Carmakers count the cost of Hurricane Sandy
As ports along the US East Coast continue to count the cost of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy two weeks ago the port of New York and New Jersey has reported that around 16,000 passenger cars were damaged.
Quoting the New York Shipping the Associated Press has reported that both vehicle processor FAPS and Toyota, based at the Port Newark-Elizabeth marine terminals, were among those that suffered losses. Nissan and Honda are also reported to have lost inventory.
The news follows a report last week in which Fisker Automotive lost 338 Karma luxury plug in hybrids worth around $100,000 each.
Carmakers have said that the majority of the flooded vehicles were parked at dockside lots along Newark Bay when the storm hit and that electrical and mechanical systems were submerged in corrosive saltwater.
The port of New York and New Jersey now reports that it is running “at close to 100% on all fronts” as the recovery process continues.
Exact buys into CTL network
UK palletised freight distributor Exact Logistics has bought a share in German transport conglomerate CTL, a cooperative network of more than 120 hauliers providing delivery services in Europe to a range of industries including automotive.
The deal gives Exact Logistics the right to deliver and collect from CTL’s 130 partners between Germany and the UK and Ireland within a 48 hour transit time, as well as opening up markets for daily deliveries between Germany and Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece, Malta, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria, amongst others.
“We are delighted to have secured this deal to control the freight channels for CTL partners between Germany and the UK and Ireland,” said Adam Shuter, managing director of Exact Logistics.
“This is an exciting time for Exact Logistics and we are looking forward to increasing the range and quality of our services as well as passing the benefits of this deal onto our clients.”
Exact Logistics has regularly delivered to BMW in Oxford, handles regular deliveries from Eberspaecher and has provided transport services from UK to Benteller in Schwandorf, Germany.
The CTL network includes 2,800 vehicles, handling 6m consignments per year
Tibbett makes it a first in Romania
Tibbett Logistics, which operates the Bucharest International Rail Freight Terminal in southeastern Romania, recently received its first scheduled train with intermodal wagons from Germany and Austria. The new service will initially comprise two trains a week in each direction.
The first train was carrying 38 units – eight semi-trailers and 30 45’ pallet-wide continental containers, destined for import customers in Bucharest and Ploiesti.
Tibbett Logistics, which offers intermodal and supply chain management services to the automotive industry amongst others, is using the open-access terminal to transfer shipping containers arriving on rail wagons to road trailers, and vice versa. The terminal is the only such facility in Romania operating regular scheduled block trains between Constanta Port and Bucharest, on both import and export movements. Customers include the major shipping lines and freight forwarders, as well as direct users.
"We believe that – via the Port of Constanta – Romania is the natural entry point to Europe from the East and elsewhere,” said Tibbett Logistics CEO, David Goldsborough. “Our aim is to facilitate the efficient transportation of goods from the port to end-destinations throughout Europe, as well as from EU states back to Romania.
Federal Mogul to distribute BERU
Following its acquisition of BorgWarner’s BERU spark plug business in October, parts supplier Federal Mogul has signed a new agreement to be the exclusive aftermarket distributor of BERU ignition products around the world.
Federal Mogul already distributes Champion brand ignition products to the aftermarket and will now consolidate both in the EMEA region from a distribution centre in Ludwigsburg in Germany.
“With the October 1, 2012 acquisition of BERU’s spark plug business and this new license and aftermarket distribution agreement effective January 1, 2013 for all remaining BERU ignition products, the Federal-Mogul ignition portfolio brings new scale and choice to our large European aftermarket customer base,” said Broderick. “These are strategic investments in growing our ignition product portfolio, which will make a broader range of quality ignition products available to our aftermarket customers,” he added.
Canusa expands distribution centre
Aftermarket parts maker Canusa Automotive, which is member of the Federated Auto Parts group, has expanded its main Canadian distribution centre in Dorchester, Ontario, by 1,850 square metres, increasing the size of its warehouse to 11,000 square metres. The company will use the additional space to store all of Canusa’s ACDelco products.
"Our warehouse expansion will allow us to better serve our customers in southwest Ontario," said Stephen Drake, vice president of Canusa. "AC Delco is our our biggest product line with Federated and we felt it was important to have that product line located in its own space in our warehouse. We also want to thank everyone at AC Delco for all their assistance in this expansion."
In addition to its Dorechester facility Canusa operates a warehouse at Mississauga, also in Ontario, as well as 37 parts store outlets under the Auto Parts Centres banner.
