The 3PL industry is undergoing constant changes because it is influenced by many factors. And one of the main levers of influence is scientific and technological progress. 3PL is becoming more technologically advanced and dynamic, and high technologies are already entering the fight, wanting to take the best place in the logistics market of the future.
1. Electric Trucks and Trains
Not so long ago in Tokyo, at one of the auto shows, the world’s first electric truck for transporting heavy loads was shown. New types of vehicles no longer seem like pictures from a science fiction film to us, they are already reality. The development of new equipment is being carried out by several manufacturers at once; unmanned tractors, electric trucks and even road trains are being tested in parallel. Unmanned electric trucks are an economical and promising type of delivery that will undoubtedly be popular and in demand in due time.
Drones are already being used to deliver cargo by air, and in the future, there will be the introduction of ground-based drones, which will resemble mobile containers on wheels. Ideas have also already been voiced about making deliveries using underground pipelines, into which two-meter self-driving capsules with cargo will be placed. But the most seemingly surprising and unusual solution is the transportation of goods in vacuum trains.
Loading and unloading cargo from such a capsule will take 15 minutes. This type of transportation will allow you to deliver cargo from China to Europe in just 10 hours, but now delivery by rail takes two to three weeks, and transportation by containers takes up to 7 weeks. Such a strong reduction in cargo transportation time in the future will revolutionize not only logistics, but also the entire distribution chain – from production to the final consumer.
2. Driverless Trucks
A stunning test of unmanned trucks took place in Dubai. The column successfully passed tests and showed great prospects for the development of this area.
The undeniable advantages of this type of transport are high speed, safety, environmental friendliness and efficiency. Less resources and costs for transportation and loading and unloading operations will be required. The risk of accidents and robberies, as well as delivery time, will be reduced, because trucks are capable of working around the clock.
These developments will change the transport and 3PL industries beyond recognition and will make the wildest dreams of science fiction writers come true. And all this will become a reality in the near future. Logistics is reaching a qualitatively new level of development.
Transport logistics of the future will represent the fastest possible delivery of any cargo to any point on Earth, with minimal human participation, risks, and losses.
But of course, all this will take time, it is necessary to make changes to the legislation. While according to the law, vehicles cannot move on the roads without drivers, customs clearance also requires human presence. Smart transport also requires smart roads.
Onro’s 3PL Software for 3PL Companies
With Onro’s 3PL software, the monitoring of shipments will always be clear. You can see all packages on a map, including the history of movements and waiting times. The dispatcher panel shows the courier position in real time.
In other words, if you pick up or deliver, you know very well that the package must arrive at its destination on time, without errors or delays in delivery, if you don’t want to generate customer dissatisfaction. Because any unexpected event – in the middle of the delivery process – could lead those who order from you to stay away from your cart for future orders. In short, if you have made a mistake once, you never know what will happen again.
From this picture, you understand how challenging it has become for an 3pl to keep the levels of logistics very high. It is worth the company’s reputation and its ability to maintain a high level of competitiveness. Because, let’s face it, you don’t want to be overtaken by someone who has a less good service than yours, but top management of transport?
So, for avoiding all the mentioned problems above, you must try Onro which is the most well-known courier management software.
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Conclusion
So, we understood all the possible future trends in 3PL, but in this stunning present moment, the goods travel, the vehicles must move, the couriers run, and the minutes fly. It’s like this every day: a company activates the engine of its logistics activity, and knows that it will have to do its best so that the goods and recipients meet happily. You know something about it, right? Also, IoT is a super technology that might affect the 3PL industry. We recommend you read the article about the role of IoT in logistics.
