Masks, social distancing and all the other Covid restrictions will be with us for, at least, the foreseeable future. The uptick in home delivery should remain steady since most people have grown accustomed to home delivery and now prefer it. Many retailers are in a fight for their survival. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Donald Trump’s promise to bring back millions of manufacturing jobs was an important element in his surprising electoral victory. Trump was able to win enough blue-collar and normally Democratic voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin to cement his Electoral College majority. Bringing back manufacturing to the United States must appeal to nearly everyone. But is it possible? For the last 30 plus years China and similar labor friendly countries have welcomed international manufacturing with open arms. So much so that the dependence upon outsourced manufacturing in the U.S has become both a leverage point manufacturing negotiation as well as a potential Pandora's box of nightmarish dependency.

As we slowly emerge from the Corona Virus the industry is experiencing a myriad of changes. Over the past year, the trucking industry has had to react to unprecedented changes in operational and management procedure. Remote personnel present operational challenges. Customer service and sales staff have been reduced significantly. Most everyone in any trucking or logistics company has had to adapt to the new normal. So, what is the new normal today and what can we expect in the coming months and years. There have been numerous things that have impacted the manner in which the industry has functioned and there have been numerous elements that have changed the way work is received within this industry. Let’s examine some trends and try to make some predictions for 2021.

It is expected the logistics industry will adopt self-driving vehicles much faster than most other industries. The primary concern for automated motorized vehicles is personnel and property damage liability. Secure areas and minimal personnel mitigate liability risks creating ideal conditions for an automated environment. Also, the grid design of a typical warehouse makes for generally simplified navigation of an automated forklift, for example. The limited and repetitive tasks required to stack and transport pallets does not require complicated programming and sophisticated hardware. With these considerations in mind, it’s possible that a warehouse may be the ideal environment for a completely automated storage and distribution facility. Most high volume warehouse facilities today have some degree of autonomous technology in use. It may require a leap of faith to go to 100% automation. 

The effects of the Covid-19 virus are yet to be accurately measured in terms of human life and global economic impact.  Although the numbers continue to climb in parts of the country, it is the universal expectation that the industry and the world will slowly recover from this pandemic.  Now is the time to formulate your organizations recovery plan. 

When your focusing on your logistics and transportation spend, the very first thing that you need is freight and transportation data. Without hard data, you can’t take action. What doesn’t get measured cannot be fixed. When enterprises try to act in the absence of data, they are usually guessing and won’t get the results they need. Data is the new precious metal and it is becoming more essential than ever before. Technological leaps like blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning run on data. They’re already beginning to transform supply chain operations across many sectors.

In the months since the corona virus prompted shelter-in-place orders around the world, entire companies, industries, and economies have been decimated. One market that appeared poised to escape the impact was autonomous vehicles, particularly in the case of companies whose cars can be used to transport supplies to health care workers. But it seems even they are not immune. While limited continued testing of autonomous vehicles will still be possible via virtual simulation tools, AV technology, within the context of the corona virus pandemic, may still present the possibility of addressing critical needs and providing essential services through the use of driver-less delivery vehicles.   The combination of the need to minimize health risks presented to and by human drivers who deliver vital supplies and materials to the public, and the ability of AVs, equipped with disinfection tools, to deliver such items, may incentivize public authorities to authorize expanded testing and use of AV throughout the U.S.

As retailers struggle with re-opening strategies it’s clear the new normal will be something we have never experienced.  Consumers in many areas of the world have tightened their wallets and eliminated discretionary spending because of lost jobs, lower wages, and uncertainty about how long the COVID-19 pandemic will last.

Supply chain professionals are looking forward to a much-deserved extended weekend during the Fourth of July holiday. However, CargoNet, an industry cargo security firm, reports that extended business closures can create an advantageous operating environment for cargo thieves. For the past five years, the firm has analyzed cargo theft data in the United States and Canada from July 1 to July 7and found 130 cargo theft events in 27 different states, with theft most common in Texas, California, and Florida.

Technology is affecting transportation modes through the roads, sky and water. Advancements in speed and efficiency may come at some cost.