Top 5 Logistics Technology Trends for 2023

According to Gartner, logistics and supply chain leaders should prepare for disruptions. The willingness adopting to tech tools is therefore key.

The Top 5 Logistics Technology Trends for 2023 comprise:

1️⃣   Autonomous Last Mile Delivery
2️⃣   Autonomous Trucks
3️⃣   Time Slot Management
4️⃣   Transportation Management System Innovation
5️⃣   Automated Warehouse

Autonomous Last Mile Delivery

One of the most difficult and expensive aspects in logistics are the last mile and home delivery.

According to McKinsey Survey 2018: the share of last mile costs is at around 80 percent.

Electric bikes and navigation software are more favored now. Both drones and autonomous delivery bots from companies like Starship Technologies are still in test mode and have not yet become established.

As they become more common, use cases continue to pile up, the use of this technology gets closer to being the normal.

Autonomous Trucks

Responding to driver shortage which continues to grow every year, autonomous trucks do not replace human drivers – similar to autonomous robots within the warehouse. They collaborate with drivers to make work easier.

The practice of platooning seems to be a space where the reality of autonomous trucks, could make the first impact: the lead truck is equipped with technology augmentation while a follower truck operates in tandem through a fully autonomous system. The vehicles move in a group or platoon with the trucks driven by smart technology and communicating with one another. Each of the trucks still has a driver onboard for safety and for taking over when exiting the freeway. This allows the follower driver to log off and rest while the truck is in motion. The tandem allow drivers to drive twice as far while ensuring they don’t exceed hours of service regulations.

Time Slot Management

Optimizing internal processes has the following positive effects:

—Increased handling capacity, and

—Reduced delays, loading and unloading times.

Time Slot Management does not only shorten waiting times for the drivers, but also improves production planning.

Transportation Management System Innovation

Due to rising freight costs, companies are increasingly using TMS to reduce these rising costs. The savings can be attributed to simulations and network design, load consolidation and selection of lower-cost modes, and optimization of routes with multiple stops.

A key reason for TMS growth is that technology has steadily improved in recent years. Three innovations in particular play a major role:  artificial intelligence,  real-time visibility and IoT.

Automated Warehouse

As an efficiency lever.

—Robots automatically assembling and packing orders.

—People continuing to deliver goods.

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Source: Forbes, December 2021