ATG wins Toyota Vehicle Logistics Award

Logistics Insight Asia - Industry News, 23/6/2008

Deutsche Bahn subsidiary, ATG Autotransportlogistic GmbH, has received the 2008 Toyota Vehicle Logistics Award for its excellent performance in rail-based vehicle transportation.

The prize was awarded on the occasion of the VLG Logistics Partners Conference in Brussels. Toyota gives Vehicle Logistics Awards to its best vehicle logistics partners in various categories.

The jury felt that ATG deserved to receive the prize for its excellent performance, especially on operations between Kolin and Zeebrugge. The car transport specialist has been carrying around 22,000 new vehicles on this route every year since 2006. Toyota's compact Aygo model is manufactured at the Kolin plant in the Czech Republic and subsequently transported by ATG to the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium; from here the vehicles are either shipped to destinations in Britain and Ireland or distributed in the Benelux countries.

ATG's cross-border shipments are based on a sophisticated shuttle concept. This was sufficient to convince Toyota when inviting offers for the contract two years ago. "The fact that it is a round trip makes it economical to transport the cars," says Paul Hafner, Key Account Manager responsible for Toyota at ATG. The cars are carried from Kolin to Zeebrugge by block train, with fixed arrival and departure times. The trip only takes around two days, no slower than by truck. In addition to DB Schenker Rail, the Czech railroad ČD and the Belgian rail freight company B-Cargo are also involved as traction partners.

On the return trip, various Toyota models arriving from overseas are conveyed to the Czech Republic. Arriving at the car terminal in Kolin, the vehicles are then distributed to dealers by truck.

Headquartered in Eschborn, ATG is part of the DB Group. The company creates logistics chains by rail, truck and ship for all the best known automotive companies. ATG shifts approximately three million cars every year, and operates car terminals all over Europe.

DB Schenker Logistics, www.dbschenker.com