Point #3 in this article is interesting news to me.

[JohnP]

https://fordauthority.com/2022/07/heres-why-your-new-ford-hasnt-arrived-at-your-dealer-yet/

Sponsored

 

[slowjim]

this article is a year old

 

[JohnP]

this article is a year old

I understand that it's a year old. I guess I should have added more commentary to my post. I honestly had no idea there were such challenges with trucking and rail cargo shipping across the country. COVID's impact on chip manufacturing and general supply chains was well documented. But I didn't realize Ford and other major car manufacturers have been dealing with these transportation backlogs since 2022. I never read/saw anything about lack of training or shortage of workers in this area. Knowing it's been an ongoing issue, it's not just tied to the roll out of the new Mustang. So, it should be less of surprise to all of us that they have a huge inventory of new cars just sitting on their lots and they can't move them.

 

[Skye]

The Transportation sector has been dealing with multiple, significant, simultaneous headwinds for the last several years.

The pandemic accelerated the demise of brick and mortar stores and increased the use of direct to consumer channels. Logistics and Transport systems have been fundamentally changed as a result.

Labor issues at major ports have altered many of the traditional routes and methods used to get goods and services from one point to another. Assets previously available might now be in use elsewhere.

Inflation, parts and vehicle shortages have left many providers paying more than ever before, doing more with less, or both.

Driver burnout is high in trucks and rail. Difficult schedules, poor pay and benefits often the main reasons.

 

[JohnP]

The Transportation sector has been dealing with multiple, significant, simultaneous headwinds for the last several years.

The pandemic accelerated the demise of brick and mortar stores and increased the use of direct to consumer channels. Logistics and Transport systems have been fundamentally changed as a result.

Labor issues at major ports have altered many of the traditional routes and methods used to get goods and services from one point to another. Assets previously available might now be in use elsewhere.

Inflation, parts and vehicle shortages have left many providers paying more than ever before, doing more with less, or both.

Driver burnout is high in trucks and rail. Difficult schedules, poor pay and benefits often the main reasons.

I found this interesting. I always personally thought of COVID related supply chain issues as a 'global' issue. I knew countries across the globe were struggling to produce goods (like chips) and that was slowing manufacturing. I knew our shipping ports were backed up, so external goods were slow to arrive. I assumed Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes would arrive slowly into the USA for these reasons.

I assumed USA built cars would arrive faster, if the parts were ready and the cars were built, people would be driving those cars faster. I didn't understand that our domestic transportation (state to state) was FUBAR. I didn't realize domestic auto manufacturers have been dealing with transportation issues for the past year or two between their plants and dealerships. If I had known that, I would have had different delivery expectations when I ordered my new Mustang.

I think most of us have been assuming Ford's stated plan of Early Summer rollout would be met. I assumed some delays would likely surface as new models commonly create QC issues. But a 1-2 delivery/transportation quagmire was not on my radar. Interesting!

 

[Interstellar]

UPS is paying their long haul truck drivers $170k. That’s how insane the shipping industry is. Wonder if they’re hiring

 

[gpellis87]

It should be noted that this most likely isn't a transportation issue. Ford is shipping cars every day from their factories. Yes it can be slow and there can be delays, but they aren't just stockpiling thousands of built F-150's, for example. There is some other reason why the cars have yet to be released that nobody here knows and anyone posting is just speculating.

 

[ThreePedalPlow]

It should be noted that this most likely isn't a transportation issue. Ford is shipping cars every day from their factories. Yes it can be slow and there can be delays, but they aren't just stockpiling thousands of built F-150's, for example. There is some other reason why the cars have yet to be released that nobody here knows and anyone posting is just speculating.

Do we know that other 2024 models have been shipping from Ford to dealerships already? Obviously the Mustang is just sitting there collecting sunburns, hail and bird poop.

 

[gpellis87]

Do we know that other 2024 models have been shipping from Ford to dealerships already? Obviously the Mustang is just sitting there collecting sunburns, hail and bird poop.

As far as MY24 across all models, the MY24 Edge has already shown up on dealer lots. Not sure where other models are with MY24 refresh - the F-150 hasn't been "officially" shown or released yet so they're still shipping 2023s.

 

[BlackFerret69]

Though a year old, the article says this:

"The biggest factor associated with the delay of new Ford vehicles to dealers is the global microchip shortage. In short, there just aren’t enough chips to produce new vehicles at the same rates and in the same quantities as before the became an issue. The circumstance has forced many automakers, including but not limited to The Blue Oval, to reduce production until the situation improves."

And to a degree it is still true today as when the chip factories shut down during the pandemic. Then when they cranked back up, they started punching out their more advanced and profitable chips.

Unfortunately, Ford doesn't use many of those newer chips but ones that are over a decade old in technology, this is because of the amount of work and cost they have to put out to move to newer chipsets. Not to mention redesigning the hardware and software to incorporate them.

"about 60% of the chips used in Ford’s vehicles are 55-nanometer or larger"

Since 2021 they have been making that investment in money and time, but as late at February, Ford still says it is an issue.

https://www.cbtnews.com/semiconductor-chip-shortage-automakers-not-out-of-the-woods/

 

[JohnP]

Though a year old, the article says this:

"The biggest factor associated with the delay of new Ford vehicles to dealers is the global microchip shortage. In short, there just aren’t enough chips to produce new vehicles at the same rates and in the same quantities as before the became an issue. The circumstance has forced many automakers, including but not limited to The Blue Oval, to reduce production until the situation improves."

And to a degree it is still true today as when the chip factories shut down during the pandemic. Then when they cranked back up, they started punching out their more advanced and profitable chips.

Unfortunately, Ford doesn't use many of those newer chips but ones that are over a decade old in technology, this is because of the amount of work and cost they have to put out to move to newer chipsets. Not to mention redesigning the hardware and software to incorporate them.

"about 60% of the chips used in Ford’s vehicles are 55-nanometer or larger"

Since 2021 they have been making that investment in money and time, but as late at February, Ford still says it is an issue.

https://www.cbtnews.com/semiconductor-chip-shortage-automakers-not-out-of-the-woods/

So, you think thousands of newly built Mustangs are sitting in Ford plant parking lots waiting for chips to be installed into them? I don't know about that.

 

[BlackFerret69]

So, you think thousands of newly built Mustangs are sitting in Ford plant parking lots waiting for chips to be installed into them? I don't know about that.

No, not all of them for sure. But Ford says that the shortage of chips is still an ongoing supply chain issue.

Sponsored