Surviving the year 2021 in the realm of supply chain is regarded a major accomplishment by many. In the year 2021, the freight market has seen an extraordinary and rough journey – again.
Below you’ll find our 5 expectations and trends in logistics 2022 that may influence our mutual logistics journey:
#1 eFTI and eCMR will get important in EU
Germany just accepted the e-CMR protocol, paving the way for its implementation in the country since September 2021. So 2022 might be the year of eCMR: The adoption of e-CMR by the biggest automobile market in Europe will almost certainly result in an increase in the use of e-CMR. Furthermore, carriers are placing greater emphasis on efficiency and sustainability, with the elimination of paper CMR forms being one of the first steps. Currently, it is anticipated that e-CMR would become mandatory by 2026.
Small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany meanwhile benefit from an open source project the BMDV inititated, as they can develop their own business models on its basis. Thanks to this, a uniform standard and compatibility would be guaranteed at all times.
#2 Growing demand and pressure for green logistics & sustainability
At DPDHL, commitments to sustainability have been made since decades, and the current GoGreen Commitments are even speeding up when it comes to E-mobility in 2022.
“There is no way around sustainable logistics in the future. We are deciding today what kind of world we and our children will live in 30 years from now. And our aspiration is to make a substantial contribution to ensure that this will be an even better world.”
Dr. Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group
So with this global Goliath of a logistics company leading “Green logistics” to a normal status quo, sustainability becomes not only a nice-to-have marketing matter but the only possible way the logistics industry will evolve into. Partners, suppliers and competitors of DPDHL are forced to keep track and overthink the old ways. So green logistics and sustainability are more than a trend in logistics 2022, they are a expectation.
As the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26) was held in Glasgow in 2021 throwing even more light on climate change challenges, more and more initiatives will get their focus in 2022. Read on about the insights, we summed up about COP26 here.
#3 The capacity crunch will continue indefinitely.
At the moment, there is an excessive global amount of demand but not enough available capacity for freight transportation. [2]
Since the beginning of the year, there has been a looming issue that has only been aggravated by the increase in shipment volumes caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the Christmas season in the later half of the year. It will take some time for capacity to catch up with demand, and enterprises will need to make the most of their available resources by regularly monitoring asset use and prioritizing shipments as soon as possible. Indeed, the success or failure of freight forwarders will be determined by their ability to handle shipments effectively.
#4 The lack of truck drivers and specialists
Surprise, surprise, this ongoing shortage will remain a key trend in logistics 2022. Alone in Germany there’s a annual lack of 40.000 drivers. [3] But not only truck drivers are limited so are experts. Getting and holding employees that add extra value to the company by developing the much needed digitalization the industry needs, is at a fierce point.
Regarding the shortage of truck drivers, various committees are already enforcing certain topics for years:
- Automated driving functions, such as self-automated trucks or automated-last-mile-options (Which can be seen already as a trend for logistics 2022 itself!)
- Improvement of conditions for truck drivers
- Change certain freight transportation from Road to Rail, as seen at DPDHL [1]
#5 Supplier relationship management is key
Capacities running low, ongoing truck driver and specialist shortage and disrupted supply chains putting even more pressure on logistics companies: The last thing to happen is that suppliers flock away these days. Be careful, now more than ever: The benefits of a truly collaborative approach are often overlooked by organizations that just regard their suppliers as vendors who are only there to perform a service or deliver items. Companies who invest in enhancing supplier relationship management not only have the opportunity to unlock innovation and a potentially abundant source of ideas, but they also have the opportunity to create an atmosphere that gets the best out of both sides.
Conclusion: Trends in Logistics 2022
Logistics is the backbone of every single but also our global economy and its significance is rather expected to grow. That’s why the right strategy of your business in the future is most important to thrive in this global and complex industry. The process of digitizing your manual activities and overcoming future problems can be completed in as little as a few clicks, with results visible the very next business day. Schedule a brief chat with one of our experts, and we will assist you in understanding how your business could benefit from a digital roadfreight platform.
Sources:
[3] https://www.transportlogistic.de/en/trade-fair/industry-insights/truck-driver-shortage/, 23.12.2021
