan for growth and stability in the long run. 

Vehicle logistics visibility has progressed over the past decade, from spreadsheet tracking to ePOD to using more real-time location data, including carrier telematics. However, the sharing and use of granular tracking still lags inbound and material logistics, even as inventory and logistics capacity volatility underscore the benefits of real-time updates across transit and accurate ETAs. Platforms to share this data are now more common, but why do compliance and uptake vary so widely across carriers?

In this workshop, join Ford to discuss current requirements for sharing telematics data, learn more about the advantages and opportunities in shared data platforms on in-transit updates, and come ready to share what your company needs to help improve end-to-end vehicle logistics visibility.

During this interactive workshop expect to discuss and learn:

• What OEMs like Ford expect from carriers in terms of sharing telematics and milestone data in vehicle logistics
• How telematics compliance feeds into logistics planning, from carrier sourcing to network design
• Opportunities in geofencing, granular tracking through to dynamic ETA updates
• Using technology and visibility to benefit drivers
• What helps and hinder carriers and brokers to share visibility

More than a decade into North America’s electric vehicle revolution, uncertainty still shrouds the vehicle logistics network, with a lack of industrywide standards and best practises, including for minimum state of charge (SOC) for vehicle shipping. As established and new OEMs forge their EV futures, disparities in technical guidelines and logistics methodologies being implemented are growing, even between carmaker brands, adding complexity for logistics carriers, ports and terminals, railroad operators and others, and causing uncertainty and delay when it comes to investment in charging infrastructure and solutions throughout the network.

In this interactive workshop, led by EV logistics expert Amy Paulsen, hear from experts, share your ideas and learn from peers as the group discusses:

• Minimum SOC charge requirements for over-the-air software updates, differing transport modes, plant to port vs port to dealer
• Battery degradation, tracking and maintaining charge levels, vehicle storage and flat battery solutions
• EV charging infrastructure and equipment capabilities throughout the network
• Overcoming legacy infrastructure barriers to EV specific upgrades

Crises breeds innovation, and just as well in today’s highly complex, disrupted and volatile landscape. The Vehicle Logistics Innovation Showcase will highlight a selection of the newest and most exciting game-changing technologies and innovative services and solutions supporting the industry navigate today’s headwinds and tomorrow’s complexities.

Uncertainty and volatility across vehicle distribution have only reinforced the need for a vehicle logistics network built on strong partnerships that includes open communication and flexibility. Meanwhile, a strong network requires a mix of modes, locations and carriers to meet changing requirements, including new technology and sustainability. In this session, logistics leaders will discuss how they are working with logistics providers to build ‘win-win’ partnerships, foster investment in capacity and efficient fleets, as well as to diversify logistics, processing, and distribution options across North America. Understand more about how OEMs and their partners can build upon mutual strengths and increase flexibility across vehicle logistics, whilst investing in a long-term future.

California is not only the largest vehicle market in the US, but also among North America’s most important trade and logistics hubs, with major ports, highway and rail links, and cross-border trade with Mexico. The state is also a leader in sustainable transport and freight, including EVs, hydrogen trucks and ambitious emission targets in ports. But there are also challenges in congestion and costs, with wider questions over infrastructure investment. How can California maintain its advantage, and keep freight and vehicle logistics competitive and sustainable?

Learn more about freight policy and infrastructure investment at the state and federal level in this keynote with Christine Casey, Deputy Secretary for Freight Policy at CalSTA. She will share insight into policies relevant to automotive freight and vehicle logistics, including investment that will drive emission reduction, ease logistics and increase efficiency across road, port, rail and trade flows.

The Deputy Secretary will also delve into the state’s freight plans, especially with a view to maintain supply chain resilience, and further develop charging and fuelling infrastructure for increased electric vehicles and trucks, hydrogen equipment and other alternative fuels across logistics hubs.

Deputy Secretary Casey will take audience questions and explore how ways that key industry such vehicle logistics can engage further with CalSTA and key stakeholders across the logistics chain in California and beyond.

Over the past year, fierce competition for logistics capacity along with increased transit times for shipping and rail services had forced many carmakers across North America to take measures that increased handling and potential for damage, including using temporary storage capacity, adopting new solutions including cars in containers, and different modes of transport and equipment not always optimised for vehicle logistics. Such measures, taken at fast pace, have in some cases impacted quality levels and increased damage rates.

Join this session to understand how carmakers, logistics providers and damage and repair specialists are putting more focus on quality standards, innovating by using technology to mitigate damage issues, and to design networks for reduced vehicle handling. Learn more about the steps they are taking to prioritise the level of quality standards as the network begins to flow more freely.

At a time when near-instant solutions are required, the growing importance of and opportunities to digitalise vehicle logistics processes and operations has never been higher. From streamlining inventory to vehicle tracking to improving production pipeline and sales visibility, data and digital platforms are helping logistics leaders and providers ease congestion and maximise the network’s capacity and ability to deliver. Join this session to hear industry experts and technology specialists are delving into the groundbreaking capabilities and innovative tools providing end-to-end transparency of the supply chain and data in real-time, and understand the real-world applications enabling North America’s carmakers to speed up decision making and operate increasingly dynamic networks.

Equip yourself with the latest intelligence and knowledge surrounding the government policies and industry advocacy activities shaping the present day and future motor vehicle and heavy-duty truck transporter sector. In this session, Mike Matousek, Director of the Automobile Carriers Conference of the American Trucking Associations will explain how associations, like the ATA, are bridging the gap between industry and government and will provide key updates and insight on important matters relating to vehicle weight limits, load capacity, warning flag waivers, and federal excise tax on new equipment.

North America’s long-term production footprint is evolving with new manufacturing hubs in the US emerging and Mexico in particular growing in strategic importance, shifting the longer-term trade lane requirements of new and established OEMs. At the same time, a rise in imports from key markets – including from Asia – is putting more capacity constraints and bottlenecks at ports, railheads and border crossings. These changes are forcing carmakers to redesign their immediate supply chains.

Join this session to understand how carmakers are taking a holistic approach to network design to ease congestions and create extra capacity and are working with new and existing logistics partners to keep the vehicles moving via new flows and alternative transport modes.

The industry is at a critical juncture, undergoing profound change and disruption in equal measure, and today’s logistics leaders face the ultimate challenge of raising performance levels and controlling rising costs and demands, whilst forging new strategies and technology-powered organisations to align with the industry’s transformation and far-horizon targets.

The stakes have never been higher with the need for investment in equipment, talent and future proof technology immediate, alongside the real risk of falling behind if the foundations for electrification and decarbonised supply chains are not yet in place.

The final session of FVLNA will be a dynamic exchange in a creative format, encouraging debate and discussion between our guest speakers and audience members, exploring how logistics leaders are turning planning and collaboration into action and success, maximising innovation, flexibility and partnerships to raise performance levels across their teams and network, whilst also defining the strategies that will serve the future needs of the market.