Top 5 trends affecting trucking in 2020 and 2021
The trucking industry has experienced a plethora of changes affecting operations, truck manufacturing, and the complex way in which the industry markets overall.
Especially with the 2020 pandemic, companies and retailers have had to come up with flexible ways to continue their transport efforts and even increase them with new and innovative ideas.
Though this year has been particularly difficult, the rapid growth of innovation and the increase in the production of the trucking industry have been numerous in number and overall variety.
Below are the top five trends that are currently affecting and drastically changing the trucking industry.
1. Change in Location of Production
Some of the biggest trucking companies in the nation have typically kept their production locations the same as this has allowed them to increase efficiency and stable structure over the years.
With the restructuring many companies have had to endure, increasing the agility of these production locations have become the primary focus of many trucking companies
Dry van production locations are shifting to various Midwest states such as Illinois and Ohio.
Reefers have been seen to change production location to California.
And flatbeds are beginning to increase their production locations in areas such as Pennsylvania and Texas.
2. New technology
The integration of technology has not been lost on the trucking industry. Software programs to increase the efficiency of trucking companies’ operations have been integral to the industry's continued growth and survival.
Trucks are increasingly being outfitted with more advanced technology to improve the vehicles themselves and improve the tracking of shipments and goods they carry from one location to another.
This also allows for better communication with customers as to where when and how their shipments are being managed.
3. E-commerce
The influence of this new way of shopping online has greatly affected the trucking industry. Trucking companies have had to become more agile in their distribution because of the growth of this fast-paced online market.
The ability of distributors to adapt to the new e-commerce environment is key for each company's longevity. The e-commerce industry is inevitably tied to the trucking industry, however, it will be the companies with the highest ability to serve the online market that will succeed.
4. Increasing Urbanization
The trucking industry is and will continue to be supported by increasing the urbanization of towns and cities. Increased connection between city centers and rural areas will only improve the ability of distributors to get their products to consumers.
5. Analytics
The operation of data analytics not only runs the agility of most companies today but is a very important technological advancement for trucking companies. Introducing these analytics to trucking companies’ workforce, vehicle usage and routes, and their end-user experiences can have major impacts on companies’ flexibility and positively affect their bottom line.
Using this data will also allow them to predict future workforce strategies and also customer needs which will allow them to get ahead of future market changes.