Welcome to today's edition of the Daily 5.
Logistics isn't a sexy part of the auto industry, but you can't move the metal without, well, moving the metal.
The latest logistics crisis for the auto industry stems from union workers at 36 East Coast ports going on strike at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1. Early indications point to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Volvo facing hassles with shipments, but there should be adequate inventory on lots for now.
Typically, the real troubles in these kinds of hiccups arise from disrupted parts deliveries. One missing parts delivery can quickly shut down an assembly line.
But this is a resilient industry that solves logistical problems every day. In August, we dealt with a Canadian rail strike. In April, the bridge collapse in Baltimore raised alarms. And in recent years we've dealt with strikes, storms, ship fires, wars, chip shortages, pandemics and tsunamis.
If the port strikes linger for more than a week, then there will be disruptions. But with plenty of crisis seasoning, this industry will adapt and move the metal somehow.
Meanwhile, as experts predicted, third-quarter U.S. sales slipped for most automakers. Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors both posted declines from the same quarter last year.
At GM, Chevy deliveries fell 6.4 percent, which was enough to offset gains at Buick, GMC and Cadillac. At Toyota, the namesake brand suffered a 10.4 percent drop while Lexus finished with an 8.1 percent gain. We won't know the full story until Ford, Volvo and a few other brands report results in the next few days.
In case you missed it, we have a terrific story today from Staff Reporter Laurence Iliff about how Teslas are helping to solve crimes with their camera technology. Message to criminals: Don't do anything bad in view of a Tesla. You might get caught.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, we'll have a scoop about a major dealership acquisition in Texas.
That's it for today. Have a great rest of your day.
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— Philip Nussel, online editor
