Unipart Group has sold its Intertruck business to Sampa. Intertruck, part of Unipart International, is an importer and distributor of truck and trailer parts, workshop tools and transport consumables. Its head office and central warehouse is located in Rotterdam, Netherlands,, and it supplies products across Europe either directly or through trading partners. The Company also has locations in Zambia, Africa. Around 50 people currently work for Intertruck.

Sampa is a major global manufacturer and distributor in the commercial vehicle aftermarket sector. With its headquarters in Turkey the business supplies products to over 160 countries and has over 3,500 employees worldwide.

As Unipart continues its focus on growth in strategic markets outside of the heavy commercial vehicle parts sector, it makes sense for Intertruck to move to a company like Sampa which has a very strong presence in the aftermarket for truck and trailer parts. The sale of Intertruck to Sampa provides the business with a strong position for growth in a complex, international market.

FIEGE has added a further warehouse to the multi-user centre located to the south-east of Hamburg, Germany. The region of strategic importance now offers around 90,000 m2 of logistics space to clients from a range of different industries.

The FIEGE Group has added to its location in Hamburg-Moorfleet. The new, modern building of the contract logistics specialist will offer a further 20,000 m2 of logistics space spread across two levels to clients operating in such fields as Industry & Tyres, Fashion & Lifestyle as well as Fast Moving Consumer Goods.

The multi-user centre offers convenient transport accessibility due to its direct proximity to the Hamburg-South-East motorway junction (A1 and A25). Following a successful launch at the start of January, the ramp-up is currently in full progress. FIEGE Real Estate oversaw the project’s realisation.

In light of the growth strategy of the FIEGE Group, the Company aims to further strengthen its presence in Germany’s north. Greater Hamburg is considered a logistics powerhouse, also due to being home to Germany's biggest seaport. By expanding the multi-user centre, the 3PL is on one hand setting the course to meeting the growing demand for logistical space while on the other handling ever-more complex logistical services including related value-added services for clients.

The addition of a new warehouse has resulted in FIEGE expanding its logistical space in Hamburg to almost 90,000 m2. The annex will have a living roof as the rest of the branch.

The new two-storey building offers light-infused offices and space for 85 VAS workstations. The quality property boasts a glass façade and a sprinkler system that complies with VdS safety standards. A special unique selling proposition is the WGK (water-hazard class) film that has been integrated into the flooring to allow for a professional handling of substances that are deemed hazardous to water. Deliveries are made via ten loading docks fitted with electric roller shutters. For reasons of sustainability, FIEGE has installed energy-efficient LED lighting at its location in Hamburg. In addition, the annex will have a living roof as the rest of the branch.

DHL Inside Track has announced a new three-year UK contract with leading global automaker Stellantis, whose portfolio includes Jeep, Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, DS Automobiles, Abarth and Citroën.

Inside Track will operate Stellantis’ demo programme, managing the delivery and pick-up of test drive vehicles nationwide. The automotive specialist will handle the entire fleet and end-to-end consumer experience, from online ordering and pre-delivery preparation, through to customer satisfaction surveys.

A key part of the service will be the ‘white glove’ customer handover, tailored to each brand and delivered to a consistently high level by drivers trained as brand ambassadors.

Thanks to a new platform introduced by Inside Track, Stellantis now has real-time visibility of its fleet, with clear reports of vehicle utilisation right down to model variant, ensuring that the value of the fleet is maximised.

Inside Track’s management system and nationwide footprint allows the Company to coordinate collections at the same time as deliveries, to reduce unnecessary travel. The Company has also invested in its vehicle charging infrastructure to support the increasing electrification of the Stellantis fleet.

Inside Track has also been appointed to manage the Company’s Employee Car Ownership Scheme, which operates out of facilities in Luton, Coventry and Ellesmere Port. As well as storing, preparing and handing over the fleet, the team will handle all administration associated with the scheme.

Inside Track currently handles over 38,000 vehicle movements for its customers each year.

