CASE 03
·
Multimodal
·
Automotive
Automotive components by rail and road, Shanghai to Hamburg
A weekly flow of components moved from sea to China–Europe rail, cutting door-to-door lead time by about three weeks.
SHIPMENT MANIFEST
Client
European tier-2 automotive supplier
Cargo
Machined steel and aluminium components
Mode
Multimodal
Industry
Automotive
Handled by
Shanghai
Completed
Aug 27, 2025
OUTCOME
Door to door
22 days
Per week
4 × 40HC
Shorter than sea
~3 weeks
01
The challenge
The supplier was shipping components from its Chinese factory to a German assembly plant by sea, with door-to-door times of 40 days or more. Inventory in transit was tying up working capital, and delays at sea left little room to react.
02
Constraints
Parts needed on a weekly call-off schedule
China–Europe rail capacity and routing subject to change
Gauge changes at borders requiring container transfers
Customs transit documents for several countries
03
Operational plan
Containers were trucked from the factory to an inland rail terminal and moved on a scheduled block train to Europe, with a gauge change at the EU border. Our Hamburg office arranged customs clearance and road delivery to the plant.
Because rail routings and schedules change, our Shanghai team confirms each week’s departure and transit before booking, and a sea option is kept available as a fallback.
04
Key decisions
Rail for the steady weekly flow, sea for bulk replenishment
A weekly booking day agreed with the factory
Transit confirmed before each departure rather than assumed
Sea fallback kept open for disruption
05
Outcome
Door-to-door lead time settled at around 22 days on average over the first six months, roughly three weeks shorter than the previous sea routing on the same lane.
SERVICES USED
How we moved it
CONTEXT
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