5 Ways Technology Will Change Global Logistics In 2018


Technology has made the world smaller and larger for many businesses. It has closed the geographical distances that used to be barriers to communication, which in turn has opened new horizons for businesses that now are able to compete in the global arena. Virtually any business today has the potential to become a global concern - as the Internet and other modern communications technologies have made it possible for businesses to buy and sell all over the world. Thanks to these technologies, it's just as easy for businesses to work with vendors and customers on the opposite side of the planet as it is for them to work in their hometowns.

Yet although communications have become world-spanning and instantaneous, the global supply chain still needs to catch up. The logistics industry's biggest challenge at the moment is living up to the promises that our new global communications network has created for businesses large and small. In many ways, technology again is the driver that is helping the logistics and transportation industry keep up with the pace of progress to fulfill the promise of the new global marketplace.

In 2018 and beyond, here are a few of the most important ways technology will transform global logistics in the near future.

1. Robots Take the Helm
The idea of autonomous, self-driving cars and trucks has earned a lot of press lately - good and bad - but there's potential that sea and air shipping could be transformed soon by autonomous fleets, as well. Cargo ships that sail without human assistance could become a reality in the near future. What's more, drone cargo planes soon could be the international equivalent of Amazon's much-hyped drone delivery service. The sophistication of satellite guidance systems and artificial intelligence could make unmanned global shipping a reality.

2. Online Booking Becomes More Commonplace
Domestic trucking operations in the United States were ahead of the curve when it came to moving their booking to the Internet. Now, international freight is starting to follow suit. A growing number of global logistics companies are forming partnerships with tech companies that put their power behind online booking to streamline the process more than ever before.

3. Eyes in the Skies
Consumers who buy goods online have become used to the idea that they can track their purchases from the shelf at the distribution center to their front door, in real time. Today, that same level of granular tracking has become possible in international shipping, as well. Container tracking for overseas cargo has become a reality, and tracking for individual pallets could be following it soon. Providing this level of tracking will become indispensible for global logistics companies that want to offer clients a competitive advantage.

4. Data Fuels the Supply Chain
Perhaps no commodity will be as important to the global supply chain of the near future as data. Through advanced capturing and analysis of data, global logistics companies will have the ability to anticipate demand, optimize their fleets and streamline their operations to a degree unheard of even 10 years ago.

5. Assets Move to the Cloud
Just as cloud computing replaces on-site servers and hardware with virtual infrastructure on the Internet, logistics are shifting to a model in which many logistics providers have no assets of their own. Rather, they use technology to secure warehouse space or fleets in an arrangement not unlike Uber or Airbnb does for taxi and hotel services.

Technology has changed the landscape of the logistics industry, and global logistics continue to use technology to keep pace with those changes. No matter what shape the global logistics market takes within the next year, technology will play an enormous role in how it comes to be.

Author Bio: Kay Lester is founder and President of Trans Global Auto Logistics, a licensed NVOCC and freight forwarder in Arlington, TX. Lester, who has more than 35 years of experience in logistics, enjoys finding solutions for what appear to be difficult projects - and working with customers from around the world.