Road – Page 19
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FeatureSeeking to harmonise supply and demand
In May, supply chain specialist Kinaxis announced that Volvo Cars had chosen its software for work on volume forecasting and production planning. According to Kinaxis, the Swedish carmaker will use its RapidResponse software to model the impact of rising production volumes, as well as other ‘what-if?’ scenarios. Accurate forecasting will ...
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FeatureRussia's fresh focus on exports
In recent years, Russia has put considerable resources into encouraging recovery in its domestic automotive industry. Last year, the federal budget included 62.3 billion roubles ($1 billion) in state aid for carmakers. Such sums have been spent primarily on boosting demand in the domestic market, which has been under pressure ...
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FeatureGefco and Bergé join forces in Spain
Gefco is setting up a joint venture with Spanish logistics provider Bergé to strengthen finished vehicle operations in Spain. The new company will be called Bergé Gefco and combine the fleets and resources of both companies’ divisions in the country to offer customers a complete range of finished vehicle services, ...
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FeatureKuehne + Nagel expands services for BMW
Kuehne + Nagel and BMW have expanded their partnership in Europe and Asia.In a phased development, the logistics company set up a regional distribution centre in Kleinaitingen (Germany) last April and one in Słubice (Poland) a month later. It is also establishing dealer distribution centres in Beijing and Shanghai, China, ...
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FeatureA match made in heaven?
According to a study carried out by the European Commission in 2014, almost a quarter of truck journeys on Europe’s roads are carried out empty. In individual member states, the prevalence of empty running can be even higher: in the UK, for instance, Department for Transport (DfT) statistics put the ...
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FeatureAutomotive Logistics Awards – Europe winners announced
The winners of the first ever Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe were revealed in Bonn, Germany, this week. During the event on June 12 – held on the eve of this year’s Automotive Logistics Europe conference – former Opel, Fiat and BMW vehicle designer Chris Bangle handed out a total ...
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FeatureNew Russian association to encourage a slicker supply chain
A group of Russian state-owned and private companies has formed a body called the Digital Transport and Logistics Association (DTLA), reported to be the biggest such association to have existed in the Russian transport industry and tasked with establishing a joined up supply chain supported by the latest digital technology.The ...
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FeatureYoung replaces Schroeder at the AHAA
Guy Young (pictured) has replaced Bill Schroeder as general manager of the Auto Haulers Association of America (AHAA). The association represents the interests of finished vehicle carriers in the US and currently has more than 85 car carrier members (with almost 9,000 trucks between them) and around 35 suppliers.Young has ...
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FeatureGefco: Full of get up and go
French transport and logistics provider Gefco started 2018 with an announcement in Paris that it was looking to cooperate more closely with its partners and customers. At the same time, the company said it was looking for international growth and new business as it continued to move beyond the traditional ...
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FeatureRussia: Recovery still down the road
Sales of finished vehicles in Russia rose 11.9% in 2017 over the previous year to reach 1.59m units, according to estimates in early January by the Association of European Businesses (AEB). Russia’s long-awaited recovery began in March and gained momentum throughout the year, peaking in December with monthly sales of ...
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FeatureMosolf continues expansion with buyout of German rival
German-based vehicle transporter Mosolf Group is taking over German rival firm Autokontor Bayern to reinforce its position “in an environment where markets are becoming more specialist and consolidating,” said the company’s CEO, Jörg Mosolf.The ownership change means Autokontor Bayern’s main shareholder and joint managing director Bernd Sauter will leave the ...
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FeatureAudi México: Risk and reward
When Audi opened its assembly plant in Mexico in September 2016, it was a milestone achievement on a number of levels. It was the first factory the German carmaker had set up outside Europe and the first that it was exclusively managing overseas (the two factories in China are joint ...
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FeatureCar hauliers suspend services at Renault-Nissan’s Chennai plant
Car carriers providing outbound distribution services for Renault-Nissan in India suspended their operations at the carmaker’s plant in Chennai last week in protest at what they say was the OEM’s decision to renege on agreed freight rates.According to the Car Carrier Association (CCA), the dispute dates back to meetings Renault-Nissan ...
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FeatureWaking up to a new dawn
Brazilian vehicle manufacturers are increasingly optimistic that the country can claw its way out of a deep recession. The country is experiencing a period of low inflation, low interest rates, light GDP growth and a tentative recovery in employment, reflected in improving purchasing power and consumer confidence. Moreover, consumers with ...
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FeatureNavigating uncharted waters
At 04.00 on June 26 last year, Jim Hagemann Snabe, chairman of AP Moller-Maersk, was woken by a phone call from his office. That’s when he learned that the global shipping giant had fallen victim to a cyber-attack. Over the next few hours, the true severity of the incident became ...
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FeatureFinalists for Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe 2018 revealed
The shortlist of finalists for the inaugural Automotive Logistics Awards – Europe has been revealed, with 73 entries competing in 14 different categories. The shortlist forms a cross-section of the industry’s leading carmakers, suppliers and logistics providers (see the full list of finalists here).The finalists were chosen from a large ...
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FeatureProficient Auto Transport appoints new president and CEO
Randy Beggs (pictured) has moved from his role as COO at US-based finished vehicle haulier, Proficient Auto Transport, to become president and CEO. He will now handle the day-to-day running of the company.Beggs replaces Kirk Williams, who held the role since 2004 and has now become chairman of the board.Proficient ...
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FeatureJack Cooper: The wheels of revolution
At the FVL North America conference, you said we were experiencing a technological revolution rather than an evolution. What do you think are the biggest changes happening now?I think we’ve got to look at it in our business from both sides: what’s happening in the actual vehicles and with the ...
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FeatureBMW Brilliance opens VDC at Ningbo
BMW’s joint venture with Brilliance Automobile in China, BMW Brilliance Automobile (BBA), has opened a vehicle distribution centre (VDC) at the Meishin (Meixi) ro-ro terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan port, the world’s busiest port in terms of cargo tonnage.The facility, which BBA refers to as a decentralised distribution area (DDA), is being ...
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FeatureKoopman Logistics trials blockchain in the Netherlands
Koopman Logistics Group has successfully completed a shipment of finished vehicles using blockchain digital technology to accurately track each unit in real time and automate administrative transactions.In an ongoing trial involving its Dutch customer PON Logistics, Koopman is moving vehicles from the PON compound in Leusden to dealers across the ...