1. Fuel Rates
With the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the economy is in the most unpredictable spot it’s been in since 2008, fuel rates may be a major part of freight and supply chain in 2023. They has been a lot of variance in prices in the past year. With that happening, the price that operators need to deliver a load may change, therefore changing your shipping expense. This could also mean fuel surcharges set out by the DOT and carriers themselves., which would increase the expense of shipping even more. Something to keep an eye on as 2023 goes on.
2. The Effects of Ecommerce on Shipping
Ecommerce utilizes quite a bit of logistical transportation. The more complicated of the process being LTL. There has been a steady uptick of people buying things online, something that surged during the pandemic. There is a need of services to deliver these products, so there could be a considerable expansion of LTL providers. This would saturate the market, and mess with LTL rates and maybe other markets as well.
3. The Introduction of AI and Automation to Driving
At least one company already has a fully self- driving truck. As much as people don’t like to think about it, and kick the can down the road, it’s close. There may not be fleets of self-driving trucks by the end of 2023, but this is likely a year where inroads start being made with Automated assistants, more technological tools, and yes, automated drivers. Not to mention the possible uses of AI in routing and tracking to keep track of fleets.
4. Changing of the Lanes/Sites
The pandemic changed a LOT of things for a LOT of companies. Some companies have decided to change things up with their distribution sites. These companies moved their factories across states, so lanes that have been established for years may be changing, which could cause a carrier shift. Sustainability could also have an effect on lanes as well. Some companies are considering changing their shipping lanes to make them more eco-friendly.