What The Future Of Logistics Could Look Like

We know the past few years have been somewhat turbulent, but at Barnes Logistics, we like to look on the bright side. And we think the future of logistics is a positive one!

 

With the average wage of an HGV driver having increased significantly in the past 2 years, combined with an increase in employment opportunities for those looking to go into the industry, it’s not unlikely that the future of logistics will continue along this trend of improvement.

 

So without further ado, here are some predictions we have for how the future of logistics might look…

 

 

 

1. Sustainably focused decisions

 

 

The world is slowly but surely moving towards sustainability, and logistics will be no exception. Companies such as DHL have already made the shift, adding hundreds of electric vehicles to their fleets.

 

While the infrastructure in the UK is yet to be befitting of its net zero goals, the government has set targets for 2030 for only electric vehicles to be sold – that means no more diesel and petrol cars will be on our roads. And with over 42,000 electric car charging points in place around the UK, it looks likely that, soon, you’ll be driving a much quieter vehicle up and down the motorway! In addition, the current woes around fuel prices also provide another reason for the move to electric.

 

This shift won’t be an easy one, but it’s going to benefit us all in the long term – so we certainly think that’s going to be a positive change.

 

 

2. Improvement of infrastructure

 

It’s well known amongst drivers that infrastructure in the UK leaves much to be desired. Compared to our counterparts in countries such as France and Germany, there are far too few facilities to accommodate our heavily congested roads, railway lines and airports. According to a report by McKinsey and Co., the UK’s roads carry more freight per kilometre of motorway than any other major economy apart from Japan.

 

However, there’s reason to believe that things will improve. The report highlighted that between 1998 and 2005, construction productivity in the UK increased by 1.7 percent a year compared with 0.3 percent in Germany and 0.1 percent in Spain. There is still a long way to go to catch up with our counterparts on the continent, but with the government being pressured to increase these improvements by those in the industry, the outlook is hopeful.

 

 

3. An increase in wages

 

Multiple factors caused the recent hike in drivers’ wages – we couldn’t be happier about it! HGV and other logistics drivers help keep the country ticking along smoothly: it’s only fair they’re fairly compensated for it.

 

Reports at the tail end of 2021 showed that some drivers’ wages were increased by as much as 40%, and there is still an estimated shortage of around 100,000 drivers, according to the BBC.

 

With the shortages impacting everything from Wetherspoons’ beer supplies to Christmas dinners, the likelihood is that this trend will either continue or stay consistently improved. After all, during the pandemic we all saw the kinds of chaos that can ensue when there are shortages of products – nobody wants a repeat of 2020!

 

 

With all this in mind, it’s likely that the future of logistics is a brighter one. Do you have your own thoughts on this? We’d love to hear from you! Be sure to tag us on Twitter and LinkedIn with your opinions.