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China’s auto industry, ports and logistics professionals will be well-served to study the experience of their counterparts on the West Coast of North America, as strategies emerge for the global export of finished vehicles. That was a key message Bill Robbins, principal and co-founder of TransDevelopment, delivered in May during the Autologistics Asia 2005 conference held in Shanghai.

Despite different approaches to building and distributing vehicles, European and North American automotive manufacturers can learn from each other to create more efficient operations and supply chains. That was the message John MacGregor, TransDevelopment’s president, delivered to nearly 200 attendees of the annual Autologistics Europe conference held in Montreaux, Switzerland.

TransDevelopment paved nearly 40 acres of yard areas for vehicle storage, constructed four site buildings, and developed extensive track work and ancillary facilities. Once the design work was finalized, the Eurohub took nine months to complete. The Corby Eurohub has several design features commonly found at North American terminals, including a truck-away loading roadway and site security systems. TransDevelopment collaborated on the Corby project with several UK-based engineering and construction partners.

A major rebalancing of automotive terminal capacity in the eastern U.S. is underway in one of CSX Transportation’s key markets. Auto distribution operations are being shifted from two aging terminals in congested urban areas close to Boston to a modern and efficient facility outside of East Brookfield and Spencer, Mass. The new terminal has allowed the leading East Coast automotive railroad to cut its costs and bring vehicles closer to dealers in all of New England’s largest cities.