MarineTraffic for automotive OEMs

Tackling trade disruption with end-to-end maritime intelligence

The challenge: When tariffs hit, visibility becomes critical

With U.S. import tariffs on vehicles now in effect—and potential retaliatory measures from other major economies—automakers face unprecedented pressure to deliver vehicles on time, avoid customs penalties, and maintain continuity across dealer networks.

Yet most shipping disruptions aren’t just about tariffs. They stem from a lack of maritime visibility. Incomplete data on vessel movements, port congestion, and arrival timing can lead to:

  • Missed customs clearance windows
  • Dealer network delays and product launch setbacks
  • Inefficient coordination with port agents and inland logistics

Five key challenges for automotive OEMs

and how MarineTraffic solves them

1. Limited real-time visibility

Vehicle manufacturers often lack precise, moment-to-moment updates on vessel status—whether at sea, anchored, or berthed. This delays downstream logistics and makes contingency planning nearly impossible.

✓ MarineTraffic unlocks: 
Industry-leading AIS coverage (terrestrial, satellite, and roaming), paired with berth-level event detection, enables real-time tracking across every stage of the voyage.

2. Unreliable or incomplete ETAs

Operations teams struggle with inconsistent or outdated ETAs, often relying on captain-reported times that don’t reflect actual conditions—leading to costly misalignment with customs or distribution.

✓ MarineTraffic unlocks:
Dual ETA system — compare captain-reported vs. dynamically calculated ETAs powered by historical patterns and real-time tracking for higher forecasting accuracy.

3. Fragmented data across teams & systems

Data silos between HQ, local port agents, logistics providers, and carriers make it difficult to align efforts without tedious reconciliation.

✓ MarineTraffic unlocks:
A unified source of truth through a single platform and API — combining vessel locations, port events, fleet ownership, and congestion analytics in one view.

4. Blind spots post-arrival

Once the vessel reaches port, visibility often ends. Teams lack insight into berth times, unloading duration, and yard congestion — key factors in last-mile planning.

✓ MarineTraffic unlocks:
Accurate timestamped port calls, anchorage events, and RoRo berth & terminal analytics to estimate unloading times and monitor yard operations.

5. Complex integration & evaluation

Even with the right data, many OEMs struggle to integrate it effectively due to technical complexity, unclear documentation, or lack of hands-on support.

✓ MarineTraffic unlocks:
API-first architecture (REST & GraphQL), clear documentation, solution engineer support for smooth onboarding and integration.

The MarineTraffic Solution

  • Real-time RoRo vessel tracking: Track all 7,717 RoRo vessels globally, thanks to MarineTraffic’s detailed vessel type classification and unmatched AIS coverage.
  • Port congestion & berth-level insights: Track turnaround times at 6,000+ ports and 30,000+ berths including over 500 dedicatedRoRo terminals to anticipate disruptions.
  • Accurate ETAs & smart alerts: Get notified on delays, route changes, or early arrivals, with ETAs dynamically recalculated throughout the voyage.
  • Ownership intelligence: Filter by 6 levels of vessel ownership to manage high-priority shipments.
  • Custom zones & event-based notifications: Set geofenced zones at terminals or anchorages, triggering alerts for arrivals, departures, or delays.
  • Post-voyage playback & performance analytics: Analyse historical voyages, delay patterns, and carrier performance to optimise future operations.
  • Enterprise-ready API delivery: REST & GraphQL APIs, Snowflake access, scalable fleet tracking, and world-class onboarding support.

The business impact

MarineTraffic empowers OEMs to gain real-time, end-to-end control of their maritime supply chain, enabling them to:

  • Improve ETA accuracy and reduce customs risk
  • Prevent delays and lower demurrage costs
  • Optimise coordination across ports, carriers, and inland teams
  • Protect dealer satisfaction by meeting launch and delivery windows

With a unified view of maritime operations, logistics, compliance, and supply chain teams can work in sync — responding faster, mitigating risk, and delivering consistently.

The MarineTraffic advantage:
Not all AIS networks are equal

When it comes to AIS, coverage matters — but quality matters more. Many providers rely heavily on satellite AIS alone, leading to delayed updates and blind spots — especially in busy coastal areas and port zones where precision is critical.MarineTraffic stands apart by combining satellite AIS with the world’s largest terrestrial AIS network (6,600+ stations) and roaming AIS capabilities. This powerful hybrid approach ensures unmatched signal clarity in congested areas, continuous global coverage, and superior event detection at sea and in port.It's this combination — satellite, terrestrial, and roaming AIS — that makes MarineTraffic the gold standard for maritime visibility, delivering the most complete, accurate, and reliable AIS network on the market.

Why MarineTraffic

World's most advanced AIS network (terrestrial + satellite + roaming.
Tracks 240,000+ vessels with over 1 billion AIS messages processed daily.
Granular visibility in busy port zones and coastal waters.
Historical data since 2010 for model training and trend analysis.
95%+ coverage of vessel particulars, ownership, and classification.
Custom alerts, unlimited port call history, and robust API access.
Global support with expert onboarding and 90%+ satisfaction ratings.
In a time of trade volatility and rising tariff enforcement, MarineTraffic gives automakers the visibility, precision, and confidence they need to stay ahead.

Global trade intelligence for every market

With thousands of users across the globe, Kpler enables customers to find signal in the noise and position themselves for success