Stellantis getting help from dealers to deliver cars in Italy
26/06/2023 18:13
MILAN, June 26 (Reuters) - Stellantis STLAM.MI has
reached a deal with Italian dealers to help the carmaker deliver
vehicles at a time of prolonged logistical disruption in Europe,
the group's head for Italy Santo Ficili said on Monday.
Under the arrangement, struck six months ago, dealers
directly pick up cars from factories, rather than have them
delivered by Stellantis, which is struggling with a shortage of
lorry drivers linked to the war in Ukraine.
The Stellantis manager said most of the drivers for car
transporters are Ukrainian, adding that their shortage was
affecting all carmakers in Europe.
"We asked dealers to give us a hand (...) we immediately
found a deal," Ficili said on the sidelines of an automotive
conference in Milan. "Of course we're paying them for their
service, we agreed on fees".
Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to find such
a solution, and its agreement with dealers, covering almost 20%
of Stellantis' daily shipments for Italy, has been replicated in
other countries, Ficili said.
He said the arrangement was due to end once logistics go
back to normal, which he expected "fairly soon".
Stellantis is also training its staff to become truck
drivers to help ease the crunch, and has reached a deal with
truckmaker Iveco IVG.MI and Italian trailer maker Rolfo to buy
100 car transporters, Ficili said.
However, no Stellantis employees have yet started as truck
drivers as they have to complete their training, which lasts
about four months, he said.
(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Alvise Armellini)
((giulio.piovaccari@thomsonreuters.com))