Wallenius-Wilhelmsen

**Old smart** · 10-20-2007, 06:37 AM

Following the international shipping news, I note that Wallenius-Wilhelmsen (who will be bringing the smarts to the U.S. out of Zeebrugge, Belgium) has just announced the opening of a new vehicle processing center at its Dundalk Ro-Ro site in Baltimore. Among its capabilities are body and paint shops (the ocean carrier is responsible for repair of any damage suffered enroute), as well as facilities to install vehicle accessories, parts storage, and customer warranty work (I assume the "customer" is smartUSA).

Wild speculation could include the possibility of receiving relatively basic smarts and having the color panels installed there as called-for by smartUSA. Maybe also such things as P/S units, instruments, foglights, etc. Just something else to further whip up the troops.

Carnut · 10-20-2007, 06:48 AM

How quickly can you install a spycam?

Seriously, on the Canadian site one of their members has the capability of posting serial numbers as well as other details of smarts that are enroute from France. Once we start rolling that would be good info to know for the USA shipments.

**Old smart** · 10-20-2007, 06:57 AM

Canada may be a special case as buyers there are doing so directly through M-B dealers, and purchase order numbers will be generated locally. With all the wickets between smartUSA and IB, I'm not sure that the P/O and VIN numbers will be available, which will be necessary to identify the Bill of Lading numbers and track the manifest.

Carnut · 10-20-2007, 07:02 AM

Wow, I'm really getting in to this. One of their ships, the Talisman, is leaving LeHarve 10/24 and arriving at Baltimore on 11/3. The ship is capable of carrying up to 5495 cars per trip. Hmmmmmmmmm.

;)

**Old smart** · 10-20-2007, 10:03 AM

This may only be of interest to me, but I was looking to see by what mode of transportation the new smarts would take from smartville (Hambach) to Zeebrugge, and how they may be loaded for ocean shipment. I am mindful of all the new Audis in the big plastic-drapped, intermodal trailers that are loaded in Germany and off-loaded at Davisville, RI, and thence directly distributed throughout the country. Nope, the smarts will move by rail to Zeebrugge.

A Google Earth look-see at the smartville factory (49

BeSmart · 10-20-2007, 02:03 PM

PAG is trying to get 5000 reservees satisfied in early 2008, Jan/Feb. Get those smarts out on the street! Sounds like all 5000 could come on one ship

**Old smart** · 10-20-2007, 02:13 PM

Typical PCTCs carry about 6,000 standard units (standard length and width), so one could probably load 10,000 smarts! The limiting factor would be the number of sets of lashing gear.

SmartBob · 10-20-2007, 03:53 PM

Good news! You guys are great!