Amid escalating cost pressures, trade and market uncertainty, and constant operational distractions, Volkswagen’s Anu Goel outlines a new practical logistics mandate for finished vehicle operations.

This keynote offers a leadership framework to focus teams on the highest impact risks, form targeted partnerships to boost capability and productivity, and safeguard the metrics that keep vehicle distribution competitive whilst ensuring longer-term production and sales viability and profitability.

• Prioritisation techniques to separate high‑impact issues such as tariffs, transport capacity shortages and logistics costs spikes from low‑value noise
• A clear decide‑build‑buy framework: when to invest internally, when to partner, and when outsourcing threatens service and cashflow
• How to manage and convert board return‑on‑sales expectations into a focused vehicle‑logistics action plan
• How to mitigate volatile trade and balance cost savings with delivery and quality reliability
• Practical criteria for selecting technology and third‑party partners that deliver measurable productivity gains

Hear from logistics leaders and major players on how the industry is strengthening networks, compressing response times, and improving collaboration to build true end-to-end resilience in finished vehicle logistics.

• How to anticipate risk and adapt faster to market, production, and policy shifts
• Network agility strategies that improve capacity utilisation and service reliability
• Digital intelligence, AI and data tools enabling quicker decisions and increased visibility
• Collaborative models that enhance transparency and mutual performance across the supply chain

Deep dive into smarter buying practices that enhance performance, cost control, network resilience and deliver win-win partnerships.

• The shift toward long-term, collaborative partnerships with built in flexibility
• Dynamic contracting models for volatile markets
• Digital RFQs, data-based benchmarking and performance transparency
• Integrating sustainability metrics into procurement decisions

Leaders discuss the operational, labour, and technological shifts reshaping autohauling and how fleets can adapt for long-term success.

• Strategies to manage driver shortages and workforce development
• Equipment and safety innovations to raise quality and reliability
• Digital tracking and real-time visibility expectations from OEMs
• Productivity improvements, including closer collaboration with railramps and ports, that balance cost and service

Hear from Raúl Gamboa, Head of Logistics, Production Control and Production Systems at BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí and learn how the carmaker is transforming its vehicle distribution strategy in response to market volatility, trade uncertainty whilst utilising data and advanced technology to optimise planning and streamline operations.

From rethinking global logistics flows and introducing new transport modes for cross-border shipments to the US market, to deploying practical, in-house digital and AI solutions that enhance planning, execution and visibility, BMW is building a more adaptive and data-driven logistics ecosystem.

Gain insights into the new strategies and practical, low-cost, high impact use cases of AI such as delivery planning tools and automated document processing, are delivering tangible operational gains, while setting the foundation for more advanced predictive, accuracy and optimisation capabilities.

• How BMW is reshaping its North American distribution strategy, including new direct trucking flows to increase flexibility and reduce lead times
• Using AI to optimise multimodal delivery planning across vessel, rail and road for cost and schedule efficiency
• Practical applications of AI in documentation and yard processes to enable faster, more reliable execution
• How low-cost, in-house digital tools can deliver significant and scalable operational improvements without large-scale investment
• Why increased supply chain volatility is accelerating the need for real-time data, predictive analytics and smarter decision-making

• Why flexible, non-asset models are gaining strategic importance in volatile markets
• How brokers use data and AI to optimize routing, load factors, and equipment selection
• Real-world collaboration models between brokers and asset-based carriers
• Scaling capacity up or down without sacrificing service or cost control
• Improving delivery precision, visibility, and customer experience for dealers and end buyers

Experts reveal how real-time visibility, advanced analytics and AI can unlock predictive capabilities, enable dynamic decisions, and reduce disruption.

• Improving visibility from plant to dealer through real-time tools and connected systems
• Predictive analytics to mitigate delays and improve flow
• Data-based quality and damage prevention tools
• The role of AI in dynamic routing and smarter network optimisation

This breakout session examines two high-impact opportunities to improve finished vehicle logistics performance through collaboration and smarter network design. By comparing approaches across the industry, participants will gain practical insights into how greater transparency and coordination can unlock efficiencies while remaining aligned with antitrust considerations.

