For more than 35 years, CEVA Logistics’ Finished Vehicle Logistics services provides tailor-made solutions for the secured and confidential transport of exceptional vehicles, including prototypes, concept cars, supercars, classic cars, race cars, and more. Every year CEVA handles more than 10,000 high-value vehicles across more than 27 countries with the utmost care, utilizing our fleet of closed and open trucks to ensure secure and flexible transport options. Our expertise lies in managing time-sensitive and appointment-based deliveries for clients across Europe, as well as in the UK and Morocco, while providing tailored solutions to meet local requirements and specific business needs.
To learn more about this specialized service we’ve sat down with Raphael Bouzeloc, CEVA’s FVL Special Transport Manager. With 10 years of experience in Finished Vehicle Logistics, Raphael shares insights into how CEVA meets the unique demands of this field.
What are the main challenges faced in transporting special vehicles?
Each day, we transport exceptional vehicles that hold not only financial value but also deep historical, and often emotional value. For this reason, they require optimal, safe, and secure handling, transport, and storage conditions to preserve their integrity. For prototype testing, the pre-production phase, and new model launches, maintaining full confidentiality during transport is crucial.
As the market becomes increasingly demanding and fast-paced, adhering to strict deadlines is non-negotiable. Whether it’s for auto events, testing, or homologation trials for new models, ensuring reliable and responsive deliveries is vital. In the research and development field, for instance, reducing development cycles is a major challenge for some of our clients. In this area, being a proactive transport partner is key to allowing them to focus on their core projects by taking care of the logistical elements.
In this quickly evolving landscape, traceability also plays a crucial role. Providing visibility at every step throughout the transport process brings peace of mind to customers. Finally, adopting more efficient transport practices to minimize carbon footprint and reduce environmental impact remains a key priority. We’re always aiming for efficiency—less miles, faster transit, and reduced carbon emissions.
How is CEVA addressing these new challenges?
We started our Special transport operations in France and have since rolled out our fleet of enclosed transport vehicles to several key European countries including Spain, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. This wider geographic coverage enhances our responsiveness and helps minimize empty kilometers, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions.
Given the high value of the vehicles we transport, it is crucial that our fleet is diverse and well-maintained. We operate a fleet of 50 trucks specially designed and equipped with advanced suspension systems to ensure smooth transport. Additionally, our secure loading systems, including hydraulic ramps and platforms, allow for safe loading and unloading, preventing any contact that could damage the vehicles. This includes three refrigerated trailers which are frequently used for temperature-sensitive operations during testing or vehicle homologation processes. Our fleet is equipped with the latest generation of advanced geolocation devices (real-time GPS tracking), ensuring full transparency throughout transport.
n addition, the expertise and training of our Special Vehicle transport team, particularly our drivers, are key factors in our success. We have a rigorous selection process to ensure employees bring the right experience and are committed to customer satisfaction. While our drivers share a passion for cars, we ensure they receive thorough training to meet the high standards required for handling high-value vehicles. Each new driver completes a hands-on onboarding program, spending their first month paired with a senior driver to learn our operational practices and undergo continuous training to stay up to date on both technical skills and safety standards.
Because our customers expect seamless service, we offer door–to-door solutions covering customs management, insurance, storage, and vehicle preparation whenever needed. We adapt to specific requests, whether it’s coordinating precise delivery times or arranging customized routes. In short, our goal is to provide bespoke, reliable, and low-carbon transport solutions that drive our customers’ success with all their special vehicle needs.
Could you share with us a few stories of some transport projects you have completed?
We were recently involved in a mission for a leading OEM, the worldwide mobility partner of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee.
We delivered 250 Accessible People Movers (APMs) for the Olympic and Paralympic venues. The project was complex due to the unique challenges of such a demanding event: tight schedules, strict access protocols, and unpredictable logistical constraints.
Our customer was satisfied with the service, valuing our flexibility, transparent communication, and ability to adapt to last-minute changes while ensuring on-time deliveries across the Olympic and Paralympic sites.
What makes CEVA unique in the transport of special vehicles?
What sets us apart is our ability to operate as a truly global partner across Europe. By strategically deploying our specialized closed fleet in key countries, we can offer efficient transport solutions across the continent and beyond. Additionally, we provide a one-stop-shop experience for our customers, offering them access to our extensive storage and workshop facilities, a wide-reaching conventional open truck fleet, and our expertise in managing international customs to avoid delays in operations. This approach allows us to optimize transport operations and leverage network volumes to provide our customers solutions that are both cost-effective, fast and sustainable.
SOURCE: CEVA Logistics
