North America
A capacity crisis in container shipping
The awakening of global manufacturing from a Covid-induced coma has coincided with the usual holiday season rush and a move away from the just-in-time delivery model to produce a nightmare peak season that’s making replenishing stock in the automotive industry a Herculean task. Illya Verpraet and Christopher Ludwig report.
Gutierrez appointed co-CEO at RPM and plans further growth in Europe
Sergio Gutierrez has been promoted to global co-CEO at freight and finished vehicle delivery company RPM Freight Systems. He also retains his position as president of RPM Europe, a role he has held since August 2019.
Watch: Supply Chain Update – coronavirus crisis impacts and US election implications (EP.1)
Automotive Logistics’ Livestream Hour season 2 kicks off with the latest forecasts on global vehicle production, a review of supply chain trends and insight into what the US presidential election results could mean for the sector.
GM restarts Corvette assembly after supply shortage
General Motors has confirmed that it restarted production of the Corvette sports car in Kentucky on Monday after a week of shutdowns that resulted from parts shortages.
EV start-up Arrival to build microfactory in South Carolina
Arrival, the start-up that plans to build electric commercial vehicles in what it calls ‘microfactories’, has announced its first US production location in York County, South Carolina. It has also raised $118m from funds managed by BlackRock.
RK Logistics expands warehousing for automotive and semiconductor industries
RK Logistics Group is expanding operations at two sites in the South Bay area of San Francisco to support the automotive and semiconductor equipment sectors in the region and will add a new 9,300 sq.m site in the first quarter of 2021 for existing and new clients.
Toyota supply chain management VP Pflughaupt retires, replaced by Keith Robertson
Randy Pflughaupt is retiring as Toyota North America’s group vice president of supply chain management after 38 years at the company. He will be replaced by Keith Robertson.
VW begins shipping finished vehicles from Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico to California
Volkswagen and Audi have begun shipping Mexican-made cars headed for the US, from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas to California.
Can Tesla shift the balance of EV battery and cell supply chains away from China?
At Tesla’s recent Battery Day presentation, the company promised to shake up its battery supply chains by moving into cell production and even the mining of raw material, but how realistic are these targets?
DHL moves into North American finished vehicle logistics with Manheim partnership
Manheim auctions’ logistics arm has partnered with DHL Supply Chain to manage its order management, load and route planning and dispatching of vehicles. This also constitutes a first foray into finished vehicle logistics for DHL in North America.
Watch: Why Volvo’s Martin Corner thinks there has never been a more exciting time for automotive logistics
Volvo Cars’ head of global logistics thinks the supply chain has a long way to go to match the digital, visibility and flexibility requirements of the automotive sector, but he also tells the audience of Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live that electrification and new distribution models provide an opportunity for positive transformation.
Watch: Redefining sustainable automotive supply chains
Manufacturers and logistics providers are increasingly putting sustainability at the heart of their supply chain networks. In this panel at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, learn how Kuehne + Nagel and CSR Europe are driving a greener, socially, and environmentally responsible future.
Watch: Scaling up battery and electric vehicle supply chains
Sales and production for electric vehicles are growing fast, as new vehicle and battery plants come on line. In this panel discussion at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, global experts from Volvo Cars, Gefco and Maersk share insights on the logistics challenges and advantages in building efficient and nimble EV supply chains.
Watch: How Daimler digitalised its damage claims process for vehicle logistics
In a case study presentation at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, Dr Monica Schmickler explains Mercedes-Benz’s new global quality management system, Q.DOME, and how the carmaker is gaining more visibility and data over vehicle transport damage in its global distribution network.
Watch: Optimising supply chain demand and capacity planning
Manufacturers are facing recovering but uncertain automotive demand, while limits in ocean and air freight capacity risk disruption and cost increeses. In this session at Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live, experts from Toyota North America, Adient and CNW discuss strategies for improving demand forecasting and network planning across transport modes.
Watch: Accelerating digital transformation
The coronavirus crisis has in many cases forced companies to speed up the use of digital tools and processes across their operations, while also exposing digital gaps. In this session, supply chain leaders from agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO, and start-up EV OEM Nio, share insight into how their companies are already using enhanced connectivity, big data and even artificial intelligence to improve the supply chain.
Watch: How to improve agility and flexibility in finished vehicle logistics
While vehicle logistics faces ongoing challenges in managing capacity utilisation and visibility, this panel from Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live points to key strategies from FCA North America, Hyundai Glovis and CFR Rinkens for improving load factors and responding to customer needs.
Watch: Supply chain leadership in a time of adversity
Hear how senior executives from Volkswagen Group, FCA, Visteon and Gefco have adapted strategies, processes and communication to support manufacturing and logistics operations and teams during the crisis.
Watch: North America automotive market resilient but faces long recovery
The North American market has recovered faster than some expected, but Eaton analyst Brandon Mason predicts uncertain times ahead for the supply chain, with restrained sales in the coming years and ongoing localisation of vehicle production in the region. Watch this in-depth presentation from Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live.
Watch: Rethinking vehicle logistics network design and optimisation in North America
OEMs like Nissan and Volkswagen are working with logistics specialists like Jack Cooper and Inform to deliver the recovery amidst low vehicle inventory, uncertainty from Covid-19 and driver shortages, while looking at how to use technology to optimise networks over the long term. Check out this lively discussion from Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Live.
