Transportation & Logistics Technology: The Latest Technological Advancements
As the logistics and transportation industries emerge from the post-pandemic era, the necessity to keep up with consumer demands has led to a dramatic rise in the digitalization and advancements of 3PL technology. Innovation has become ever-critical for industries to meet the needs of today’s markets. The transportation and logistics industry are utilizing this technological evolution to achieve optimization of the resources in global supply chains.
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Digital Evolution of Transportation & Logistics Technology
As consumer trends and markets grow, the transportation and logistics technologies used to meet their demands continue to evolve. Moving products from their point of origin to their point of consumption has been the cornerstone for the advancement and development of civilization. The transportation and logistics industry has always been grounded by one simple philosophy through the ages; quickly and efficiently transport products.
History and Growth of 3PL Technology
The origins of industries needing 3PL services can date back to the simplicity of moving items by human, manual labor. Carrying items from destination to destination gave way to eventually using carts pulled by beasts of burden to later boats, canals, railways, and steamships. These developments later lead to the industry developing warehousing and palletization of products. Today’s logistics industry is dominated by sophisticated 3PL technology; primarily digitization to keep up with the global demands on the supply chain.
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3PL Delivery Advancements, Efficiency and Innovation
The evolution of the transportation and logistics industry has paralleled that of our world’s rapid technological development. Mirroring the increased growth and changes in the world markets, e-commerce, and business infrastructures, the logistics industry has become a critical part of the modern D2C supply chain. For today’s 3PLs, technology is the key to keeping up with the competition. The current demands on the industry call for continuous advancements, efficiency and innovation in delivery systems through transparency and mobility. The stakes for 3PLs have never been higher, nor has their role in today’s supply chain ever been greater.
Current Impact of Technology on 3PL Transportation and Logistics
Today’s 3PL use of technology is a direct result of the need to increase their productivity and efficiency amidst an era of increase in customer demand, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions. For top 3PL companies, being proactive and utilizing the latest technologies available create greater ease in fulfillment duties and order processing. Currently, technology has impacted the processing systems for picking & packing, shipping, and tracking orders across the globe. Automation, robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and software platforms have been at the forefront of today’s technological advances.
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Supply Chain Management: New Technology is Reshaping the 3PL Industry
Supply chains have felt dramatic strain since the onset of the pandemic. The result of that strain has been a sharp increase in the role technology plays in the 3PL industry. Forecasting in logistics has changed and new technology has enabled 3PLs to gather and analyze large amounts of data.
Data-driven decisions are critical for today’s supply chain managers. Supply chains are improving their efficiency and visibility due to the data that is compiled and interpreted for traffic, weather, shipping times, and cargo size. Data collection is also bolstered with technological advances in mobility. Mobility has significantly increased with the use of smartphones as there are a variety of apps that are available to create an employee network. Other types of technology that are reshaping the 3PL industry are:
- Software platforms and operating systems
- Cloud-based technology
- 3D printing
- Robotics
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine learning
- RFID tags and barcodes
- Internet-of-Things
- Electric vehicles
- Vehicle-to-Everything interfacing
The implementation of technology in today’s supply chain is optimizing the industries’ ability to ensure the most efficient means in B2C order fulfillment. Digitization is the key to increasing supply chain productivity by lowering costs and staying competitive. At IronLink, we embrace the latest 3PL technologies to work for you. Contact us to learn how we can meet your logistics needs.
Technology’s Impact on the Future of Shipping
Technology has made a definitive impact on the shipping industry. Consumer demands and expectations on how and where goods are being shipped can only be fulfilled with more technologically advanced strategies. Much like other aspects of the supply chain, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are becoming more prevalent in their operational systems. Some of the most current 3PL trends where digital transformation can impact the future of shipping and transportation of products are:
- Drones
- Driverless vehicles
- Autonomous and smart vehicles
- Automated freight ships
- Blockchains
- Natural language processing
These technological advancements have been instrumental in 3PLs’ ability to meet the needs of the industry. As the future continues to unfold, these advancements are driving transportation and logistics to obtain the expectations of future markets by obtaining visibility, accountability, and sustainability.
Innovative Technologies Driving Logistics and Transportation Forward
At IronLink we are the backbone for a number of industries that require third party logistics help. We are a leader in 3PL services because we can adapt our commercial warehouse services with the newest innovations to improve our efficiency and speed.
Contact IronLink Logistics today at info@MD3PL.com or at (562) 666-2828 to learn how our 3pl logistics company can provide you with fast, accurate, and reliable warehousing and fulfillment services.
