Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly reliant on companies providing emergency transportation services, a survey has shown.

Some 81 per cent of the guests at a recent automotive logistics conference in Bonn, Germany said any disruptions to their supply chain can have huge financial implications, which is why "just-in-time" cargo carriers have become so important.

Car makers in the UK continue to face many challenges, as consumer demand declines in Europe in particular, so they can ill afford to miss any deadlines. 

Bosses at emergency logistics firm Evolution Time Critical said the organisation is helping vehicle manufacturers to adapt to tough economic conditions.

Some original equipment manufacturers that attended the Bonn conference suggested they now want to cut their order-to-delivery times down from an average of 32 days to just ten, but this will be easier said than done.

Evolution Time Critical managing director Brad Brennan remarked: "Increasing costs and the growing importance of efficiency means that the manufacturing industry requires a dependable contingency that can be tailored to meet a company's needs swiftly and effectively."