Tracking South African builds/shipping?
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
2024 GLS450
Tracking South African builds/shipping?
I did some searching on here, but did not find anything so here goes.
Has anyone tried to track their car from South Africa yet after it has been produced? When I bought my smart, I got the VIN the day it was assigned through a contact on another forum who has factory contacts and was able to track it through the rest of the build process/shipping process via the bill of lading from Wallenius Wilhelmsen and on vesseltracker.com. I actually knew when it was in port at Baltimore before my dealer did.
I've been doing some researching this morning trying to find out who all is used to ship from the East London plant, as well as routes and such and am hitting dead ends everywhere. I am still a couple of months off from my car being more than a roll of steel somewhere waiting to be pressed out - but when it gets a VIN I want to be ready.
Has anyone tried to track their car from South Africa yet after it has been produced? When I bought my smart, I got the VIN the day it was assigned through a contact on another forum who has factory contacts and was able to track it through the rest of the build process/shipping process via the bill of lading from Wallenius Wilhelmsen and on vesseltracker.com. I actually knew when it was in port at Baltimore before my dealer did.
I've been doing some researching this morning trying to find out who all is used to ship from the East London plant, as well as routes and such and am hitting dead ends everywhere. I am still a couple of months off from my car being more than a roll of steel somewhere waiting to be pressed out - but when it gets a VIN I want to be ready.
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2011 C300 4matic sport
Somewhat off topic, but I heard that BMW will give you a DVD with video of your actual vehicle being built (at least for the X5 or X6, don't remember). I wish MB would do that to satisfy the extreme geeks such as us!
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From: East Texas
2004 Volvo XC70; 2012 GLK 350 4matic
I found ship schedules at W&W between East London & Bremerhaven. My guess is that the North American cars are then transferred to a ship bound for Baltimore, Brunswick or Carson City.
Good luck & keep us informed. The information base needs filling in.
Wayne
Good luck & keep us informed. The information base needs filling in.
Wayne
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Saab 900 SE
Merc really doesn't do new car tracking like that, plus your car prob won't be SA built all the C250 at our lot are non SA.
Also they ship into NJ and in FL for this coast...
Merc does tracking just on ordered cars unless you do the euro deliver program, in which then you do get all sorts of super tracking info after the cars built, but its just for the shipping over here.
Smart cars are very easy to build like a lego so Id imagine tracking those awful glorified golf carts is much easier then a Mercedes is to build and track plus it could be made in a few places and shipped into a few as well.
Also they ship into NJ and in FL for this coast...
Merc does tracking just on ordered cars unless you do the euro deliver program, in which then you do get all sorts of super tracking info after the cars built, but its just for the shipping over here.
Smart cars are very easy to build like a lego so Id imagine tracking those awful glorified golf carts is much easier then a Mercedes is to build and track plus it could be made in a few places and shipped into a few as well.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,351
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
2024 GLS450
It has to be tracked by a bill of lading with a shipping company. As soon as I can get the VIN, I can do it. Just did not know if anyone did it before.
Smart cars are very easy to build like a lego so Id imagine tracking those awful glorified golf carts is much easier then a Mercedes is to build and track plus it could be made in a few places and shipped into a few as well.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: East Texas
2004 Volvo XC70; 2012 GLK 350 4matic
AdidasC230,
M-B VPC points for eastern US are Baltimore & Brunswick, GA. The VPC location is printed on the window sticker below the dealer's address. MBUSA has press releases and videos online explaing the system. No worries. My dealership doesn't know where they enter the US either.
As for which plant, I have seen at least one recent arrival from Bremen. That isn't enough information for a conclusive answer. I defer to those with real information.
Wayne
Waiting for a GLK350 4matic to arrive from Brunswick, GA.
M-B VPC points for eastern US are Baltimore & Brunswick, GA. The VPC location is printed on the window sticker below the dealer's address. MBUSA has press releases and videos online explaing the system. No worries. My dealership doesn't know where they enter the US either.
As for which plant, I have seen at least one recent arrival from Bremen. That isn't enough information for a conclusive answer. I defer to those with real information.
Wayne
Waiting for a GLK350 4matic to arrive from Brunswick, GA.
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