Bobcat Company has expanded its US, nationwide aftermarket parts distribution centre (PDC) network with the opening of a new, 36,790 m2 facility in Atlanta.  This new facility, located in the West Fulton Commerce Park (1850 Oak Lawn Ave.), is the second, new Bobcat PDC opened in the past months to meet growing demand for Bobcat equipment in the marketplace. Bobcat also opened a new PDC in Reno, Nevada, in September 2022. These two new facilities join the Company’s existing Bobcat PDC near Chicago in Woodridge, Illinois. 

Strategically located in Atlanta with accessibility to major airports and highways, the new PDC provides Bobcat dealers and customers with enhanced service options, increased inventory and faster parts delivery.  

Bobcat’s PDC facilities support same-day order processing and extended order hours; expanded dealer support programs and customer service hours; improved speed of delivery times; and additional shipping carrier options. 

With the opening of these two state-of-the-art facilities in Reno and Atlanta, Bobcat has nearly doubled its warehouse footprint. Between the three locations (Woodridge, Reno and Atlanta), Bobcat’s combined warehouse footprint in North American is now 83,240 m2. The Bobcat PDC facilities are managed and staffed by APL Logistics, with the Atlanta location employing 85 people. 

Groupe CAT and P3 Logistic Parks have inaugurated a new warehouse in the P3 Illescas logistics park, located in Plataforma Central Iberum (Toledo), Spain. P3 Logistic Parks has developed a build to suit (BTS) project which will be managed by Groupe CAT. From these facilities, the Company will provide warehousing and capillary distribution services for Continental’s products, a leading tyre manufacturer. In this way, the new asset becomes the largest distribution centre in Spain of the high-profile German manufacturer.

The BTS asset has a Gross Lettable Area (GLA) of 28,251 m2, with 27,704 m2 of warehouse and 547 m2 of offices. The warehouse has a total height of 12.35 metres, while the free layout is 9.62 metres. Overall, the project will have 27 loading docks and ramps, and also 120 parking spaces.

The site will apply the highest standards of sustainability and energy efficiency, in line with the ESG pillars of Groupe CAT, P3 Logistic Parks, Continental and Plataforma Central Iberum (PCI). As such, the project complies with all requirements for a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification for sustainability, with the aim to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

One of the highlights of this new warehouse is its strategic location in Illescas, an area that has become a national hub of logistics activity thanks to its excellent connections and that offer great potential for the companies located there.

In this facility, where warehousing, quality checks, IN/OUT, preparations and distribution activities will be performed, Continental will optimise the opportunities offered by the prime location and Groupe CAT to increase its warehousing capacity by 25.0%, improving delivery times.

This new opening also offers important economic benefits for Illescas and especially for the region of La Sagra. The different phases of the project shall create more than 100 new jobs.

The Plataforma Central Iberum enjoys a privileged location 40 kilometres from Madrid, in the heart of the central logistics corridor and with direct connections to the A-42 and the AP-41. P3 Logistic Parks and Groupe CAT are committed to Illescas, a key area due to its importance for national logistics and its strategic position in the central corridor with key connections to the Mediterranean corridor. Companies such as Amazon, Airbus, Correos, Seur or Toyota are already present in this location.

BLG and DEKRA will work together more closely in future. Matthias Magnor, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Member of the Board of Management at BLG LOGISTICS, and DEKRA Germany CEO Guido Kutschera have agreed a strategic partnership between their two companies. Together, the partners will tackle strategic issues in the future and combine their strengths in the areas of digitalisation, sustainability and qualification. The partnership will create operational advantages and sales synergies for both companies.

BLG LOGISTICS and the DEKRA companies operate in a constantly changing market environment and want to work together to meet the developments in the areas of lifecycle management and remarketing, digitalisation, process optimisation, quality improvements, zero emissions and employee qualification - keyword: shortage of skilled workers.

Vehicle logistics - from production to delivery to the destination at the dealer or customer - requires the highest level of reliability, safety and an adequate network. By bundling services from DEKRA and BLG and offering them together, the companies are responding to specific requirements from the market. More and more customers need packages of expert services and logistics services.

