ECG — 2025-11-05
News from ECG
Volvo Cars has seen positive effects using the VIN label standard from ECG and Odette and encourage others to adopt it. ECG will continue the discussion with the OEMs on the standardised VIN label.
With the FVL industry seeking efficient processes, the standardised VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) label is a tool that helps the Finished Vehicle Logistics chain run more smoothly. Shipping lines and compound operators requested a standardised label that includes information on the power type — i.e. combustion or electric vehicle. Such a label would make life easier for compound operators and transporters, according to Rob Exell, Manager, Odette International Ltd., a European organisation for standards in automotive supply chain digitalisation.
“By next year, we will cover almost 80% of our global flow,” Kris Schildermans, Head of EMEA Outbound Logistics Port, Yard & Quality Volvo Cars, explains. The rollout started in 2023 from the plants in China and the US and will be followed by the Gothenburg plant in March next year before reaching the plants in Košice and Ghent.
Odette has been involved for many years in the development of digitalisation standards in the automotive industry.
The ECG-Odette-label is a template, and OEMs have some flexibility in how they use it, but the goal is to involve as many vehicle manufacturers as possible to achieve maximum benefit.
Discussing the current information printed on the VIN label, Volvo Cars replaced the 3 different types of barcodes with one barcode and a QR-code, which meant that the length of the label could be reduced, which in turn reduced the cost for labels by 50%.
What was the problem with the old label, except for the higher costs?
“When a car rolls out from a factory, it is labelled with information of the destination, model type, weight, height, VIN number, but sometimes the destination changes, and the car needs to go somewhere else,” Kris Schildermans says.
In the future, the ambition of Volvo Cars is to provide more information in the QR code – information which could be updated by different handlers no matter if they are using the VIN number barcode or the QR code.
What are the benefits of the labels?
“The process is more simplified. There are no longer any question marks in case you have vehicle swaps that go to a different port than initially intended,” Kris Schildermans says. “Now, the flow is not interrupted. The port processor has the data in their own systems, they scan it and get all information.”
So, no more vehicles go to the wrong place. Any other benefits, Kris Schildermans?
“The standardisation is one of the key benefits, because sometimes when you go to a different port and see a lot of brands, you see address labels positioned in different locations on the car. I believe if everybody could use a standard way that is proposed in the document on the VIN label, and the information connected to that, I think it could help everybody working on a compound and a port to make it easier. We are very satisfied, and I really hope that other OEMs can see the benefits as well to use the document that is published by ECG.”
What feedback have you received?
“Honestly speaking, we expected more questions in terms of the reduction of the label, but we have received no negative feedback at all,” said Kris Schildermans.
The VIN label is also important for the terminal operators. Glenn Jacobs, Project Supervisor, ICO Terminals in Zeebrugge, explains that standardising the placement and barcode format of scannable VIN labels across all vehicle manufacturers would provide significant operational benefits to all parties involved in the process.
“Consistent label positioning and uniform barcode language would streamline vehicle identification, enhance scanning accuracy, provide transparency and progress traceability, as well as improve overall efficiency in vehicle handling and logistics processes across the whole supply chain,” Glenn Jacobs says.
The positioning of the label has been a topic for many years, with labels on the seat, on the front window, on the other windows, with challenges such as high exposure to the sun, fading the text. Also, the label glue quality has been discussed as it can leave a trace on the window once the label is taken off.
The practice at Volvo Cars is to place the label on the window at the left passenger’s door, which is stipulated in the ECG-Odette VIN-label standard.
All these questions will be reviewed when the ECG working group is reconvened in 2026. “The working group will provide a platform for companies to share their experience, exchange best practices and help shape future improvements of the ECG–Odette VIN label. The next phase will focus on refinement and alignment rather than major changes,” says Szilvi Kiss, Senior Research & Project Manager, ECG.
With so many benefits, why is it so difficult to promote the labels, Rob Exe?
“It costs a lot to change processes, so unless you can show that it is a really significant cost saver for them it’s quite difficult to persuade companies to make a change, unless they are already making other changes in their system.” That was the case for Volvo Cars.
“Volvo Cars was in a phase of transforming the TMS and the yard management system when ECG initiated the working group regarding the VIN label, so the timing was good for our company,” says Kris Schildermans.
Rob Exell says the benefits for the compound operators and transport operators are more obvious. There have been tests of how much time the ECG-Odette label would save for FVL service providers in scanning time.
“The key benefit is the standardisation, and by adopting the standard, the OEMs would improve the process for the service providers. It’s an improvement for the industry overall, and the OEMs should benefit in the future from the fact that it makes the operation for the LSPs more efficient,” Rob Exell says.