DHL Supply Chain has won a new contract with Ford for the movement of prototype parts from the carmaker’s suppliers to its research and development locations around the world. The logistics provider said it was now Ford’s global provider of freight management for prototype parts.

Neither party would divulge the terms of the latest contract but it builds on established inbound services that DHL Supply Chain provides Ford with for production sites in Europe and Asia. Both inbound production and prototype handling fall under DHL Supply Chain’s Lead Logistics Partner (LLP) service, through which it designs and manages supply chains, acting as a neutral party in selecting service providers to carry out transport and warehousing operations.

Todd Starbuck, president of Global LLP at DHL Supply Chain, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as Ford Motor Company’s single provider of global freight management services. This new contract builds on our longstanding relationship with Ford and our established LLP model, and we look forward to working closely together over the coming years.”