DEKRA Automobil GmbH is the most important and largest division within the DEKRA Group. However, other DEKRA companies such as DEKRA Akademie GmbH, DEKRA Automotive Solutions Germany GmbH and DEKRA Event & Logistic Services GmbH are also involved in the partnership.

Bridgestone, present in Poznań since 1998 and ESA logistika have opened a 50,000 m2 tyre warehouse where tyres will be shipped for further distribution. The warehouse will employ at least 50 people, including specialists and warehouse workers

What particularly distinguishes the complete warehousing processes that are implemented for Bridgestone is several sustainable solutions that allow obtaining BREEAM Excellent certification. One of them is a 50kWp photovoltaic installation and modern technologies in energy and water saving and reducing CO2 emissions. In the interests of the well-being of employees, green relaxation zones are also created around the hall.

Bridgestone is committed to achieving its major environmental goals; carbon neutrality and the use of 100.0% sustainable materials by 2050. The new project launched with ESA logistika reflects the commitment to create a supply chain and logistics with long-term environmental benefits and aligns perfectly with the 'Ecology' and 'Energy' values in the Bridgestone E8 Commitment.

For 24 years Bridgestone systematically increased its footprint in the Wielkopolska region, where its largest factory in Europe is located. Along with increasing demand for premium tyres and the extension of capacity in the Bridgestone Poznan plant, now comes the new warehouse that fulfils requirements on the way for an optimised and sustainable supply chain.

The hall is also equipped with innovative systems and tools that automates and facilitates work. These includes a warehouse management system created by ESA logistika experts, belt conveyors for unloading and loading individual tyres and stacking them on racks, and at a later stage also robots for transporting tyres and racks for their storage. The warehouse is also equipped with modern security systems, especially fire protection. Despite such a high level of automation, the launch of the warehouse near Poznań will create more jobs. In the beginning, nearly 50 people found employment there. These are mainly warehouse employees, but also logistics specialists and shift managers.

Volta Trucks has appointed Claes Nilsson to its Board of Directors. Claes Nilsson joins the Volta Trucks Board following an extensive career in commercial vehicles with AB Volvo, where he held the position of President of Volvo Trucks and member of its Executive Board. Prior to this, he was responsible for Volvo Trucks regions in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa, as well as previously being responsible for Strategy, Business Development and Product Planning, both regionally and globally. He’s also held Board positions for Volvo Financial Services, Volvo Venture Capital, and several market companies across AB Volvo.

Claes brings a deep understanding and knowledge of the commercial vehicle industry to the Board of Directors, including retail, aftersales service, supply chain, financing, leasing, and rental as well as the body builder marketplace.

The appointment of Claes Nilsson comes just two months after the appointment of Karl Viktor Schaller to the Volta Trucks Board. These new appointments further strengthen the deep experience within the Board, bringing key industry expertise and validation to the Company as it focuses on its commercial operations, and converting the initial interest generated in the full-electric Volta Zero into confirmed and binding orders.

Volvo Group Venture Capital AB is investing in the Canadian founded company Waabi Innovation Inc, developing the next generation of autonomous trucking technology. The investment highlights the companies' shared commitment to redefine the way we move goods and to accelerate the deployment of future transport solutions.

Waabi is using advanced artificial intelligence technology to test, assess skills, and ultimately teach a virtual driver to manoeuvre safely and efficiently in a commercial-ready autonomous trucking solution. Volvo Group believes that it can add considerable strategic value to the development of their business and is currently exploring ways to cooperate.

Freight movement is rapidly increasing, with the trucking industry moving the vast majority of the goods. Accommodating this growth has placed tremendous pressure on every part of the supply chain industry. Volvo Group see that fully autonomous trucking transports are key to provide additional capacity, better safety and improved efficiency but also support drivers in tiresome routes.

Waabi recently unveiled the Waabi Driver, its core autonomous trucking solution, designed for large-scale commercialisation and safe deployment. This solution is complemented by Waabi World, a scalable high-quality simulator, exposing the Waabi Driver to the vast diversity of scenarios needed to hone its driving skills and paving the way to widespread adoption of autonomous trucking.

