No drivers, choosing proven partners, fast industry automation, and document digitalisation—new technologies are already solving the real problems of the industry. The challenge is to enter the world of logistics 4.0. According to experts, the willingness to change is the key element of the success in the TSL (transport, shipping, logistics) industry.
Time for innovation—is the industry waiting for tools 4.0?
- Marek Proszynski
- Chief Customer Officer, Trans.eu Group S.A.
- The logistics, which we can conventionally call type 3.0, is reaching the limits of its capabilities and more and more companies are looking for new solutions from the 4.0 world. The new trends are very noticeable in road transport services. Innovative tools dedicated to the industry as well as new generation freight forwarding companies, the so-called digital freight forwarding, are being created. The traditional transport model has reached its limits in terms of efficiency and productivity, so only an innovative approach to these issues will help solve the problem of scarce transport resources, rising costs, consumer requirements, and new regulations. One of the most important rising trends is the platforming and the new revolutionary class 4.0. TMS tool for shippers, forwarders, and transport companies. Data is the currency of the digital economy and also in transport.
Artificial intelligence, real solutions—new technologies come into play
- Peter Hrebeniuk
- Business Development Manager
- By far the most widely discussed challenge for the industry—both in Europe and the US—is the lack of drivers, resulting in a reduction in the availability of vehicles of transport companies and in rising prices. Therefore, the industry should look for solutions, including technological ones, that intelligently connect all supply chain links and promote the smart management of transportation outsourcing. It is time for smart solutions, i.e. those that use artificial intelligence and multivariate supply and demand analysis to connect loads with carriers. We are talking about the algorithms that match available cars and carriers to loads offered by the demand party. New technologies enable automation of the TSL industry processes. Solutions 4.0 can help the industry increase the profitability in difficult times via intelligent linking of the demand party with the supply party, automation, and promotion of decision-making processes related to load and counterparty management. To increase the profitability of the business, it is worth to consider what activities can be automated. It is a fairly common practice, however, certain areas of business activities, particularly, in the logistics market, are still neglected in this respect. This applies particularly to decision-making processes, such as rate negotiation, carrier selection and verification, and pricing policy development.
Transparency for professionals—competitive advantage
- Alice Rylo
- Certification expert
- The changes in the TSL industry that are happening right before our eyes affect all participants in the supply chain. In case of forwarding companies, it is necessary to particularly take care of your competitive advantages and expose your strengths distinguishing you among your competitors and catching attention of other participants of the transport process. Forwarders are becoming more effective at seeking not only shippers but also carriers. In turn, carriers are aware that they can demand more, not only in terms of the freight rate but also professional transport organisation, payments terms, and even financial security of the ordering party. Whereas shippers expect forwarders to provide flexibility in fulfilling their transport needs and scope. Therefore, the transport industry needs solutions accelerating good decision-making. That is why the certification becomes a hint for those who are looking for partners for collaboration in transport.
Documents 4.0—a need of the entire transport industry
- Martim Wolak
- Project Manager
- A major challenge facing the industry is, first and foremost, the digitisation of document workflow. While the TMS platforms are or will soon be prepared to ensure that all digital processes will also generate documents in an electronic form, not everything is ready from the legal point of view. If we look at the CMR waybill itself, we come to the conclusion that road transport is still deep in the 20th century. The next year should bring primarily common international standards for the business e-CMR solution, mainly related to the security of data storage, data authenticity, identification, and authorisation of process participants. Moreover, all EU countries should ratify the Additional Protocol to the CMR Convention as soon as possible, which will be the first step towards the complete elimination of paper forms with the designs that date back to the 1970s. However, e-CMR is not all. The key word will be also the integration. When we talk about transport, we think about road transport but also rail, air or sea carriage. Therefore, there is a need to handle all the procedures at the interface of various forms of transport where each one has its own rules and a need to generate various documents. We also have to remember about digitisation and simplification of all customs procedures which the carriage of goods is inextricably linked with.