Trimble has officially published results from annual Transportation Pulse Report by Transporeon, a Trimble Company.
Going by the available details, this report is designed to inform readers in regards to key developments that will shape the transportation and logistics sector during 2025. More on the same would reveal how it surveyed members of Indago’s supply chain research community, along with more than 100 European and North American supply chain and logistics executives from Transporeon’s shipper and carrier customers.
As for the results, respondents deemed economic conditions (56%), geopolitical events (50%) and environmental regulations (36%) as the top three factors that will shape the industry in 2025. On top of that, the struggles of manufacturing industry in Europe and the US, global inflation, slow economic growth, and regional conflicts are expected to continue to cause uncertainty and risk.
Within that regard, however, shippers and carriers express different opinions about next year’s transportation market. For instance, despite the conjecture, carriers and 3PLs on both sides of the Atlantic show strong optimism (75%). This they do, by and large, because of increased freight demand and rates, something which is only complemented by a gradual capacity reduction.
Shippers showcased, on the other hand, less confidence as the current trends forecast increased rates and tighter capacity, with only 38% declare feeling optimistic about 2025.
Markedly enough, when asked about their top priorities for 2025, shippers and carriers highlighted maintaining and increasing profitability. Here, a majority of respondents reported cost reduction as their top priority (61%). It is also particularly significant for shippers, at 76%.
In the case of carriers/3PLs, though, market expansion surpassed cost reduction, as 58% highlighted it as their key focal point to reflect a desire to capitalize upon anticipated market condition improvements following a downturn. Beyond that, supply chain digitization went on to receive 51% of the total votes, with European respondents showing a greater inclination (59%) than their U.S. counterparts (39%).
Then, we had sustainability initiatives securing 44% of the votes, a figure which treads up a long distance to signify their growing importance in the sector.
“This year’s survey reflects a broader concern for the global economy and geopolitics beyond transportation and logistics,” said Philipp Pfister, chief customer experience officer at Transporeon. “Carriers and 3PLs especially see opportunities for technological innovation and growth, balancing optimism with caution. While digitization won’t be the answer to everything, companies recognize the benefits and aim to use digital tools to control costs, better manage customer expectations and further sustainability practices.”
Among other things, we ought to mention that, if we talk about digitization, a significant gap between interest and implementation still remains in place. A majority of respondents (54%), including both shippers and carriers, anticipate automating only 25% or less of their transportation processes by the end of 2025. On the other hand, no more than 10% of the respondents said they expect to automate more than 75% of their transportation processes or transactions.
To contextualize that with numbers, while global respondents rank AI as the fourth biggest trend that will shape the industry in 2025, it emerges as the second biggest for carriers and 3PLs. Such a difference, on its part, might be linked to carriers’ focus on market expansion, as AI and advanced platforms can facilitate connections with a wider range of shippers and streamline freight matching processes.
