In Depth – Page 39
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FeatureAll mixed up: the impact of the SUV trend on European car carriers
Volumes of finished vehicles may have recovered from the recession, but users and manufacturers of car transporters are now having to handle a very different array of vehicles, including larger and heavier models – with implications for capacity utilisation
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AnalysisA special case: how Russia hopes to boost local production with investment contracts
Russia is attempting to boost tier supplier capacity via contracts with OEMs and logistics subsidies for parts makers, but it is unclear how successful this will be
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FeatureMotoring on: Brazil’s heavyweight OEMs prepare for growth
Brazilian truck and bus sales picked up strongly last year following the country’s long recession, and now both OEMs and logistics providers are hoping the trend continues
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AnalysisMarket sharing: New rental platform for underused trucks
Uber and Airbnb have led the way in the sharing economy, but Ryder has now launched an asset-sharing platform for commercial vehicles
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FeatureWhy all eyes are on Israel for AI
In the race to perfect autonomous driving, Israel has proven to be a hotspot of technological innovation – driven, in part, by its military expertise and surveillance tools
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FeatureDelivering a smarter factory
Magna Steyr’s vehicle assembly plant in the Austrian city of Graz is not a typical automotive factory; the site, which in 2018 brought its cumulative total production tally to 3.5m vehicles, produces vehicles under contract for OEMs such as Daimler, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover. Efficiency is important in any ...
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FeatureFlight club: Why more logistics operations are signing up to drone technology
Impressive advancements have been made in drone technology over the last few years and many believe that drones will play a key role in the logistics of the future, for internal business functions as well as deliveries to consumers. In fact, NASA estimates that there will be 7m drones in ...
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FeatureChallenging times for US car carriers
Despite some recent legislative wins on permissible overhangs, rig length and adaptable trailers, the US car-carrier sector continues to face a number of operational challenges, including a capacity squeeze, more demanding customers and downward price pressure
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FeatureWorking together to drive out disruption
In the context of testing trade relations and new technology in supply chains, finished vehicle logistics providers need to work out how to position themselves for the future, delegates heard at April’s FVL North America conference in Huntington Beach, California
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FeatureToyota North America: Breaking down supply chain barriers
Toyota is realigning its production and service parts organisation by integrating its inbound and aftermarket supply chain departments into a new division called PDAD. Group vice-president of the new division, Alok Vaish, explains the thinking behind it
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FeatureA transformation for China's automotive landscape
Carmakers, logistics providers and tier suppliers joined the heads of China’s leading trade associations in Shanghai this year to assess the sweeping changes taking place in the country’s automotive market. As regulators seek to support business during the slowdown, trade upheaval continues but so does the growth in digitalisation and ...
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FeatureUS car market stable as trade and tech change
George Peterson, president of analyst firm Auto Pacific The US economy is in good health, consumer confidence is high and vehicle sales are expected to total 16.6m this year, delegates were told at this week’s Finished Vehicle Logistics North America conference. The bad news is that the ...
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FeatureExpress rail deliveries increase along Silk Road
Since it was first announced by China’s president Xi Jinping in 2013, the comprehensive international trade and infrastructure plan now known as the Belt and Road Initiative has quickly crossed a number of milestones in its development of services by land and sea. Currently around 65 countries are involved (152 ...
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FeatureChina's automotive market heads for change
China’s economy is entering a new phase of steady rather than rapid expansion and the automotive industry may have to accept that the days of exponential growth could be at an end, delegates were told at this month’s (April) Automotive Logistics Global Shanghai conference. Yet GDP remains relatively high – ...
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FeatureDrewry warns of Trump trade tariffs
Proposed US automotive tariffs would have a negative impact on east-west trade routes as American imports of finished vehicles and automotive parts would likely decrease in 2020 and 2021, according to a white paper published last week by Drewry. Specialist car carriers and leading container lines will suffer, along with ...
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FeatureReality check: How AR can improve efficiency in logistics
A growing number of companies in the automotive industry are embracing the use of augmented and virtual reality technology for tasks such as part picking and inventory management, as well as for training. We look at some of the latest applications
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FeatureStill got it: How reuse and recycling can give EV batteries a new lease of life
As the EV trend continues, it raises the question of what to do with their hazardous lithium-ion batteries once they have reached the end of their useful life. Options include reuse and recycling, but both of these require special expertise in reverse logistics
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FeatureFord Europe packaging: Heading to the pool
Ford’s Kuly Malka has overseen a transformation in the carmaker’s European packaging and container management
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FeatureTrust in Turkey: How exports are carrying the country through its economic crisis
Turkey faces some difficult economic headwinds that have already impacted on its automotive industry. But there are still several reasons for optimism, especially the country’s strength as a vehicle export hub with easy access to the European market
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FeatureGovernment support vital to UK leading connected vehicles
A new report published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and industry analyst Frost & Sullivan has revealed that the UK is the top location worldwide for the development of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Government and industry have committed £500m to CAV research and development, a ...