Western Railroad Discussion > GM, Ford hobbled by parts supply

Expect more, and maybe faster, auto parts trains from Mexico.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford and General Motors have had to limit new truck assembly due to parts shortages. Second shifts are being pushed back, unit output is below expected.

Some of this is due to slower resumption by Mexican parts suppliers, some is due to infections in nearby suppliers like Lear. Under NAFTA and USMCA, car makers have to balance local country content with local sales.

Priority is being given to getting big, profitable trucks into dealer show rooms.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/gms-plans-to-increase-truck-production-delayed-by-parts-shortage-11590155233cx_testid=3cx_testvariant=cx_2cx_artpos=3cxrecs_s

Posted from Android

I would expect them to be busy chartering their usual auto parts recovery jets as well, anything they can do to get the parts to the factory.

The dedicated trains for hot "shut down" auto parts have certainly been discontinued by PSR.  Running a special train for a good customer is too hard, and besides, do you realize what running an extra train will do to the operating ratio?
(Sadly, I'm only being partially sarcastic)  BSB

I am just glad that the auto plants are again up and operating, along with all the parts plants and many subcontractors.  Let's get back to work!

Any sightings of special trains?

I can't imagine they would ship transmissions by air, but a team trucker could get product over the road in a hurry. Faster than rail, for sure.

(Would they ship transmission assemblies by air?)

Posted from Android

Can you tell a special container train from a regular one?

BigSkyBlue Wrote:
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> The dedicated trains for hot "shut down" auto
> parts have certainly been discontinued by PSR. 
> Running a special train for a good customer is too
> hard, and besides, do you realize what running an
> extra train will do to the operating ratio?
> (Sadly, I'm only being partially sarcastic)  BSB

That's where Kalitta Air 747Fs come in.

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> Can you tell a special container train from a
> regular one?


If it stops at every yard for a few hours, no, I couldn't.

Posted from Android

MEKoch Wrote:
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> I am just glad that the auto plants are again up
> and operating, along with all the parts plants and
> many subcontractors.  Let's get back to work!


Safely! Lets not sacrifice workers for the bottom line.

Posted from Android

masterphots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The dedicated trains for hot "shut down" auto
> > parts have certainly been discontinued by
> PSR. 
> > Running a special train for a good customer is
> too
> > hard, and besides, do you realize what running
> an
> > extra train will do to the operating ratio?
> > (Sadly, I'm only being partially sarcastic) 
> BSB
>
> That's where Kalitta Air 747Fs come in.

Not really, Kalitta Air rarely flies for Ford/GM. Active Aero does all the air charter bidding for Ford, most of which ends up flying at either Kalitta Charters, USAJet, IFL group, or a variety of smaller carriers. I used to fly for one of those carriers, and we would carry all kinds of random parts. Brake assemblies, transmissions, center console assemblies, interior fabric, speakers, frame parts, air bag inflators. You name it, we would fly it, whatever they needed.

Thanks for all the info.

Holding the "just in time" parts supply together.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Thanks for all the info.
>
> Holding the "just in time" parts supply together.
>
> Posted from Android

Just in time works great, until it doesn't, and then it gets real expensive real fast, to keep the line moving.

> I am just glad that the auto plants are again up and operating, along with all the parts plants and
> many subcontractors.  Let's get back to work!

Autos may be slower to come back than trucks and heavy equipment. There are a few obstacles that may slow demand for a little while. If there's a flood of relatively new used vehicles, the market may need time to absorb them before the full market for new cars picks up.
https://wolfstreet.com/2020/05/24/hertz-bankruptcy-threatens-to-make-mess-in-the-used-vehicle-market-with-burst-of-pent-up-supply/

Dano

kscessnadriver Wrote:
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> Just in time works great, until it doesn't, and
> then it gets real expensive real fast, to keep the
> line moving.

Like surgical masks, toilet paper, bottled water (etc.)?

TAW

BigSkyBlue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The dedicated trains for hot "shut down" auto
> parts have certainly been discontinued by PSR. 
> Running a special train for a good customer is too
> hard, and besides, do you realize what running an
> extra train will do to the operating ratio?

Anyone ever consider that it there really was P and S in R, shutdown trains wouldn't be needed?

TAW

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> (Would they ship transmission assemblies by air?)
>

In the 80s, BN deadheaded FREDs all over the country by UPS same day air, a dozen or more virtually every day. Managing the supply (like chief dispatchers used to do with pool cabooses) would have been cheaper, but they told us to quit doing it because it was taking too much time (and they couldn't cut jobs if we were doing stuff...which I was actually told by a genius manager a few times). On the morning conference call, terminals all over the system would report to the Ft Worth gurus the number of FREDs on hand and needed. After the tally was complete, you might find Pasco shipping six of them to Kansas City by UPS same day air (really!). Since the Alliance Division already had a helicopter for dogcatching and deadheading (not so much chief dispatcher time needed managing crews) and the exacutive jet was a 737, we used to joke that they needed to make a deal with the Soviet Union to buy an An-225 for deadheading locomotives.

TAW