As logistics goes digital, changes are coming to industry structure, operations and profits. In the first of a series, Aisha Chottani, Greg Hastings, John Murnane and Florian Neuhaus, of McKinsey & Co., examine the impact of autonomous trucks.
“What is happening is fairly well understood, if initially underestimated,” the authors write. “Digitization and other technological advances are exposing the vulnerabilities in every industry, particularly retail. And now, logistics companies are starting to feel the heat. Our new research has turned up five trends that offer startling indicators of impending change for the trucking, rail, warehousing, and logistics companies that move America’s merchandise.”
The five trends are:
- Autonomous trucks
- E-commerce
- Automation
- Asset sharing
- Data analytics