Articles

Automotive Logistics

Ford Predicts the Trends Driving 2019
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Ford Predicts the Trends Driving 2019

It is helpful to understand consumer behavior when crafting efficient supply chains. Ford’s 7th annual Trends Report, which analyzes consumer behavior based on interviews with more than 13,000 people across 14 countries, provides some insight. Ford says these surveys don’t look just at behavior toward automobiles, but rather the factors that drive behavioral changes. For […]

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A Dunk in Your Trunk
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A Dunk in Your Trunk

“In-car delivery is another smart move by Amazon in its efforts to become an omnichannel retailer. Frankly, I believe this is a much better option than the in-home delivery offering. Letting someone into your home when you are not there strikes most shoppers as ‘creepy.’ Letting a stranger put your purchases into the trunk of […]

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Supply Chain Efficiency: Packaging for the Automotive E-Commerce Era

According to the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the e-commerce automotive aftermarket sector is currently growing at a rate of $1 billion annually, and is expected to rise to $15 billion by 2020. For the most part, the sector is focused on two primary customers: those seeking accessories for upgrades and those interested in purchasing […]

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K Line, Agunsa Drive KAR
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K Line, Agunsa Drive KAR

To leverage rising automotive import traffic in Latin America, particularly in Chile, multinational logistics agency Agunsa has partnered with Japanese shipping firm “K” Line to create a dedicated automotive logistics company. The new company, KAR Logistics, offers integrated transportation services as well as warehousing, customization, pre-delivery inspection, and spare parts services. Its target is automotive […]

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U.S.-Cuba Trade: Where Do Sanctions, Sourcing, and Compliance Meet?
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U.S.-Cuba Trade: Where Do Sanctions, Sourcing, and Compliance Meet?

Between the changing diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba, and expectations that the Trump administration will redraw U.S. policy toward Cuba, sanctions with the island nation are unclear. The country is still embargoed and for nearly all products, normalized trade has to overcome many hurdles. Shippers are watching Cuba closely, and analyzing market […]

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U.S. Sales Fluctuation Offers New Threat to Automotive Supply Chain

The dip in April vehicle sales in North America is synonymous with the fluctuating demand experienced within the automotive industry, which can lead to increased inventories, production rescheduling, and subsequent supply chain ramifications, advises emergency logistics expert Evolution Time Critical. The potential supply chain turbulence caused by production fluctuation is indicative of the factors that […]

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Tesla Warehouse Lease Deal: Largest in San Francisco Bay Area History

Originally published on Teslarati. Tesla has inked a deal to lease three warehouses totaling a massive 1.3 million square feet in the Oaks Logistics Center in Livermore, Calif., just 20 miles northeast of the Fremont factory. The deal is being billed as the largest industrial lease signed in San Francisco East Bay history. The deal […]

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Trends—October 2015
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Trends—October 2015

Amazon Dash Turns the Tide When Amazon debuted its Dash Replenishment Service (DRS) and buttons in spring 2015, it gave consumers a taste for how the Internet of Things (IoT) can simplify even mundane tasks. The underlying DRS architecture enables connected devices that measure consumable usage to automatically order physical goods from Amazon when supplies […]

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Global Logistics—August 2015
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Global Logistics—August 2015

UPS Peddles Electric Cargo Bikes in Europe E-commerce growth and last-mile expectations place a greater burden on shippers and carriers to find more efficient means to deliver parcels—especially in congested urban areas. That’s why UPS is currently testing the feasibility of using electric cargo bikes to pick up and drop off packages in downtown Basel, […]

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Brad Brennan
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The Importance of Contingency Planning in Automotive Supply Chains

Emergency logistics specialists have been championing the benefits of focused supply chain management for a long time, and the adoption of such policies by vehicle manufacturers is enabling the introduction of new, dynamic, and higher-risk logistics strategies. Supply chain contingency can not only safeguard current operations, but provide support for the increasingly fleet-footed manufacturing footprint […]

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Tom Kroswek
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Understanding the Auto Aftermarket Supply Chain

Q: What are some trends in the automotive aftermarket supply chain? A: One ongoing development is suppliers are increasing their ship-direct activity. They are shipping parts directly to the dealer, or they may ship to a primary distribution center or field DC, bypassing the national distribution center. This approach benefits the shipper during a surge […]

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Trends—March 2014
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Trends—March 2014

Is the Jones Act Worth its Salt? A briny tale about a man named Jones, complete with international intrigue, American protectionism, twisted truths, and misplaced blame unfolded recently when a 40,000-ton shipment of road salt bound for New Jersey got waylaid in Searsport, Maine. The man in question is Wesley Jones, the U.S. senator from […]

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