Unfortunately, there is unlikely to be sufficient capacity in the outbound sector to cope with even this gradual increase and deliveries at a time of record low inventory will continue to be disrupted. Without some radical and collaborative steps being taken to improve visibility, recruit truck drivers or find alternative delivery methods, carmakers risk losing sales in the long term.  

In the opening session of this week’s Finished Vehicle Logistics North America conference, which made a welcome return to Newport Beach in California, Steve Jernigan, director of finished vehicle logistics at Nissan North America, said that the current supply problems affecting the inbound supply of parts were likely to shift to the outbound sector; a sector suffering from a dramatic shortage of drivers.