Transportation and logistics are vital fields for the economy of any country. They incorporate the process of planning and implementing effective and cost-efficient storage and delivery of goods from the point of origin to the seller and the end-point of the supply chain, the consumer. Transportation and logistics services are continuously evolving to provide optimal options for businesses and their clients, and new trends and challenges arise in the field every year.
Today, the rising costs of transportation provide a significant challenge for the industry. According to Crotty (2018), the industry faces substantial expenses due to oil prices and, consequently, diesel fuel prices rising. Possible solutions include cutting fuel expenses by consolidating shipments and reducing the number of carriers (Keshavdas, 2021). However, that may impact the time of delivery and customer satisfaction. Thus, transportation and logistics managers are recommended to develop routes that will substantially reduce the number of miles driven and fuel costs. In addition, smaller electric vehicles for local deliveries in large metropolitan areas can be considered.
One of the latest trends in the field is sustainability and compliance with green policies. Crotty (2018) postulates that following local and federal regulations aimed at emission reduction is too costly. Meanwhile, the increase in transportation costs will inevitably lead to increased transportation services and customers opting for other alternatives. For example, route optimization can lead to a considerable decrease in greenhouse gas emissions (Work Truck, 2020). Furthermore, regular vehicle maintenance and engine upgrades to more environmentally-friendly models are an adequate resolution.
Another trend gaining more popularity within transportation and logistics services is the use of different robots. Due to the rapid advances in robotics, aerial drones, automated guided vehicles, and autonomous mobile robots are becoming more common (Joseph, 2020). It can be argued that in the future, the use of various robots in logistics is likely to expand, and new personnel working in mostly automated houses will need to be trained. Furthermore, new software solutions will need to be implemented to optimize the programmed workload.
In summary, the field of transportation and logistics is continually developing in order to provide fluid movement of goods and safe storage. One of the most substantial challenges for the field is the rising fuel costs and the necessity to comply with emerging green policies and sustainability guidelines. Moreover, different robots are increasingly employed in logistics and are likely to become essential for the service in the future.
References
Crotty, C. (2018). Top 8 logistics challenges facing the industry. Inbound Logistics. Web.
Joseph, T. (2020). How robotics in logistics helps improve supply chain efficiency. Fingent Technology. Web.
Keshavdas, M. (2021). Top 10 challenges facing logistics companies in 2019. FleetRoot. Web.
Work Truck. (2020). Delivery businesses cut tons of carbon emissions with route optimization. Web.