• Improving backhaul utilization through cross-OEM visibility and structured, non-competitive information sharing
• Identifying natural network synergies to reduce empty miles and improve asset utilization
• Comparing backup carrier models, including 3PL-managed and carrier-led approaches
• Understanding trade-offs in speed, cost and service when securing contingency capacity
• Learning practical strategies to strengthen network resilience during disruptions, volume spikes and capacity constraints

This breakout examines the rise of fraud in vehicle logistics, highlights common schemes and the supply chain touchpoints most at risk, and uses brief case studies and peer-to-peer exchange to develop easy-to-implement actions. Participants will leave with a new ideas and practical takeaways across verification practices, onsite pickup checks, basic tracking approaches, contract safeguards, and incident response playbooks.

• Reliable carrier identity and credential verification balanced with operational speed
• Detecting fraudulent actors and criminal tactics
• Standardized onsite checks and authentication at point of pickup
• Enhancing marketplace and data sharing security
• Controls to reduce payment and invoice fraud while preserving cash flow
• Cross-partner incident response, escalation and intelligence sharing mechanisms

This workshop explores how AI can be applied across finished vehicle logistics and distribution networks to improve efficiency, visibility and decision-making. Participants will gain a clear, practical roadmap for adoption - from preparing data foundations to selecting tools and deploying solutions - supported by real-world examples demonstrating how organizations are already using AI across multiple segments of the vehicle supply chain.

• Identifying high-impact use cases for AI across transport planning, yard management, routing and network optimization
• Preparing data infrastructure and governance frameworks to support successful AI deployment
• Understanding implementation pathways, from pilot projects to scalable enterprise solutions
• Learning from real-world industry applications that demonstrate measurable performance, cost and service improvements

Connect with fellow maritime vehicle logistics specialists for an interactive workshop aiming to identify and develop solutions and opportunities to maximise throughput and operational efficiencies amidst shifting trade patterns, tariffs, regulations and fluctuating volumes, powertrain mixes and equipment requirements. Attendees will leave with actionable practices to streamline terminal flows, improve schedule reliability and deepen commercial offerings without sacrificing resilience.

• Streamlining yard and gate operations to reduce dwell time and accelerate turn cycles
• Coordinating vessel arrival windows, berth allocations and onward logistics flows on through enhanced forecasting, predictive ETAs and automated scheduling
• Designing flexible terminal capacity and equipment plans to accommodate shifts in volume and powertrain mix (ICE, EVs, hybrids)
• Expanding value added services (pre delivery inspection, battery handling, customisation) that create revenue while reducing downstream touchpoints
• Establishing information sharing protocols and KPIs across ports, carriers, terminals and OEMs to enable rapid decision making under regulatory or trade disruption

Future-proof your business with the latest market forecast and strategic outlook highlighting upcoming volume trends, model mix changes, dealer inventory trends, and economic and political trends shaping vehicle production, sales and distribution.

• Market drivers influencing demand across segments across North America
• Production planning realities for ICE, hybrid, and EV models
• Implications for network capacity, equipment, and modal mix
• Expert analysis on new and used vehicle sales prices

As OEMs increase the cadence of new vehicles and powertrain variants, discover the coordination, quality management, testing and transport capacity planning needed to ensure flawless vehicle launches and optimised logistics from the start.

• Designing transport flows from plant launch to first delivery
• Managing new EV platform requirements and charging needs
• Collaboration among OEMs, carriers, and processors during launch cycles
• Avoiding bottlenecks with proactive planning and flexible capacity

Following a devastating hailstorm at Kia’s West Point, Georgia facility in 2023 that damaged thousands of vehicles, the company worked with VPS to rethink how vehicle storage infrastructure could better protect assets while creating long-term strategic value.

This session will explore how the partners developed a large-scale, solar-integrated hail protection structure that combines vehicle protection, renewable energy generation and financial incentives in a single solution.

The result is an innovative model that turns climate risk into opportunity, demonstrating how collaboration and forward-thinking investment can strengthen resilience, support sustainability goals and set a new benchmark for finished vehicle logistics.