Auto freight rolling strong as economy hits the brakes

Chart of the Week: Motor Vehicles and Parts Carloads – USA, Outbound Tender Volume Index – Detroit SONAR: RTOMV.USA, OTVI.DTW

Freight volumes of automotive parts are still recovering as demand for many durable goods wanes. Is it sustainable?

Rail carloads for motor vehicles and parts averaged 11% higher year over year in October as part of a recovery trend that started earlier in the year. The Detroit Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) shows a historical elevation in activity since this spring....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/auto-freight-rolling-strong-as-economy-hits-the-breaks

Automotive supply chain in for slow normalization in 2022

Waze FreightTech25

Car shoppers have had a tough time over the past couple years. The coronavirus pandemic increased the demand for both new and used cars, while simultaneously fueling equipment shortages throughout the automotive supply chain. These headwinds combined to create an environment characterized by surging demand, suppressed inventory and sky-high prices. 

Huge reductions in inventory and serious spikes in used car prices continued to plague consumers heading into 2022. In fact, used car prices are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/automotive-supply-chain-in-for-slow-normalization-in-2022

Jochen Freese joins Forto as EVP of procurement and business development

Digital freight forwarder Forto has appointed ex-Ceva executive Jochen Freese (above) as its executive VP of procurement and business development, confirming news broken by Loadstar Premium in October
“Jochen has a proven track record in helping large, worldwide customers in such industry segments as retail and fashion, hi-tech, healthcare and automotive optimise their transport and logistics,” said Forto CEO and co-founder Michael Wax.
“This customer focus, combined with his experience in...

https://theloadstar.com/jochen-freese-joins-forto-as-evp-of-procurement-and-business-development/

Hyundai Glovis moves into container freight with new China subsidiary

South Korean vehicle maker Hyundai’s logistics unit, Hyundai Glovis, has itself established a subsidiary in Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province.
Chengdu Glovis SCM, aims to help its parent to diversify into container rail freight – in 2020, Chengdu was the Chinese city with the second-most direct rail freight trains to Europe.
Hyundai Glovis plans a direct contract with China Railway and, in addition to participating in the operation of high-speed freight trains from Chengdu, …

The post Hyundai...

https://theloadstar.com/hyundai-glovis-moves-into-container-freight-with-new-china-subsidiary/

F3 keynote: Flashy, cool and polarizing — inside Tesla’s real lessons

Much has been written about Elon Musk and Tesla’s rise to prominence, but few authors have explored that journey as extensively as Ed Niedermeyer.

Niedermeyer, author of “Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors” and director of communications for the nonprofit Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, has spent years exploring the company’s history and the decisions it has made, and along the way he has made a few friends and many enemies. And that’s OK because Niedermeyer believes...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/f3-keynote-flashy-cool-and-polarizing-inside-teslas-real-lessons

Flexibility is key to navigating disrupted auto industry

As peak season marches on, the automotive industry continues to struggle with pandemic headwinds. New car inventories are down significantly due to manufacturing slowdowns and parts shortages. Meanwhile, demand continues to surge, with the CarGurus index showing prices up about 27% year-over-year. 

“If you’ve got a slightly used vehicle, you can probably trade it in for more than you paid for it right now,” ACERTUS CEO Trent Broberg said. 

This ongoing imbalance between supply and demand is also...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/flexibility-is-key-to-navigating-disrupted-auto-industry

Increasing vehicle production may not be enough to satisfy demand

Waze FreightTech25

Much like the freight industry, the past couple of years have been a roller coaster for the automotive industry. Surging demand, parts shortages and shifting consumer buying patterns — all influenced by the coronavirus pandemic — have turned the industry on its head. Shortages are beginning to let up, pointing to a looming surge in new vehicle production. Still, the instability is expected to continue even after long-awaited new vehicles begin to hit lots later this year.

Purchasing a new car...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/increasing-vehicle-production-may-not-be-enough-to-satisfy-demand

Are the best logistics companies really tech companies?

Successful logistics companies tend to excel in several different areas, namely customer service, efficiency and transparency. Most of the high-tech products hitting the market exist to address these very same concerns. As the industry continues to navigate its fairly recent technological awakening, it is becoming clear that the best logistics companies boast a strong focus on technology. In fact, it has become nearly impossible to succeed in the space without embracing tech.

“Technology is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/are-the-best-logistics-companies-really-tech-companies

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