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Toyota’s supplier relationship success — Transmission

How the company secured a No. 1 ranking against other automakers

(Photo: FreightWaves)

This episode is sponsored by AIT. Most automakers rely on “just-in-time” manufacturing to optimize production. That model requires precise coordination throughout every link in the global supply chain. And that’s where AIT Worldwide Logistics comes in. AIT’s automotive logistics professionals are the experts at developing resilient, scalable solutions for OEM and Tier 1 supply chains across Asia, Europe, and North America. AIT has the expertise, technology, and carrier connections to achieve your production goals — just-in-time. To learn more, visit https://www.aitworldwide.com/automotive-logistics  

Toyota has a long-standing history of customer success, and that success has bled over into its relationship with suppliers. 

On this episode of Transmission, Sebastian Blanco and Grace Sharkey dive into why Toyota is so great across the board and how it scored a No. 1 ranking on the annual Plante Moran index of automaker-supplier relationships.

Toyota was in the top spot for the 10th year in a row. Robert Young, executive vice president of purchasing supplier development for Toyota Motor North America, joins the show to highlight that achievement. 


Young discusses how the OEM manages its supplier relationships and what will change — or not change — as Toyota starts building more and more electric vehicles.

You can find more Transmission episodes and recaps for all our live podcasts here.

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Kaylee Nix

Kaylee Nix is a meteorologist and reporter for FreightWaves. She joined the company in November of 2020 after spending two years as a broadcast meteorologist for a local television channel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kaylee graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2018 and immediately made the Tennessee Valley her home. Kaylee creates written summaries of FreightWaves live podcasts and cultivates the social media for FreightWaves TV.