Autonomy will one day transform trucking and logistics, but the self-driving industry has not solved this challenge, yet. Waabi's AI-first approach is the key to unlocking this reality at scale.

The transaction has no significant impact on the Volvo Group's earnings or financial position.

For more than four decades, Neptune Lines has moved forward with speed and agility, supporting customers’ needs, in an efficient and sustainable way. Focusing on business innovation and adaptation to the continuously changing market dynamics, Neptune Lines is diversifying its services into land-based logistics with the launch of a new business unit. The new business unit, Neptune Land Services (NLS), will provide storage, processing, and inland distribution for finished vehicles to better meet customers' supply chain needs.

Dror Noach has been appointed as General Manager of the new division, who most recently served as Vice President of Global Logistics for CNH Industrial. This included responsibility for global distribution and processing centres for the entire product range of the Italian-American company.

With his vast experience in both European logistics of fast-moving consumer goods, as well as finished vehicle logistics globally, he is very well suited to drive the Company's ambition.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit, a global manufacturer of automotive glazing, has leased 21,300 m2 for production and warehousing facilities at CTPark Iłowa in the fast-growing Leguna Special Economic Zone in Poland’s western province of Lubuskie and 40 kms from the border with Germany. CTPark Iłowa is one of the largest logistics and industrial parks currently under construction in Poland and upon completion later this year will offer a total of 170,000 m2 of gross lettable (GLA) across three buildings.

The strong expansion in CTP’s Polish portfolio reflects the large land bank the Company has accumulated and the country’s robust economic and market fundamentals. Demand for logistics and industrial space in the market is outpacing supply on the back of a number of major trends, such as the outsourcing of Germany’s industrial supply chain to neighbouring CEE countries with lower-cost skilled labour; ‘nearshoring,’ or companies opting to manufacture closer to their main sales markets; and the relatively undeveloped domestic eCommerce market relative to Western Europe.

The average logistics market vacancy rate in Poland is only around 4.0% and even lower across western Poland, including the Lubuskie region where CTPark Iłowa is located, at about 1.5% as of Q3, 2022.

The arrival of Saint-Gobain Sekurit at CTPark Iłowa is indicative of the broader market trends in Poland and the emergence of the province of Lubuskie as an emerging and fast-growing industrial and logistics location. CTPark Iłowa is situated in the Leguna Special Economic Zone, where investors can benefit from the highest level of tax reliefs offered in the country, and it has excellent transport connections to nearby Germany and across Poland due its close proximity to the A18 highway linking Berlin and Wrocław.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit is taking space within the largest building complex (approximately 110,000 m2) at CTPark Iłowa where it will establish a new glass assembly plant, or ‘encapsulation division,’ which creates a polymer trim around glazing to precisely fit windows into automotive bodies, alongside storage and distribution facilities.

All the buildings at CTPark Iłowa are constructed to a minimum BREEAM ‘very good’ sustainability certification and the roofs are prepared for the installation of photovoltaic panels. A minimum of 10.0% of the roof space is taken up by skylights to provide plenty of natural lighting.

In November last year, CTP announced the 100.0% commercialisation of a smaller building of 40,000 m2 at CTPark Iłowa with a leasing to the Hermes Group, a European courier service provider, and the Company is in negotiations with more firms interested in taking up the remaining available space in the park.

The Saint-Gobain Sekurit leasing transaction was facilitated by global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Flexible, efficient and sustainable spare parts logistics is an important success factor for Daimler Truck and its customers around the world: Thanks to the fast and comprehensive supply of parts, vehicle fleets can be on the road as much time as possible and at standstill for as little time as necessary. Thanks to its independence, Daimler Truck is setting up its global supply of spare parts (aftersales logistics) for Mercedes-Benz Trucks in a new and even more customer-oriented way.

