Finished Vehicle Logistics North America 2024 in pictures: Day 2

No comments

Speakers from Ford, BMW, NIssan and Volkswagen took the stage to share important insights from the finished vehical sector in North America.

Welcome to the second day of the Finished Vehicle Logistics NA 2024 conference taking place in Waterfront Beach Resort, California. The day saw important sessions which focused on the finished vehicle supply chain, disrupting the status quo, partnerships, innovation, using data and analytics for real-time solutions, among other key topics.

Incase you couldn’t attend, click here to check out our live blog for coverage from the event!

The morning’s sessions saw Paul Roosen from Ford, Lisa Kline from Subaru of America, Sean Baltazar from RPM and Christoph Seitz from DP World Logistics talk about the benefits of disrupting the norm to deal with unforeseen interruptions to vehicle logistics. Following which, Anu Goel from Volkswagen took the stage to talk about adapting to unexpected obstacles in a more innovative and exceptional way. “Immediate action was required and we needed to get the cars moving to support [North American] sales and reduce working capital,” said Goel.

Before breaking for lunch, Patrick Manzi, Chief Economist at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), presented an overview of US sales and production performance at this year’s FVL NA conference. He noted that while the market remains dominated by larger vehicles (80% light trucks), buyers are increasingly seeking savings and sedans due to the impact of inflation and interest rates. After which, Raúl Gamboa, head of logistics at BMW Group’s San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, shared how his team addressed transport capacity constraints over the past year. BMW implemented creative solutions like using flatbed carriers, putting cars in containers, and securing extra storage space at Altamira. Nissan’s Steve Jernigan also spoke about finished vehicles flowing in and out of Mexico, including through major network redesigns, chartering ocean carriers and seeking alternative routes by truck and containers.

1/15

Following lunch, which was hosted by Freight Verify, the leaders and panelists gathered to further discussed the North American vehicle logistics sector. Shane Stierley from Navistar International and Salim Shaikh from Blue Yonder shared how they have enhanced distribution network resilience and responsiveness using milestone and location data, analytics tools, and close collaboration with logistics and technology partners.

Check out the wrap-up video from day 2!

In the last session, Prashant Swadia from General Motors, Charles J. Franklin II from Glovis America and Stephen Hubert from Höegh Autoliners discussed collaborating with providers to create ‘win-win’ partnerships, invest in capacity and efficient fleets, and diversify logistics and distribution options across North America. Separately, experts distributed into several ideas labs to explore innovative solutions and to real-life issues.

1/13

The third and final day of the FVL North America conference will see speakers including Christine Casey from California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), Jeremy Johnson from Nissan North America and Sarah Amico from Jack Cooper. Stay tuned for pictures of day 3!