TAKEAWAYS Shaping the Future of the Global Supply Chain 2025 STATE OF LOGISTICS REPORT: A FOGGY FORECAST
The report also includes breakdowns by mode, with the following highlights:
3PLs: Growing in importance as shippers face a heady array of challenges, third-party logistics providers are under pressure this year to evolve
rapidly and expand their scope of services. They are also being called on to integrate advanced technologies to deliver greater flexibility, visibility, and resilience. 3PLs will invest more in regional hubs and last-mile delivery networks in 2025, the report predicts.
Air: In 2024, the airfreight market experienced a banner year, driven by record-breaking demand and notable capacity expansion, which was propelled by booming ecommerce from platforms
such as Temu and Shein. The report predicts slower growth for 2025—5.8% versus 2024’s 8.6%—with projected volumes reaching 80 million tons. Ocean: A 4.5% global demand increase featuring shipment frontloading, regional disruptions, and supply chain bottlenecks kept rates high in 2024 despite carrier fleet expansion. For 2025, demand growth is expected to slow to 3%, while supply, driven by new vessel deliveries, will outpace demand, leading to reduced rates and increased competition. Trucking: After a stabilizing year in 2024, the face new financial pressures from tariffs, potentially declining freight volumes, higher duties on commercial vehicles, and possible increased equipment costs. Rail: Class I railroads reported modest revenue growth and a stronger increase in operating income in 2024. This is leading them in 2025 to invest in infrastructure and strategic partnerships to support long-term growth and attempt to convert a share of the $50 billion long-haul truck freight market to rail. motor freight sector now faces an outlook clouded by escalating global geopolitical tensions. Carriers
The logistics and supply chain sector continues to chart a course through economic turbulence, geopolitical pressures, and shifting trade landscapes, according to the newly released 2025 State of Logistics Report by CSCMP, authored by Kearney and presented by Penske Logistics. Themed “Navigating Through the Fog,” this year’s report paints a picture of a sector in flux. Logistics costs in the United States rose to $2.58 trillion, holding steady at 8.8% of GDP, even amid flat business volumes and surplus truck capacity, the report finds. The data signals a return to some pre-pandemic patterns, but with persistent headwinds such as operational cost inflation, ongoing labor shortages, and global trade volatility. Mexico overtook China as the United States’ top trading partner in 2024 (with $840 billion in trade), highlighting a broader reshoring and nearshoring trend, accelerated by tariff instability and the need for more reliable supply networks. Meanwhile, ecommerce’s continued boom—global online sales hit nearly $6.3 trillion in 2024— is reshaping last-mile delivery expectations and warehousing agility. A clear message from the report: Resilience is no longer optional. With AI, automation, and data analytics becoming more accessible, companies that act now to integrate long-term durability into their networks and decision-making will have a better chance of cutting through the fog.
14 Inbound Logistics • June 2025
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