Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends: The great disconnect

We continue our season of traditions this month with the release of the 34^th Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends. Logistics Management has partnered with Karl Manrodt, Ph.D., of Georgia College over those three decades to help the study evolve into the “ultimate report card” on overall logistics operations performance—the only study of its kind in the market.

To put it in perspective: While the Quest for Quality Awards—released just last month—remains the definitive measure of carrier and logistics service provider performance from the shipper’s point of view, the Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends flips the script. It shifts the lens inward, focusing on shippers’ own operations and giving them a platform to share how they feel they’re navigating the constant disruptions making an impact on their networks.

Once again, we’re fortunate to be working alongside Christopher Boone, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University, whose leadership has taken the five-month survey process in a new direction since he’s taken the reigns from Manrodt. Over the past five years, Boone has worked to broaden the study’s scope, bringing deeper insights into technology adoption trends and exploring how logistics organizations are confronting the ongoing labor crisis.

We’re also thrilled to welcome back Joe Tillman, manager of education programs at SMC3, who re-enters the fold this year to help us delve into what’s now commonly referred to as the “human capital crisis” in transportation. Doug Voss, Ph.D., professor at the University of Central Arkansas, joins the team again this year, lending his expertise to further enrich the research with his focus on operational strategies and workforce management.

For those long-time readers of Logistics Management, you’ll recall that the early years of this survey were focused primarily on freight spending trends, with a specific emphasis on carrier performance—measuring correct invoicing, on-time delivery, and damaged shipments. These metrics remain in place today, serving as the cornerstone for understanding shifts in modal strategies.

However, as the insights of Boone, Tillman, and Voss have deepened the study’s focus, we’ve expanded the survey to capture emerging topics that now demand attention: the state of technology implementation; evolving workforce practices; and the mounting challenges of human capital. So, after five months of fielding the study across Logistics Management’s readership and crunching the data, what did our survey team discover?

“There’s now a pretty significant disconnect,” says Boone, “in that the findings reveal that logistics and transportation professionals are aware of the disruptive challenges presented by AI, workforce availability, and tariffs policies, but they’re struggling to act and bridge the gap between knowing and actually doing.”

For example, Boone says that while logistics professionals are optimistic about AI's transformative potential, most respondents provide no AI training and have yet to install AI policies. According to this year’s findings, daily AI usage remains somewhat limited.

“And while we’re finding some hesitancy in more formal AI roll outs, shippers tell us that they want seamless data flow and automation, yet they believe the existing tools often lack the desired interoperability,” adds Boone. “So, there’s another disconnect on the greater technology adoption front that’s a bit troubling.”

And on the workforce side, logistics management leaders consistently identify talent challenges as a top challenge, yet most have no formal learning and development function aimed to improve individual and organizational effectiveness. “The challenges are clear, the awareness is apparent—now we need to close that gap and do something about it,” adds Boone.