As the heart of the global supply of spare parts, a completely new logistics hub – the so-named Global Parts Centre – is being built in Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In the future parts deliveries will be made from this central location, eliminating additional transport routes and cutting the time until parts are available. The facility is designed to meet the requirements of Daimler Truck customers. Regional dealers can be supplied directly or can pick up parts themselves if necessary.

The new logistics hub will deliver up to 300,000 different items – from the smallest screw to a finished truck cab – to almost 3,000 vehicle dealers in over 170 countries around the world. The Global Parts Centre thus will make an important contribution to ensuring the international flow of goods. Thanks to state-of-the-art storage and conveyor technology, all vehicle parts will be available for immediate retrieval in an automated high-bay warehouse and an automated small parts warehouse. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023, with commissioning scheduled to take place about three years later.

About 2,600 Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ suppliers will provide the logistics hub with their parts in the future. Halberstadt will thus become the heart of the worldwide supply of spare parts for Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Fuso parts supply in Europe will also be handled by Halberstadt in the future. In a three-stage logistics process, the new location will serve around 20 regional logistics centres worldwide – in, for example, various European countries, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and China – which in turn will supply regional dealers with parts.

Halberstadt is not only in the heart of Germany, but also ideally located between the many Daimler Trucks’ suppliers and customers in Europe. The transport connection via federal roads and motorways in the region also enables parts to be supplied quickly. This location also has sufficient space to operate flexibly over the long term.

In the first stage of expansion, the new building in the East Industrial Park in Halberstadt will have a gross floor area of around 270,000 m2 with around 260,000 m2 of logistics space. Up to 450 qualified jobs will be created on site. After further construction stages and the assumption of additional activities in connection with global parts logistics, up to 600 jobs will be created at the site.

The new logistics location is planned from the start for CO2-neutral operation; the energy concept completely dispenses with fossil fuels. Neither natural gas nor oil is required. The location will be heated with electric heat pumps that bring heat into the building via underfloor heating systems. Due to the low heating water temperatures and the storage effect in the industrial floors, a high level of energy efficiency will be achieved.

In addition, it is intended to equip the roofs with photovoltaic systems, which can generate up to 13 million kWh of electrical energy per year. This is more electricity than will be consumed at the site. Surplus energy from the Global Parts Centre will be made available to other Daimler Truck locations in Germany. The roofs of the outbuildings will be greened.

Employees will be provided with a large number of charging stations for e-vehicles and e-bikes. Appropriate charging options will also be available for suppliers’ trucks, whose fleets are gradually being electrified.

P3 Logistic Parks is leasing its site in Regenstauf, Bavaria, Germany, to the BMW Group. The lease for the logistics space of around 22,200 m2 started on 01 January 2023. The state-of-the-art logistics property, ideal for plug & play logistics, comprises around 17,700 m2 of warehouse space and 4,500 m2 of office space and is designed to allow for professional warehouse management and partial automation.

Like all P3 parks, the Regenstauf site is designed to be environmentally friendly and has been awarded a BREEAM certificate, recently receiving a rating of 'Very Good' under the BREEAM In-Use programme. For example, it has highly efficient water and LED lighting systems with motion sensors that reduce water and electricity consumption.

The property was built in 2014 and acquired by P3 in early 2020 as part of the so-called Maximus portfolio. This comprised 28 logistics properties with a total area of around 1,000,m2 in strategically important logistics centres within Europe and helped to significantly expand P3's portfolio in Germany by 14 properties.

The P3 Park Regenstauf is located directly on the A93 motorway, a few kilometres north of the BMW Group plant in Regensburg. Nuremberg and Munich airports are both just 70 minutes away.

British electric vehicle manufacturer Tevva has hit another major milestone after securing European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) for its 7.5 tonne (t) battery-electric truck. It means that Tevva can start producing and selling in volume across the UK and Europe and represents the key regulatory step in the development and commercialisation of all vehicles, including electric trucks.

With this Tevva becomes the first British company to receive EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval for a 7.5t electric truck and has moved quickly to get its first vehicles out to customers. The first mass-produced electric trucks have started to be delivered from their UK base and will be eagerly received by customers including Expect Distribution, Travis Perkins, and Royal Mail. The Company expects to sell up to 1,000 electric trucks in 2023.

