Congestion problems force the builder to find a plan B, faced with saturated car parks and a factory running at full speed.
A Stellantis factory in Hordain (illustration) (AFP / SAMEER AL-DOUMY)
The Stellantis factory in Sochaux (Doubs), faced with major logistical problems in the shipment of its vehicles, is forced to store some of its cars at the disused Lure-Malbouhans aerodrome (Haute-Saône), in about forty km from the industrial site, we learned from management.
Vehicles have been “offloaded” for a few days at this aerodrome “to speed up their distribution in local markets”, indicated a spokesperson for the factory, while the site’s car parks are currently saturated due to major logistical problems. due to a shortage of drivers in Europe.
Manufacturers also face “port congestion and instability of rail transport”, indicated last week the management of Stellantis Sochaux.
A situation that is all the more visible in Sochaux as the site is a hub through which vehicles manufactured elsewhere by the group transit, particularly from Rennes and Trnava (Slovakia).
The automaker, born from the merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in January 2021, is also currently overhauling its vehicle shipping logistics, now calling on diversified players and not a single operator, which was Gefco.
The Lure-Malbouhans aerodrome, with an area of 242 hectares, is a former NATO standard military site, inactive since 1997 and sold to the Haute-Saône departmental council in 2005.
“Very good operational performance”
“Reinforced security” has been put in place on the site, said the management of the automotive group. “We are managing this situation on a day-to-day basis, as with semiconductors. The teams are mobilized seven days a week to find the best solutions and improve the distribution time”, she added.
Local dealers also pick up vehicles directly from the Sochaux site to ensure shipments.
At the same time, the factory’s production remains strong, with orders continuing “thanks to the success of our vehicles”, rejoices the management.
The Sochaux site, which acquired a new assembly line at the start of the year, produces 1,100 cars daily, and is very soon aiming for a cruising speed of 1,200 vehicles per day. We observe “a very good operational performance”, according to the spokesperson for the management, which however reinforces the congestion.