Maritime transport as a key element in the automotive industry

Abstract

Nowadays, Automotive Industry is one of the most competitive sectors. Manufacturers try to reduce production costs without any decrease in quality standards. On average, 7% of the final cost of a vehicle is divided into both, the logistic cost derived from the transportation of pieces and components to factories and the cost derived from the transportation of vehicles from factories to selling points and dealers. At this point, logistics and maritime transport play an important role in the improvement of competitiveness. In this paper, we will try to prove how maritime transport cost is much lower than ground transport (either for pieces and components or manufactured vehicles) despite of the fact that distances, most of the times, may be much longer in maritime transport. This study has been particularly developed for the Japanese Nissan trucks factory in Ávila (Spain).