For the past several years, I’ve been asked by some industry publications to join their panel of experts and share some predictions for the year ahead.
So I crack out the crystal ball, turn the lights down low and in an effort to read the tea leaves…I break out my iPhone and call a whole bunch of people in our network to see what they think. 😊 It’s not necessarily a scientific process but heading in to 2019, it's an especially interesting time to think about what the future may hold. After an extremely volatile 2018, shippers are hoping for some calm waters.
After talking with some fellow experts and thinking it over, the good news is that calmer waters may be ahead, but here are three "V’s" that I believe will impact your freight budgets and supply chains in 2019:
Volatility – Since there still isn't any excess capacity in the market, shippers should expect to see continued volatility on the rate side. Any blip in the marketplace or weather related incidents could have a disproportionate impact on your freight costs.
Visibility – Expect your customers to keep asking: “Where’s my stuff?” And with carriers continuing to be more aggressive in charging for detention, demurrage, and other things, expect companies to focus on visibility. Shippers will need to know when their customer will be receiving the shipment, when freight arrived at a dock, and when it left. So shippers will need tools that provide visibility if they don't already have them.
Voice – With soaring freight costs walloping 2018 freight budgets, logistics professionals are more likely to have a voice at the table in 2019. With that thought in mind, we would like to hear what issues are pressing for you right now. Simply click this link to share and we will do our best to address them through our weekly Two Minute Warning update in the next few months.
We provide all of this because we're on your team, here to help and passionate about seeing you be successful.
