New trucking services just launched in Panama
A truck carrying cars was something Panamanians only saw on trips abroad. Until now.
That’s because Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions recently launched the first-ever inland car carrying service in the country. The service shuttles cars on specialised car-hauling trucks from the Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) to customers’ inland storage yards near Panama City.
The previous provider drove the cars individually from MIT 80 kilometres across the country where they were prepared for sale.
This meant the cars were sold with 100km on the clock, reducing their appeal to buyers. OEMs were also hit with additional costs such as fuel, damage, and insurance. Transporting the vehicles on trucks will reduce these costs. The other option for importers is to drive their cars individually from Balboa, which although a shorter distance, has similar drawbacks.
“OEMs importing to Manzanillo can now expect a very different experience when getting their vehicles to market in Panama,” said COO Logistics Services, Michael Hynekamp.
“We are offering a best-in-class, quality-focused trucking solution which enables customers to reduce the risk of asset damage and better plan their operations,” he said.
The previous provider drove cars individually 80 kilometres to the inland storage yards near Panama City
The new solution allows auto importers to reduce cost, offer a better service to their end customers, improve safety, and even reduce their carbon emissions.COO Logistics Services
Asset visibility
The new solution allows auto importers to reduce cost, offer a better service to their end customers, improve safety, and even reduce their carbon emissions. In addition, OEMs now get real-time visibility of their vehicles as they move through the supply chain, including ETA and digital inspection data. Knowing when their cars will arrive and in which condition allows customers to better plan their operations and streamline their inventory.
End-to-end solution in Panama
MIT is a major shipping hub for Wallenius Wilhelmsen, where we maintain over 200 port calls and more than 60,000 cargo movements per year.
We also offer processing services at our facility at Manzanillo, ensuring vehicles are delivered on-time and in dealer-ready condition. With this improved inland service, we offer a complete solution for OEMs importing cars into Panama.
