While the transportation of goods from port to port is one of the most vital parts of the United States Economy, it could use a serious technological facelift. Unfortunately, many of the systems used to transport the products we buy every day are archaic and highly inefficient. That is why the following list of reasons that digitization will soon change the transportation industry for the better has been assembled. These technological breakthroughs are, in no particular order, as follows:
- Increasing Volumes Require Upgrades
- E-commerce Must Better Connect With Shipping
- Connecting Many Transportation Devices Quickens Travel Times
Increasing Volumes Require Upgrades
Hard copies of paperwork and handwritten labels may work when the volume of deliveries and shipping is low. But, as the number of items ships switches to the millions instead of hundreds or thousands, it is time to invest in new technology to streamline the process. Not only will the introduction of new systems save the company money, but it will also allow them to expand operations to then serve more customers every year.
E-commerce Must Better Connect With Shipping
With the introduction of e-commerce to the average consumer, the world of shipping, transportation and logistics greatly changed. In fact, there was a point in time where logistics companies thought that the growth rate of online businesses was completely unsustainable and there would be no way for the shipping industry to possibly keep up with demand. Luckily, thanks to the introduction of digitized technology, logistics companies were able to not only keep up with demand, but also improve upon the practices to make them more efficient than ever before.
Connecting Many Transportation Devices Quickens Travel Times
One of the most important aspects of the logistics industry is communication. Without it, no one ever knows where a product is until it finally arrives at its destination. Perhaps the single greatest advancement in technology to aid in better communicating is the Internet of Things (IoT) platform. This not only helps humans to better communicate with one another but it also helps devices better communicate with one another. For example, large ships carrying products from port to port are able to communicate with one another so that shipping lanes do not get clogged with an excess of ships. This allows for more efficient travel. As the logistics industry adopts more IoT technology, it is possible to even further improve the current processes.