All features articles – Page 39
-
FeatureBridges over troubled water
To protect their crews, the public, the environment, and not least their operations and profits, carriers must have a ‘plan B’ in place for when things go wrong.Even if ‘Plan A’ works for you 99.9% of the time, it is always worth having a ‘Plan B’. For any business worth ...
-
FeatureFaster forwarding
CEO Ed Feitzinger reveals how UTi’s recent decentralisation aims to offer a personalised, five-star service to customers in both forwarding and contract logisticsEd Feitzinger’s 15th floor office at UTi’s headquarters looks out toward the mouth of the Los Angeles River and the edge of the port of Long Beach. In ...
-
FeatureToyota part 1: NAPO organisation and 'One Toyota'
Understanding how Toyota's service parts division in the US is organised, and looking to the implication of the carmaker's consolidation in TexasAs vice-president and general manager of Toyota’s North American Parts Operations, Neil Swartz (left) manages the full scope of the service parts and accessories supply chain across Toyota Motor ...
-
FeatureToyota part 1: Cornerstone of a strong supply chain
Toyota’s unique ‘two-tier’ supply chain in North America is designed to smooth distribution and ensure fast, uninterrupted supply to dealers, distributors and export marketsThe view outside the Toyota parts centre in Ontario, 50 miles east of Los Angeles, is pure California. Palm trees line the road in either direction and ...
-
FeatureAmerican vistas of the Toyota way: A report in five parts
As Toyota’s largest global market, maintaining a fast, reliable supply of service parts and accessories across North America is critical to the carmaker’s business model. Spare parts sales add incremental profit to dealers and to Toyota alike, while their availability is essential to the company’s brand promise, from supporting vehicle ...
-
FeatureGrowth and agreement in South-east Asia
With the imminent introduction of a new regional trade agreement, the logistics challenges posed by difficult border crossings and the ASEAN region’s island geography could ease as investments in services increaseDespite some setbacks, vehicle production is expected to grow further in South-East Asia as part of wider economic growth in ...
-
FeatureThe big freeze thaws
Following last year’s winter of discontent, rail providers in North America are putting record amounts of revenue back into meeting demand, while better forecasting and communication with carmakers appear to be improving services.For the North American finished vehicle rail logistics industry, 2014 was both a bumper year and a bumpy ...
-
FeatureRussia: Running on empty?
Rising prices and weak spending power, combined with a devalued currency, the low cost of oil and government cuts, add up to bleak forecasts for the Russian automotive sectorThe Russian automotive logistics industry is no stranger to calamity. Veteran executives will remember Russia’s instability in 1998 during its first financial ...
-
FeatureGefco Russia: Big plans, but little certainty
Although the market is suffering, Gefco is still optimistic about recovery as well as future flows between Russia and ChinaDespite Russia’s evident difficulties, Gefco Russia is continuing its aggressive growth strategy, with plans to develop trans-Eurasian logistics and grow its market share in the domestic market. The company is even ...
-
FeatureEurope conference: Are logistics companies ready for the future?
At the end of a busy conference in Bonn, senior executives from Adam Opel, Volvo Car, PSA Peugeot Citroen, and Kia Motors joined a panel discussion with editor Christopher Ludwig and publisher Louis Yiakoumi to discuss how ready the logistics industry is for new technologies, whether that is driverless vehicles ...
-
FeatureMazda's key to unlocking a continent
Michael Beyer (right), group manager of vehicle logistics at Mazda North American Operations, reveals how logistics for the OEM’s new Mexican plant will be crucial to its success in the US and in global markets The current decade has been a transformative one for Mazda in the US and North ...
-
FeatureEuropean ports: Surviving SECAs and instability
Our 2014 survey shows growth across vehicle-handling ports, helped by sales recovery and exports. However, some countries and operators are struggling in the face of declining trade and new regulations.Europe’s vehicle industry continues through a cautious recovery, as demonstrated by sea shipments of light vehicles across the greater continent’s primary ...
-
FeatureFuture visions of European automotive logistics
Delegates gathered in Bonn, Germany for the annual Automotive Logistics Europe conference, where senior executives discussed the role of technology, e-commerce and globalisation in the automotive supply chain. Some of the forecasts were scary, although many foresee increasing complexity and opportunity – if logistics companies can keep up with the ...
-
FeatureEurope conference: Overcapacity is driving down logistics pricing
An industry used to discussing the shortage of capacity was told at this week’s Automotive Logistics Europe conference held in Bonn, Germany, that while demand was growing, albeit at a single digit pace, there was, if anything, too much capacity in most markets, which was leading to falling prices for ...
-
FeatureToo much capacity in the logistics sector is driving down pricing
An industry used to discussing the shortage of capacity was told at this week’s Automotive Logistics Europe conference held in Bonn, Germany, that while demand was growing, albeit at a single digit pace, there was, if anything too much capacity in most markets, which was leading to falling prices for ...
-
FeatureVolvo's logistics processes contain some pearls of wisdom
Back in 2010, China's Geely Cars bought Volvo Cars from Ford, leading to a huge period of change. Chinese billionaire Li Shufu, who now controls the OEM, wanted to globalise Volvo cars, move into China and learn what he could from the carmaker. Volvo didn't have a global footprint but ...
-
FeatureCertainty in sight for Indian carrier lengths?
Most of the Indian passenger vehicle and two-wheeler carrier fleet is technically illegal, thanks to out-dated regulations, conflicting state laws, and a growing gap between industry practice and the law. However, the government may be close to deciding a new standard. The Indian trucking sector, including carriers for passenger ...
-
FeatureHauling a heavy heart
It has not been an easy couple of years for India’s trailer fabricators, with poor volume and stiff competition. Even as the country seems to be moving towards a standard length, the industry is in need of more focus on quality, as well as efficient and safe designs.The news that ...
-
FeatureKCS rides on automotive gains for fourth quarter
North American rail provider, Kansas City Southern (KCS), has reported a revenue growth of 4% to $643m in the fourth quarter, led by a 13% increase in revenue from automotive shipments, which accounted for $60.6m. The number of automotive units moved in the fourth quarter rose by 11% to 32,500.The ...
-
FeatureConnecting the many Mexicos – conference report
The first Automotive Logistics Mexico conference saw more than 350 delegates discussing how best to manage the country’s vehicle production and export growth. Officials from the economy and transport ministries, the US ambassador, and senior executives pointed to economic and supply chain strengths, as well as weaknesses in infrastructure and ...