3 mega trends set to impact the logistics sector

Trends in transport and logistics can be especially difficult to predict. It’s hard to know which trends will have a lasting impact and which ones will be nothing more than a short-lived fad. That’s why research is important because it acts as a tool for capturing the development of society, businesses and technology trends.

During the research process, it’s vital to apply a customer-centric and open approach to identifying trends shaping the future of commercial transport. Thereafter, it’s beneficial for the industry at large if researchers share their insights with other transporters.

Here are three mega trends to stratergize around in the transport and logistics sector.

1. The rise and rise of anticipatory logistics

Telematics has already changed the way trucks are driven due to a fleet manager being able to monitor (in real-time) how an asset is being treated on the road. But studies suggest that telematics and the big data generated through it will be increasingly used in predictive algorithms by new ‘anticipatory logistics providers’ who could usurp you.

2. Greater demand for grey power logistics

Grey power logistics refers to the logistics for an aging society, which will offer new services (like home delivery of medicines) to answer to the resulting challenges of this demographic development.

3. An increasing number of logistics marketplaces

There is a growing need for transparent, flexible and easily adjustable logistics services. This will foster the creation of disruptive digital ‘logistics brokerage platforms’ that match a variety of logistics demands with supply. It can be argued that these platforms will put an end to long-term logistics contracts.

The need to physically move goods certainly won’t go away anytime soon, but the challenge lies in how you deliver these goods. The logistics ecosystem is changing into an industry where innovation in the services actually generates more value than the transport itself, and if organisations cannot adapt to these changes, they will certainly become redundant in the industry.