The launch of TNT’s South America Road Network (SARN) will definitely benefit the company’s automotive parts movements in the region according to the company, building on its success in Brazil where the automotive industry is its second biggest market.
SARN is the only integrated road network across South America linking 30 cities across Argentina, Brazil and Chile reaching 3,000km. It offers a day-definite distribution service with expedited customs clearance and full track and trace capability.
"We expect that SARN improve our business with the automotive customers in Chile, Argentina and Brazil,' said TNT spokesperson Vinicius Leonel. "It is an innovative service that we believe fits the needs of the automotive industry in the three countries."
TNT’s automotive activity in Brazil has been growing at double-digit rate in 2009 thanks to new contracts and additional focus being put on developing the automotive vertical according to Roberto Rodrigues, TNT's General Manager for Brazil.
It recently acquired Expresso Araçatuba for the supply of parts to Moto Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Valeo as part of its plans to build a pan-Brazilian network and improve transport flows between Brazil, Chile and Argentina, which the new network will now facilitate.
"The network will enable manufacturers and exporters to effectively run their flows to the countries without having to consolidate the material, and thus reducing freight and warehouse costs, as TNT will be operating a consistent network, with scheduled linehauls, consistent transit time, door-to-door services and full track and trace," said Leonel.
Meanwhile, in China, the company’s subsidiary TNT Hoau has opened a new road hub in Wuhan, to reduce delivery times of its key line-hauls in the provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan and Chongqing city by up to two days. The new hub is located at the Wuhan Dongxihu Bonded Logistics Centre.
TNT Hoau, TNT's Chinese domestic road delivery unit, works for some of the world's leading auto part makers and delivers finished auto parts to their car makers clients in China,” said TNT spokesman Cyrille Gibot.
“The new road hub in Wuhan is the first in a planned series of ten, and will enable TNT Hoau to reduce delivery times by up to two days on regional line hauls, while lowering its operational costs by 10%,” he said.
