While 2020 saw a record slump in new car sales in the UK*, strong demand for the international movement of classic and supercars has given Rhenus UK’s newly established Full Vehicle Logistics (FVL) business a major boost.
In its first six months of operations alone, the finished vehicle logistics service transported 86 high-performance cars, worth more than EUR 100,000,000 in total. Utilizing a mixture of air, sea, and road transportation, the new highly specialized FVL solution from Rhenus provides a bespoke logistics service to discerning car enthusiasts, dealers, and OEMs.
The majority of the shipments by Rhenus FVL over its first six months of operations have concerned the export of new or classic cars from the UK to either the Far East or mainland Europe. These shipments were completed through a mixture of road, air, and ocean transport solutions, with the choice of transport being decided based on the specific needs of the customer.
Rhenus has a proven track record supporting automotive OEMs through a range of transportation services for finished vehicles, vehicle parts, and sub-assembly projects – all underpinned by its extensive European network. With the introduction of Full Vehicle Logistics, it has increased its capabilities to work on additional specialist automotive movements, from transporting one-of-a-kind prototypes to managing full customs clearance for individual vehicle shipments across the globe.
Aimed at car enthusiasts, specialist dealerships, and manufacturers, the FVL service has been even more successful than expected for Rhenus UK.
Spencer Davern, Air & Ocean director at Rhenus UK, commented: “Despite the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global recession, and now Brexit, we’ve seen strong demand for our new specialist service. Our proven capability within the automotive sector, coupled with our focus on quality and communication at all stages has evidently hit the right mark with discerning supercar and classic car owners.”
Spencer added “To lessen the impact of Brexit on the automotive industry, the Rhenus joint-venture, Cuxport, located in Northern Germany’s Cuxhaven, has implemented optimized customs processes, leading to a significant increase in EU/UK-vehicles being handled through the port. This increase has since produced an extended, now daily shipping schedule between Immingham and Cuxhaven for European markets and has paved the way for a significant business award.”
Rhenus UK’s success bucks the otherwise gloomy trend in the UK car market, which saw sales in 2020 fall to a level not seen since 1992. However, luxury car makers have reported remarkable resilience, boosted by strong sales in China and the Far East.
The launch of Full Vehicle Logistics has allowed Rhenus to further expand its automotive offering and focus on the movement of complete cars via air, ocean or road. With Brexit now a reality, Rhenus believes there is a benefit to businesses keeping their transportation needs under one roof, with a provider that can deliver complete support from start to finish, including customs clearance.
