TI Audio Blog: Four Trends in Logistics and Transportation for 2019

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Four Trends in Logistics and Transportation for 2019

In 2019, many logistics and transportation trends centered around increasing visibility and higher service levels for both service providers and their customers. Better applications of technology and digitation is the enabler making this possible, but it is customer demand for more from their service providers that is the primary driver of this change.

With pressure on service performance and cost containment greater than ever—and a challenging market place in general— companies will become even more reliant on emerging logistics technologies to keep up. Here are four important trends:

Big data– The demand for information technology in logistics has been growing for several years. Having access to and the ability to use data is something small and medium sized companies are benefitting from through technology, as only large companies could in the past. Tools for making information- Data driven decisions are something more logistics managers have access to. The application of newer technologies, like block chain, has the potential to enhance security and visibility across supply chains. Faster transactions and better transparency are key parts of block chain’s promised benefits for the shipping industry. The signs are that 2019 will be the year for that promise to start coming true.

Capacity Crunch– Unfortunately, the transportation industry will not get any relief from the truck driver shortage in 2019. The continued high demand for freight capacity will only exacerbate the problem. The Bureau of Labor Statistics via NPR states that 55 is the average age of a truck driver in the US, meaning that many will be retiring in the next few years, with few coming up to fill their shoes. While the industry is trying to make trucking jobs more attractive to younger drivers, the hours of service restriction and higher wage rates have made little difference in the number of new drivers who are willing to fill the seats left open by the drivers who have retired. Due to legal and safety concerns, driverless trucks are still several years out, so there is little that will change in 2019 to reduce the shortage.

Warehouse automation– With a strong economy and an aging workforce, warehouse employees are growing scarce, much like truck drivers. The trend, however, is for the warehouse to become more automated at a faster pace than trucking. The timing is good because the effects of the demands of ecommerce and customer expectations on warehouses is changing quickly as well. Automation is helping the situation—slightly at least. Automation in warehouses is enabling improved accuracy and shorter lead times, making it easier to meet these new demands. In 2019, developments such as autonomous robots and shuttle systems to retrieve and store items will become more prevalent in the warehouse.

On demand trucking services– How shipper customers find and book carriers is changing fast, and the evolution of how shippers and carriers interact will continue in 2019. Technology is making on demand trucking accessible for all shippers, with some carriers offering a scheduling ease that is nearly at the book with one click level. As shippers get used to working with carriers online, it will soon be a requirement for all service providers to allow their customers to transact fully through a web portal or app, from rate search, to tendering, to billing. The service providers who create the best online experience for their shipper customers, while adapting to the broader market trends, will be the long-term winners in the logistics market place.

The rate of growth, and change in the transportation industry is a result of consumer demand, driven primarily by desire for more immediate and better customer experience. It’s technology that will enable logistics service providers to match these climbing expectations.

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