TRUCKING: THE JACK OF ALL TRADE
Two rising issues to watch out for in 2022 include detention and facility delays and driver parking. While supply chain delays and the driver shortage continue exacerbating these trends, both the trucking industry and the supply chain must prioritize driver accommodation. Drivers remain frustrated because delays and parking issues have
A considerable talent shortage. In 2022, the trucking industry will continue its uphill battle. Faced with one of the worst driver shortages to date, we won’t see relief any time soon as nearly a quarter of the workforce is expected to retire in the next decade. Now is not the time to do wrong by your people. Competition for talent is fierce and fleet owners need to make sure their drivers feel loved while brokers need to treat their partners with respect.
negatively impacted their delivery times and stalled routes traditionally timed to the minute. Trucking companies incorporating predictive analysis and automation into their planning will empower eets and drivers to better prepare for these potential delays and more effectively optimize routes. Another issue revolves around congestion at the ports. Port congestion won’t decrease any time soon. A new domestic pilot program was introduced to help speed the process.
The federal government has relaxed certain regulations and crews can stack containers higher. Some ports have extended gate hours. The focus in 2022 will remain on working to overcome these barriers and resolve supply chain issues sooner rather than later.
Barry Conlon CEO, Overhaul
Avi Geller, CEO and Founder, Maven Machines
The 3PL industry will eagerly jump at the opportunity to manage returns for their customers. As long as 3PLs can offer a returns process that’s faster and more cost-ef cient than what a retailer could achieve on their own, 3PLs stand to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. In the coming year, this new business opportunity will become more lucrative, and the 3PLs that 3PLS CALL IN THE CHIPS
Having a solid 3PL provider with multiple carriers in each market and leveraging key industry partners for drayage management can be the difference between barely keeping your head above water and thriving in today’s chaotic market. A multi-carrier strategy provides shippers with exibility, additional capacity, and the ability to benchmark rates and mitigate issues on the y. Accurate, actionable data is also paramount to designing and executing a successful bid strategy. Sharing your forecast and weekly volumes by port ramp with your 3PL provider can get you better pricing, committed capacity, and will help carriers better service your business. Mike Williams, Executive Vice President, Commercial & Logistics, ContainerPort Group
are prepared for it will win and retain the greatest market share.
Gaurav Saran, CEO, ReverseLogix
3PLs will be rede ned. Expect many retailers to recruit sellers and become third-party marketplaces—meeting consumers where they already are. 3PL warehouse spaces have reached a premium. More importantly, 3PLs want to prioritize more outbound ful llment of inventory, which entails picking, packing, and shipping. This creates a void for retailers who have to navigate the complexities of becoming their own de facto 3PLs and use their store space to ful ll outbound orders and returns processing.
Krish Iyer, VP of Industry Relations and Partnerships, Auctane
Third-party logistics will remain under tremendous pressure to do more with less, especially as they continue to feel the effects of the ongoing labor shortage in supply chain roles. In 2022, 3PLs will contract based on throughput rather than headcount to shield from labor uncertainty and benefit from increased efficiency through automation. With mobile automation that isn’t tied to any facility infrastructure, these benefits can be realized not just in one contracted facility but transferred across facilities as demand requires. 3PLs will extend robots- as-a-service into productivity by subscription, reaping the benefits of fast implementation, on-the-fly flexibility, modular fleets, and universal applicability across sites.
Jeff Christensen, VP of Product, Seegrid
154 Inbound Logistics • January 2022
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