The essential certification has been achieved for the EU and UK with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and the Swedish Transport Agency (STA). To receive whole vehicle type approval, the Tevva electric truck underwent 30 system tests, including electric safety and electromagnetic compatibility to the latest standards.

Tevva’s 7.5t electric truck offers up to 140 miles (227 kilometres) from its 105 kWh battery on a single charge and is ideal for last-mile and urban delivery fleets. It will be followed later in 2023 by a 7.5t hydrogen-electric truck, which benefits from a hydrogen range-extender that enhances vehicle range to up to 354 miles (570km).

The GEFCO brand is now CEVA Logistics. With this change, CEVA Logistics announced the creation of a dedicated Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL) organisation as part of its integration of GEFCO. The move comes following the purchase of the French automotive logistics specialist in July 2022 by the CMA CGM Group.

CEVA Logistics offers a full range of global logistics and supply chain services, including contract logistics and air, ocean, ground and finished vehicle transport. With the acquisition and integration of GEFCO, CEVA is now the largest France-based logistics company and a global leader in automotive logistics solutions. CEVA moved its global headquarters to Marseille in 2019.

GEFCO’s remaining business, mostly in contract logistics and ground transportation, is being integrated into CEVA’s existing operations. CEVA plans to finish integration activities and replace the GEFCO brand worldwide in 2023.

The new product organisation will be under the director of former GEFCO COO Emmanuel Cheremetinski. As the global product leader for finished vehicle logistics, Cheremetinski will lead a global team of approximately 4,000 employees.

GEFCO traces its roots back to 1949, when it was created by French automaker Peugeot. GEFCO’s former FVL division transported approximately 4.0 million vehicles a year using its fleet of 1,600 trucks, nearly 3,000 vehicle transport wagons and more than 100 vehicle compounds. CEVA’s existing FVL solutions in limited geographies have been integrated into the new product organisation.

Prior to the GEFCO acquisition, CEVA already supported 14 of the top 15 global automotive manufacturers and many global automotive parts suppliers with logistics solutions, including inbound to manufacturing, component and aftermarket services. With the addition of full vehicle distribution and transport, CEVA can offer full lifecycle solutions to the global automotive industry.

Backed by the CMA CGM Group, CEVA expects its growth to continue as it targets becoming a Top 3 global 3PL.

Montway Auto Transport has announced Auction Direct Transport (ADT), a nationwide automotive transport brokerage company, has joined forces with the brand. ADT and Montway customers are complementary, and this merger strengthens Montway's capabilities in dealer and auction transportation across the country.

Dealers source vehicles from multiple channels, including physical and online auctions, and this strategy has been growing post-pandemic. ADT has made a tremendous name for itself among automotive dealers in a very short time. They offer a level of expertise and relationships that will help Montway's dealer partners further diversify their inventories, meet changing consumer demands and compete in today's marketplace.

Founded in 2018, ADT is a family-owned business based in Mesa, Ariz, US. The Company is co-operated by brothers Steve and Adam Carlson, who continue to serve as its leaders. ADT specialises in vehicle shipping and transportation services from auctions to dealers via its carrier network of over 11,000.

To accelerate its growth and enhance the customer experience, ADT want to offer digital solutions, which Montway will enable it to do. As a logistics company that invests in technology, ADT will be able to leverage Montway's pioneering innovations such as the Montway Automation Portal (M.A.P.) and LoadMate Pro, powered by Ship.Cars, to streamline auto transport and provide transparency throughout the process.

With ongoing inventory challenges, dealers are sourcing units from auctions outside of their local markets. Of those moves, 40.0% are greater than 150 miles, which is out of range for local auction transporters, creating a need for reliable, nationwide auto transportation services. Montway has a reputation for managing single-unit moves, transporting hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually.

To date, Montway has delivered approximately one million vehicles, served more than one million customers and has received almost 80,000 online customer reviews with an average rating of 4.7/5.