4/3/2023 Build Week Thread

[PicoR]

I'm getting similarly impatient with mine - although I'm a week behind you! No movement since 5/7, and no one can even tell me where it is. Est delivery date hasn't changed, so I guess that's good news.

When I ordered the car in Sept 22, the D&D charge was $1300. Now the sticker shows $1800.

I was hoping maybe Ford's price increase was for a more expedited delivery timeline.

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[illinirdhd]

When I ordered the car in Sept 22, the D&D charge was $1300. Now the sticker shows $1800.

I was hoping maybe Ford's price increase was for a more expedited delivery timeline.

Same, but it doesn't seem to be! Mine started at $1,300, then went to $1,500. Sticker says $1,800.

 

[ArthurDOB]

When I ordered the car in Sept 22, the D&D charge was $1300. Now the sticker shows $1800.

I was hoping maybe Ford's price increase was for a more expedited delivery timeline.

Nope. Ford contracts its shipping, they don’t own it. Shippers are the ones who raise the fees they charge Ford, and like any business, Ford passes along the increased costs to their customers. I don’t like it, but that how things work. Would you eat $500 per car shipped?

 

[illinirdhd]

Nope. Ford contracts its shipping, they don’t own it. Shippers are the ones who raise the fees they charge Ford, and like any business, Ford passes along the increased costs to their customers. I don’t like it, but that how things work. Would you eat $500 per car shipped?

My husband's company sells big/heavy stuff. Freight costs are a constant moving target. Luckily, most of their customers understand because they're hearing it from all of their manufacturers.

A friend of his recently got us a pretty good friends & family rate on a flat top griddle. Shipping would have been $200. We bought one on sale at Sam's instead. I understand the increase - and also don't like it!

 

[PicoR]

Nope. Ford contracts its shipping, they don’t own it. Shippers are the ones who raise the fees they charge Ford, and like any business, Ford passes along the increased costs to their customers. I don’t like it, but that how things work. Would you eat $500 per car shipped?

Unless these cars are waiting for parts to finish the build, I think Ford should be doing a better job of delivering customer's special order electric vehicles or actually communicating why cars are just sitting in lots.

 

[illinirdhd]

I wonder how much control Ford has, once they've left the factory. It does seem like a month in transit is too long though - I think mine only took 2 days to cross the border.

 

[ArthurDOB]

Unless these cars are waiting for parts to finish the build, I think Ford should be doing a better job of delivering customer's special order electric vehicles or actually communicating why cars are just sitting in lots.

I think Ford was pretty clear about supply chain issues and factory retooling causing delays. As for the long waits in lots, if you've ever seen one of those lots in person, you would see how cars in the middle of the lot can get blocked in by other cars arriving later.

Those later arriving cars go out first, then other arrivals replace them, and the ones in the middle are blocked in again. They sit there for weeks until there's a lull in delivery by train and they can finally get out. Good logistical planning could help eliminate this, but I'd bet that isn't always the case.

This problem is probably due to difficulties in hiring enough people to move the cars. It's not exactly a high-skill job to move cars around a lot, so I imagine the pay is not that great. There are lots more jobs that pay more, I'd wager. Who wants to work for $7.25/hr (the minimum wage in some of these states where the lots are) when they can work elsewhere for $12-15 an hour, or more?

 

[PicoR]

Found this on the Norfolk Southern website while searching my Ramp One code: RH02
Hapeville GA Auto Rail Yard

If you click on the PDF link it will show all of their auto distribution yards.

SERVICE ALERT
ATLANTA - Mar 31, 2023
Last December we announced a new strategy built around reliable and resilient service for our customers as an enduring competitive advantage for Norfolk Southern. We remain committed to that strategy and confident in its execution. Over the last several weeks, however, an unrelated series of factors have combined to negatively affect the quality of the service we are providing customers. These include the East Palestine derailment and subsequent track removal for remediation, a bridge outage, weather-related challenges, and the implementation of measures to enhance service reliability and safety. The resulting changes have led to a short-term disruption in our terminal dwell and train speed in the merchandise and bulk networks. As the benefits of these changes materialize, we are confident we will see service improve over the next few months."

 

[tigers]

This does not fill me with confidence at all that our car will arrive in the window Ford is estimating.

...we are confident we will see service improve over the next few months."

 

[tigers]

Well, maybe our car is out of train purgatory. Got an email today to complete the purchase and the status is now "Final Preparation". Hopefully by this weekend maybe? @PicoR hopefully yours is on the move too!

 

[poorlyeducated]

Final prep and that email means it’s at your dealer. I’d call them and set up an appointment to take delivery.

 

[PicoR]

Well, maybe our car is out of train purgatory. Got an email today to complete the purchase and the status is now "Final Preparation". Hopefully by this weekend maybe? @PicoR hopefully yours is on the move too!

Congrats!

No change. Car has a short travel from the rail yard once it is released.

 

[tigers]

That is so weird since you are way closer than me.

Congrats!

No change. Car has a short travel from the rail yard once it is released.

 

[tigers]

Should pick it up late today or tomorrow.

 

[PicoR]

Should pick it up late today or tomorrow.

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